Nantes centre-back Chidozie Awaziem has acknowledged the danger posed by Brahim Diaz ahead of Nigeria’s showdown with Morocco on Wednesday night.

Diaz has been in red-hot form at the AFCON and is regarded as one of the hosts’ biggest threats following his impressive goalscoring exploits at the tournament.

The Real Madrid forward currently tops the scorers’ chart with five goals, having found the net in every match he has featured in so far at the competition.

Speaking to journalists, Awaziem acknowledged the quality of the Moroccan forward, describing him as a dangerous player who must be closely monitored throughout the game.

"We know Brahim Diaz is a dangerous player. We need to play close attention to him," he warned. 

The defender noted that allowing Diaz to settle into his rhythm could be costly, insisting that Nigeria must deny him space and time on the ball.

"Try to let him play his style of play because we know how dangerous he can be," Awaziem said. 

He, however, expressed confidence in the Super Eagles’ ability to handle the challenge, pointing out that the team has already faced and neutralised several top players earlier in the tournament.

"We already played against great players and we stopped them already. I think the players everyone know what to do."

Awaziem added that the players are fully focused and mentally prepared for the encounter, with everyone aware of their individual responsibilities on the pitch. 

"Everyone is focused, we just do our thing and I know the boys are fully ready and focused on the game," he noted. 

While admitting that the team has been working on penalties in training, he maintained that the Super Eagles are determined to settle the contest within regulation time and emerge victorious.

"We hope we can the win at the end of the day. We have been practicing penalties but we are not going to do that our here in the media," Awaziem concluded. 

A win for the Super Eagles would secure their place in the final, where they will face the winners of the semifinal clash between Senegal and Egypt.

Adeyemi Adewale