Nigeria/CIV clash generates Words of words

Nigeria coach Austin Eguavoen: "We want to compensate for missing out on the World Cup and also for not winning the Nations Cup for a long time. The players are ready and the pressure will not get to them.;

Nigeria goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama - "We're expecting something a bit tougher, because it's an all West African affair. Nobody wants to lose."

Nigeria defender Joseph Yobo - "It's a must-win game, like it was against Tunisia. We can't really think about having beaten them the last time the two countries met in the semi-final of the 1994 Nations Cup."

"Last Saturday's quarter-final against the Tunisian took a lot out of us because we didn't expect it to go to extra time and then to penalties. Fortunately it was the same for the Ivorians, so if we're tired they'll be tired as well."

Ivory Coast defender Kolo Toure - "It's going to be a very hard game. But now we are in the semi-finals, anything can happen."

Ivory Coast coach Henri Michel - "It's going to be a very hard game but we will be on equal footing with Nigeria because both of us played extra time [in the quarter-finals."