Home-based Super Eagles will today in Abidjan confront the Elephants of Cote d'Ivoire in the second leg and last qualifying match for the finals of the 2014 African Nations Championship (CHAN). In the first leg match decided at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna, on July 6, the Eagles defeated their West African neighbours 4-1 to brighten their chances of picking their first qualification ticket for the competition.
Nigeria has never qualified for the competition before as the Super Eagles lost out to Ghana in the race to the inaugural edition in Cote d'Ivoire in 2009 and then faltered against Niger Republic in the qualifying series for the second edition held in Sudan in 2011.
But the team stands a good chance of qualifying for next year's championship slated for South Africa if they can maintain their goal lead against Cote d'Ivoire in today's crucial second leg tie.
Although the Super Eagles who parade about six of the players that prosecuted the last FIFA Confederations Cup tournament in Brazil could be said to have an advantage over their opponents in today's encounter considering the goal difference, but when one considers the soccer rivalry existing between the two countries over the years, it becomes difficult to predict the outcome of the match.
Already, the Ivoirians are still bitter over the marching orders given to two of their players in Kaduna, and will be desperate to cancel the three goals to enable them pick the ticket to South Africa 2014, thus the Coach Stephen Keshi's tutored side will have their hands full as they try to consolidate their victory, by not giving the Elephants an opportunity of turning the game against them.
Keshi has promised Nigerians that they are not going for a tea party in Abidjan and as such will not allow the hosts to have an easy ride over Nigeria.
Speaking after one of the team's training sessions in Abuja, he noted that all the players knew the importance of qualifying for the first time for the competition and were determined to do the country proud in Abidjan.
"My team is psychologically and mentally prepared for the second leg and we are going to Abidjan to pick a win and qualify for next year's championship in South Africa.
"The players are quite aware that the Ivoirians will employ a lot of antics to ensure they cancel the three goals lead, but we are prepared to ensure they don't succeed with their plans because having failed on two previous occasions to qualify for the championship, we are ready to play in the competition this time around," Keshi said.
Meanwhile, coach of the Elephants, Saraka Norbert, has declared that though it would be difficult to upset Nigeria's 4-1 lead during the return leg of the CHAN qualifiers in Abidjan, they will give the Eagles a good fight. Saraka said the strength of the Eagles lies in their compact defense and that Côte d'Ivoire hope to overcome it in order to secure one or two goals.
"We are quite aware that the second leg will be difficult for us because it will not be easy scoring three goals against a strong side like Nigeria, but I believe that in football, nothing is impossible.
"My players were brave in the first leg, but the match officials did not apply the rules correctly which affected our game plan. I hope we can still salvage something in Abidjan," he said.
National Mirror