Group opponents of Nigeria in the Afcon 2013 tourney, Burkina Faso and Zambia sent spies to monitor the Nigerian versus Catalonia selected game in Barcelona on Wednesday and they were pleasantly surprised at the quality on display.

According to Assistant Coach Gydounou Valere, the new faces in the Nigerian set up, was a surprise to many. “Some of the coaches and journalists who came to spy the team had to approach me, saying where are the big names that we are taking to the Nations Cup and I told them that they are seeing them right there on the pitch”, he said.

The former Assistant Coach of Togo and Mali, says Nigeria is on the way to causing many surprises at the Afcon tournament and urged for total backing from all and sundry. Nigeria will next take on Cape Verde Island next week in another warm up game in Portugal.

Meanwhile goal hero, Bright Dike, has attributed the goal he scored against Catalonia to the wonderful support he has been receiving from his teammates in the national team and said he was overjoyed to have scored a first goal for his fatherland.

The MLS star said: “Onazi was running so fast with the ball and I was within reach, he decided to give me a good pass and I was too happy to finish it up, that is what we call team work and the coach has been telling us to always play with ourselves and it showed in this game”, the bulky striker declared, he further said he would be too delighted to be part of the final 23 players that will be selected for the Nations Cup in South Africa and promised to do his best at the championship for the Eagles.