- Iheanacho, Ejuke, Osayi-Samuel swell Super Eagles
Head Coach Augustine Eguavoen has set a goal of securing all six points from this month’s double-header against Libya’s Mediterranean Knights in Group D as the competition for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations finals intensifies.
Nigeria will host the first match at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo tomorrow, with the return fixture taking place at the Martyrs of Benina Stadium, located 19 kilometers from Libya’s second city, Benghazi, on Tuesday night.
“We have to be practical about it: our best and surest route to the finals will be to pick up the six points in the matches with Libya, and be somewhat guaranteed of a place in Morocco even before Matchday 5. We don’t want to be in any anxiety in the run-in in this qualifying campaign,” he said.
Twenty of the 23 invited players trained in Uyo on Tuesday evening, with defender Bright Osayi-Samuel and forwards Kelechi Iheanacho and Chidera Ejuke arriving on Wednesday morning.
Leaders Nigeria have four points from their two matches so far, one point ahead of Benin Republic and two ahead of Rwanda. The Eagles will go to 10 points with a double win over Libya, while both teams on Nigeria’s heels are in attrition and are bound to chop at each other’s advantage one way or the other.
Wins for Benin Republic in both matches will take them to nine points, still short of Nigeria’s probable tally of 10, but Rwanda will remain stuck at two and Libya one, with only two matches left in the campaign. Wins for Rwanda will leave Benin Republic stuck at three points and Rwanda at eight.
“There are possibilities and opportunities for us to sail home at the end of these two matches, and we will do our best to take our chances and have the ticket in hand before the final round of games,” Eguavoen reiterated.
The delegation of Libya’s Mediterranean Knights landed at the Port Harcourt International Airport around noon on Tuesday, before moving to Uyo by road.
Malawian referee Godfrey Philip Nkhakananga, who will be at the centre during Friday’s encounter, alongside the other match officials, are already in the Akwa Ibom State capital.
The Confederation of African Football has also appointed Nkhakananga’s compatriots, Clemence Kanduku and Joseph Nyauti as assistant referees 1 and 2 respectively, while Botswanan Keabetswe Dintwa will serve as fourth official.
