Scorer of Nigeria's last penalty kick, Nwankwo Kanu, has revealed that his team captain Joseph Yobo gave him the courage to take the kick that gave them the victory after Tunisia failed to score theirs at Port Said, Egypt on Saturday.

The lanky striker, who came in from the bench in the second half, said that he had never wanted to take any penalty kick because of the stigma of the one he took when Nigeria lost on penalties to the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon in the final of 2000 tournament in Nigeria.

"I took the kick with all my strength because I was very scared. I was reluctant but Yobo shouted at me that I have the willpower to do it since nobody was willing to stand up and take it.

"It was becoming an embarrassment. So I put aside my fears to place the kick to the far corner of the net," he told PANA.

Kanu also said that Yobo told him to go out there and erase his (Yobo) own mistake (he missed a penalty today) and make amend for the loss in 2000.

"It was like magic," he said after the match.