Nigeria’s Super Eagles have arrived in the southern Russia town of Volgograd ahead of Friday’s must-win FIFA World Cup Group D encounter against Iceland.
A statement from the spokesperson of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Ademola Olajire read that they flew from their Essentuki base on Thursday morning and were settled in their Hampton-by-Hilton Volgograd Hotel a little after 1pm.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that focus has been on the encounter with the Euro 2016 quarter finalists since Eagles’ loss to Croatia in Kaliningrad on Saturday.
Victory against the feisty Scandinavians will renew hope for a place in the knockout rounds while defeat would mean early and unflattering elimination from the quadrennial showpiece.
The statement quoted Coach Gernot Rohr as saying that he had been drawn to a plethora of suggestions in the media space on best formations, patterns and appropriate player-position-cum-strength postulations following the reverse against Croatia.
He was quoted as saying that he knows what is best for the team and will deploy same on Friday.
“We have watched the game against Croatia again to see our mistakes so that we can correct them.
”It will be a tough game, because we have to be at our best and be more professional with our defending especially from set-pieces.
“We have to be fully focused and not lose concentration all through the game and I believe with hard work we can get a good result.
”In truth, there is no need to add to the pressure we have now. More pressure on the team will not necessarily translate to better results,” Rohr was quoted as saying.
According to the statement, all players in camp are fully fit, meaning Coach Rohr is presented with an opportunity to pick among all 23 players, and to cobble together the combination and formation that he believes will best guarantee victory.
The statement added that Nigeria’s number three man, Senate President Bukola Saraki, will be on ground to support the Eagles at the 45,000- capacity Volgograd Arena.
NAN reports that Volgograd, formerly known as Stalingrad and which is 940 kilometers to the south of Moscow, extends alongside the Volga River and has a population of one million people.
Victory for the Super Eagles on Friday would be a turning point in Nigeria’s 2018 FIFA World Cup campaign. (NAN)