By EMMA NJOKU
Stephen Keshi this afternoon parades a crack home-based Super Eagles squad against the Elephants of Ivory Coast with a charge to the players to aim for history as the first set of Nigerians to feature at the Africa Nations Championship (CHAN) in South Africa next year.
Today’s crunchy tie billed for the main bowl of the Ahmadu Bello Stadium in Kaduna is expected to be a keen contest as the Ivorian side looks to avenge the semi-final defeat handed it by the Nigerian team at the last Africa Nations Cup early this year.
Nigeria failed to qualify for the first two editions of the tournament and Keshi has admitted that today’s game against the Elephants will not be a piece of cake either. “You have a big task of becoming the first set of Nigerians to play in the CHAN tournament in South Africa next year if you surmount the Ivorian hurdle” Keshi charged his players ahead of today’s clash.
“I have absolute confidence in your abilities to defeat Cote d’Ivoire, but you must believe in yourselves to achieve the set goal,” he further charged the players. Meanwhile, defence ace and Beijing 2008 Olympics soccer silver medalist, Chibuzor Okonkwo and goalkeeper Daniel Akpenyi are both looking beyond today’s clash with the Elephants of Ivory Coast insisting that Nigeria must qualify for next year’s edition of CHAN.
“We appreciate the importance the nation attaches to the match against Ivory Coast, particularly, giving that Nigeria has yet to qualify for the competition (CHAN) for the first time. We’re not just thinking of victory but a convincing one so as to make the decisive second leg in Abidjan a mere formality” goalkeeper Daniel Akpenyi said.
“Ivory Coast has always been a tough opposition and I expect them to come with revenge in their minds following Nigeria’s victory against Ivory Coast at the 2013 AFCON in South Africa. So we’re ready to play the game of our lives on Saturday (today)” he added. “Nothing will stop Nigeria from qualifying for the tournament (CHAN) this time round. I believe that it was not our luck to qualify for the competition in the first two editions but we shall get it right this time.
Not even Ivory Coast can stop us” vowed Chibuzor Okonkwo who captained the home-based team that failed to qualify for the last edition of the tournament. Keshi will enjoy the compliments of no fewer than eight members of the Super Eagles squad to the recently concluded FIFA Confederations Cup in Brazil prominent among who are midfielder Sunday Mba, defenders Godfrey Oboabona and Azubuike Egwuekwe.
Others are striker Mohammed Gambo, goalkeeper Chigozie Agbim, Solomon Kwambe, Emeka Eze and Francis Benjamin. The Big boss, as Keshi is fondly called, will, particularly, bank on the experience of the trio of Mba, Oboabona and Egwuekwe to overcome the Elephants today.
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