Ahmed Musa has told KweséESPN that he willed himself to stay calm to score the second goal that sealed Nigeria's 2-0 victory over Iceland.
The 25-year-old latched onto a pass and burned Kari Arnason for pace to get into the box, only to face goalkeeper Hannes Halldorsson and two defenders. Musa kept a calm head, rounded the Halldorsson, then took his time before slamming the ball into the net at the Volgograd Arena.
He told KweséESPN it was important not to lose his head.
"Once I beat the goalkeeper, I wanted to shoot, but I saw the two defenders on the line and I knew that if I rushed the shot I could miss it, or they could block it. So I had to stay calm and let them commit before I took the shot."
Despite the calm recollection of his in-the-moment thoughts, the Super Eagles forward insists that he was lucky to score.
"I am so happy to score but I am more happy that the team won. I just believe I am lucky to score because anytime we have a difficult game, the luck always comes for me. We all worked hard and we just wanted to give our best to make the fans happy."
Musa's pace was a constant problem for the Iceland defence, and he says it was part of the pre-match conversation.
"We talked about it before the game. We knew their defenders were slow and old so my speed would be a problem for them."
With Nigeria moving into second place behind Croatia in Group D (on three points after their loss to Croats, the forward says he is now looking forward to the pool clash clash against Argentina -- one in which they can seal the South Americans surprise early elimination and their progression with a draw or victory.
"Now we have to start preparing for the next match, which is very important for us.
That match is next Tuesday in Saint Petersburg (20:00, CAT).