World Cup playoff: Super Eagles declare war on Black Stars

… Say ‘World Cup ticket a must for Nigeria’

The battle for a place at the FIFA 2022 World Cup is one that will bring out the best in the Super Eagle as the players have declared that they are battle ready to face Ghana Black Stars.

According to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) media department, the promise by the players came during a virtual meeting with Youth and Sports Minister, Sunday Dare and chieftains of the NFF on Tuesday night.

Coaches Austin Eguavoen, Emmanuel Amuneke and the players said they are aware of the huge challenge that Ghana’s Black Stars pose in next month’s two-legged play-off, but that they are determined to emerge victorious.

Speaking at the meeting, Super Eagles captain Ahmed Musa said: “The FIFA World Cup is the biggest football tournament in the world, and every player wants to feature there. A good number of the players in the team now have not been there, and the few of us that have been there want to experience it again.

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“We just want the NFF to help us get enough fans into the Abuja Stadium for the second leg. We will go to Ghana and dig our feet and ensure we get a result. We must admit that Ghana also wants to qualify and they have a strong team. The return leg will be crucial and we are ready for the battle, but we want our fans to be at the stadium to cheer us on.”

Eguavoen said that he is honoured to serve Nigeria. “It is always an honour to serve the country. I was impressed with the high level of discipline and commitment of the players at the AFCON in Cameroon, and I feel privileged to lead the group. We have two tough games against Ghana next month but I am not too worried because we have a squad that knows it is a mountain that we have to climb. We have a good headache to deal with – which is a surplus of good players. I want to thank the government and the NFF for all the support during the AFCON; we will need even greater support for the World Cup play-off.”

Chief Coach Emmanuel Amuneke said he is privileged to work with the team. “I have worked with some of the players at the U17 and U20 teams, and some others I have known for many years. We have the team to earn the World Cup ticket and we will put our best foot forward for each game.”