Three-time African champions, Super Eagles will today battle the Sharks of Cape Verde in the ultimate game of Group C of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 qualifying African series at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos.
Victory or draw against the Sharks will send 12-pointer Eagles into the crucial playoffs, with the visitors, who are on 10, needing to win to make progress at Nigeria’s expense.
Captain Ahmed Musa has assured Nigerians that the Super Eagles are mature, professional and ambitious enough to deal with any pressure as they seek to qualify for the World Cup.
“There will always be all kinds of pressure when you are out there on the football field, as a professional sportsman or woman. You just must have strong fibre to cope with the pressure from everywhere, focus on getting the result and get the job done.
“Pressure is never an excuse not to put out your best; sometimes, it helps you to get beyond your level best.
“The FIFA World Cup is the biggest stage for every professional football player. They all want to be there; you don’t need any more motivation than that. We said after the match with Liberia in Tangier on Saturday that we will not be going for a draw against Cape Verde. Nothing has changed,” Musa told thenff.com.
Odion Ighalo, who recently renounced his retirement from international football, is expected to feature in today’s decisive tie.
Nigeria has participated in all FIFA World Cup final tournaments since its debut in 1994 in the United States of America, bar the 2006 finals in Germany that she missed narrowly after FIFA opted to use the head-to-head rule in the qualifying campaign, which favoured Angola.
The final round of the African qualifying series will be held in March 2022.
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