Lazio midfielder Fisayo Dele-Bashiru has shrugged off the pressure that comes with wearing the legendary number 10 jersey for the Super Eagles, Soccernet.ng reports.
The iconic jersey number has been previously worn by Nigerian football legend Jay-Jay Okocha, John Mikel Obi, and Kelechi Iheanacho during his early days in the Super Eagles team. Although, he later switched to another jersey number.
Speaking with Sulaiman Adebayo after Dele-Bashiru made it clear that the jersey number holds no extra weight for him as he focuses solely on his performance.
“Me personally, I don’t really like to think too much about the number I am wearing. Whether it is number 10, number 80, or anything. My main focus is to give 100 percent on the pitch and to perform to the best of my ability. I don’t really mind. Of course, I understand it’s a number that has a lot of weight behind it. But, I think the main thing is giving 100 percent on the pitch,” Dele-Bashiru said.
The 23-year-old midfielder made an instant impact in the 74th minute when he came on as part of a triple substitution by coach Augustine Eguavoen, with the Super Eagles struggling to break the deadlock.
Dele-Bashiru’s moment of magic came in the 86th minute. He pounced on a well-timed pass from winger Moses Simon and unleashed a low strike into the bottom right corner, sealing a crucial win for Nigeria.
Jay-Jay Okocha made the number famous during his playing days. Former Chelsea player, Mikel Obi carried the mantle with leadership in the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations and beyond.