The Super Eagles of Nigeria will today kick-start their 2017 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier with a cracker against the Le Sao of Chad at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna.
Today’s game will mark the first competitive encounter between the Super Eagles, who won the African title three times and their Chadian counterparts who lie 129 places lower than their hosts in the FIFA ranking and have never qualified for the AFCON.
After leading Nigeria to her third AFCON title two years ago in South Africa, 19 years after her second triumph, and failing to qualify for the 2015 edition hosted by Equatorial Guinea, Coach Stephen Keshi will be hoping to begin on a winning note and prevent the calculations which followed the team’s topsy-turvy performance in the qualifiers for the 2015 edition.
Having seven-time champions Egypt and ‘minnows’ Tanzania in group G is not an excuse for the team to go to sleep and Keshi knows this.
“Football in Africa today is dynamic and we have to respect all teams and prepare well,” he stated.
He called on Nigerians to support the team and assured them that his players will not fail to make Nigerians happy.
“We need support from every Nigerian and we all need to forget the past and focus on what we want to achieve in the 2017 edition. For me, support is key, because the players are here and ready to give their best. Playing at the 2017 AFCON is a priority and we must work really hard for it”.
The former captain of the side said his lads have learnt from their past experience and will not allow anything to distract the team’s focus.
“Football changes every day and all teams try to learn, so for us to win every game we are going to play, we must not underrate any team and we must work hard for every point,” he pointed out.
Tanzania is up next for the Eagles. Keshi has assured that he has the full complement of his players ahead of today’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers against Chad, saying none of them is injured.
He expressed confidence that the team is fully ready to take on the Chadians in the must-win game.
Reacting to the 4-0 victory recorded by his boys against Nigeria National League side, Kaduna United in a warm-up match played at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium last Tuesday, Keshi confessed to refusing to be carried away by the result, insisting that there is still more work to be done.
He however stated that he will be happier if his boys could replicate such performance when they take on Chad today.
“There is no big deal about the 4-0 victory over Kaduna United. What is important to me is to see them win Chad today in that same manner. Winning Kaduna United does not give us any point.”
He expressed happiness with the response of the Kaduna football fans to his team and pleaded with them to come out en masse and support the team against the Le Sao today.
“This is not the first time we will be playing in Kaduna and the fans have always been very supporting and understanding. We expect more from them today.”
Today’s tie against Chad will be the first competitive match the Super Eagles will be playing after failing to qualify for the last Nations Cup held in Equatorial Guinea and the players would be hoping to avoid such as they begin this campaign.
Tanzania is up next after Chad.