Super Eagles’ skipper, Ahmed Musa has vowed that the senior national team will set out for an outright victory in their final group game against the Sharks of Cape Verde at the Teslim Balogun Stadium on Tuesday.
Musa made this declaration shortly after the Super Eagles’ delegation to Saturday’s FIFA World Cup qualifier against Liberia in Tangier, Morocco flew into Nigeria on Sunday morning aboard a chartered Air Peace Embraer E-195 E2 jet after a four-and-half hour cruise from Morocco’s principal northern town to Lagos.
The aircraft touched down at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport at 7.30am and the three –time African champions were immediately driven to their Eko Hotel abode, with a gym session in the evening to limber up ahead of a full training session on Monday at the match venue – Teslim Balogun Stadium.
The 2-0 victory in Tangier over the Lone Star meant the Eagles have won all their away matches in this qualifying series, and need only a draw against the Blue Sharks of Cape Verde on Tuesday to progress into the final knockout round of African series for Qatar 2022. They have scored two goals in each of the away games, with a 2-1 defeat of the Sharks on the island on Mindelo and 2-0 defeats of Central African Republic and Liberia in Douala and Tangier respectively.
Musa, who won a record 102nd senior cap for Nigeria after coming in as a substitute in Saturday’s triumph, said none of the players is thinking of a draw against the Sharks at the Teslim Balogun Satdium.
“No one is thinking of a draw. It is a must-win match, as far as we are concerned. The mindset is to win and reach the final round of the World Cup series without any story.”
Cape Verde national team skipper, Marco Soares has also declared that they are in Nigeria to snatch the 2022 World Cup qualifying play offs ticket at the expense of Nigeria.
Soares told local media, inforpress before jetting off to Nigeria on Sunday.
His words: “We know that now we have to go to Nigeria to win the game, as we do in every game, and it won’t be any different there.
“We will do everything from the first minute to make Cape Verdeans proud of their team.
“I want to emphasize once again the spirit of this group of the national team and highlight Ryan, who, despite the pain, continued to play for a cause that is Cape Verde and we all deserve congratulations.
Cape Verde’s selection departed São Vicente Sunday morning on a chartered flight to Nigeria where they will face the home team on Tuesday, in the game that will dictate the winner of Group C for the play-off.
Victory or draw against the Sharks will send 12-pointer Eagles into the knockout round, with the visitors, who are on 10, needing to win at the Teslim Balogun to make progress at Nigeria’s expense.
Nigeria has participated in all FIFA World Cup final tournaments since its debut in 1994 in the United States of America, bar the 2006 finals in Germany that she missed narrowly after FIFA opted to use the head-to-head rule in the qualifying campaign, which favoured Angola.
The final round of the African qualifying series will hold in March 2022.
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