Nigeria striker, Odion Ighalo, has said that Tuesday’s decisive World Cup Group D clash against Argentina in St Petersburg will be “a war”.
Argentina must win to reach the second round, while the Super Eagles can qualify with either victory or a draw.
“It’s going to be war and a final of finals because they need to win,” Ighalo told BBC Sport.
“They are going to come all out and use every tactic that they know to win a game.”
The clash between Argentina and Nigeria will be the fifth World Cup meeting between the sides – with the Super Eagles yet to avoid defeat.
With maximum points in Russia following wins over Nigeria and Argentina, group leaders Croatia have already claimed one of the group’s berths in the Round of 16.
That has left Nigeria, Iceland and Argentina – runners-up at the 2014 World Cup – scrapping for just one place.
The Super Eagles’ 2-0 defeat of Iceland on Friday moved them second with three points, while both Iceland and Argentina have mustered just a solitary point apiece following their 1-1 draw on 16 June.
Should Croatia beat Iceland on Tuesday in Rostov-on-Don, the African side could go through with a point.
Argentina, by contrast, will qualify with a win if Iceland fails to win on Tuesday or, should the island nation emerge victorious, by outscoring them and so improving their inferior goal difference.
“I am expecting it to be a very tough game but I think we are capable of qualifying,” said Ighalo.
Despite being dropped, 29-year-old Ighalo was delighted by the change of tactics from Nigeria coach Gernot Rohr who switched to a back three and started with two strikers.
“It makes it easier because I was isolated (against Croatia) – alone with four different guys – which was very difficult but we played with two strikers (against Iceland), which is much easier for the strikers to move, to come, and you can see that we got goals,” he explained.