Midfielder Ogenyi Onazi has assured that the Super Eagles would be ready to put in their best in pre-World Cup friendlies against the DR Congo, England and the Czech Republic.
Nigeria host the Leopards of the DR Congo in Port Harcourt on May 28, before a prestige clash with England’s Three Lions at Wembley Stadium in London on June 2.
They will thereafter go on to have an encounter with the Czech Republic on June 6 at the Rudolf Tonn Stadium, just outside Vienna.
“We are not focusing on any particular game, and we are getting ready to face all the teams we have to play before the World Cup. It is the right mentality to approach the games.
“I have been asked several questions about the match against England, but I have been telling people that the England match is very important, just like the other matches that we have to play.
“What is key for us is to get into the right psychological state to confront every opposition that lie ahead, including those that will be waiting at the FIFA World Cup,” Onazi who plays for Trabzonspor of Turkey told thenff.com, the website of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
The former FIFA Under-17 World Cup silver medal-winning midfielder dismissed feelings that the team would be over-confident going into Russia 2018 following victories in friendlies against Argentina and Poland.
“There is nothing like over-confidence. What I can say is that we are a very ambitious team and we will always be ready to play any team.
“Yes, we defeated Argentina and Poland, but that has not in any way generated feelings of over-confidence in the camp. We are focused and have our heads on our shoulders.
“For us, humility and hard work will be the winning words going ahead. Our preparation is going on well and we are happy with that.
“At the World Cup, we will come up against different teams with different styles and approaches of play. It is important that we are adequately prepared and we appreciate the games that the NFF has lined up for us,” Onazi, who played for Nigeria at the 2014 FIFA World Cup finals in Brazil, said.(NAN