Emenike sets 20-goal  target

Emmanuel Emenike has set a personal 20-goal target ahead of the new Russian premier league with Spartak Moscow.

The big Nigeria forward, who draws inspiration from ex-Eagles World Cup star Daniel Amokachi, said he wants to help his team to be Russian champions in the new season after they finished as runners-up last term.

After impressing in his first season with 13 goals last season, the former Karabukspor of Turkey star was instantly rewarded with a bumper four-year contract extension that made him the Moscow club’s highest paid player.

“I have set a target for myself in terms of goals, I want to score at least 20 goals to emerge as top scorer in the league and so I can’t wait for the season to kick off," he said.

"I'm delighted to be here after the holidays. The pre-season has been wonderful under the new manager. It's a massive club with big ambitions.

“And now everybody at Spartak knows what I can do. I want to score goals to help my team win the league title. The coach has confidence in me and has encouraged me to go all out and get the goals.”

Spartak will open their new league campaign on Sunday, July 22, away at Alania. They will also feature in the UEFA Champions League.

Emenike expressed confidence that Nigeria will go past Liberia to qualify for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations, but warned that the Eagles must not put unnecessary pressure on themselves leading up to the qualifiers.

"There are no pushovers in football again and so anything can still happen, but the best thing is to remain calm and give our best in the two games. We will beat Liberia. We have to be calm and not play with any pressure. We will qualify then we give the trophy a shot in South Africa," Emenike said.