Nigeria striker Emmanuel Emenike says they have to be cautious of Mali when they clash in the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations semi-final on Wednesday.
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The Super Eagles ousted tournament favourites Ivory Coast on Sunday, beating them 2-1 with a goal from Emenike and Sunday Mba sealing the victory.
Mali were never considered as favourites to lift the AFCON title, but victory in a tense penalty shootout against South Africa in the quarter-finals finds them facing Nigeria.
The group stages saw the Eagles beat Niger 1-0, lose 1-0 to Ghana and then need only a point against DR Congo, which they got with a hard-fought 1-1 draw, and it is because of these performances that Emenike is cautious.
"We will be making a big mistake if we take Mali for granted. We need to give them the respect that they deserve, because they fought hard to reach the semi-finals," he told Goal.
"We beat the team that everyone was talking about (Cote d'Ivoire) and I think we will make it to the final this year.
"I want to score as many goals as possible to help Nigeria win the trophy. Getting a top-scorer award will be a bonus because I am representing Nigeria and not myself."
The first semi takes place at the Moses Mabhida Stadium and kick-off is at 5pm.
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