Super Eagles midfielder, Lukman Haruna, has said he lost confidence the day he saw Argentina forward, Lionel Messi.
He said seeing the Argentine in the tunnel of a World Cup stadium when the Eagles faced Messi’s Argentina was one moment he will never forget.
Speaking to PUNCH, Lukman stated that he, however, regained his confidence after the squad sang the Nigerian national anthem before the clash with Argentina.
“People talk about Messi a lot, but I must tell you he is from another planet. It was a great moment for me. Seeing him walk down the tunnel that day, I won’t lie; I lost my confidence as a player that moment because he is a player capable of singlehandedly destroying any team. But I overcame it after our anthem was rendered but unfortunately we lost that game. I still have pictures of that game in my gallery where I came up against him. Each time the Eagles take on Argentina and I see those pictures, it rekindles old memories of my time in the Eagles,” he said.
He also revealed that featuring in the World Cup for Nigeria was a huge experience for him.
“Of course, it was. It’s every player’s dream and I had that experience. Players that never played at the World Cup are never fulfilled. But I’m lucky to be part of the team. It was a great moment and a good feeling. It’s the dream of every player to represent their country at the World Cup. I was very fortunate to make the squad. I played two games, though we lost those matches, it remains a fulfilling moment for me,” he said.