The home-based Super Eagles will look to secure a place at the African Nations Championship for the first time in six years when they take on perennial rivals Ghana on Saturday (today).
The Eagles are in a good position to qualify for the competition after holding Didi Dramani’s side to a 0-0 draw in the first leg.
The West Africans have failed to qualify for the biennial competition since coming second at the 2018 edition in Morocco.
They were stopped from qualifying for the 2000 edition by Togo, while they lost on penalities to Ghana in the final qualifying round two years ago.
Stand-in head coach Daniel Ogunmodede declared that they are ready for task ahead and won’t allow historical talk distract his team.
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“They (Ghana) may be depending on so much history and the times they have been victorious over Nigeria, especially in the CHAN, but we are blind to that. In camp, we are not allowing any historical talk to distract us. We are focused on achieving the win that will see us qualify for the finals,” Ogunmodede told a press conference.
“We are prepared physically, mentally and psychologically for this match. Our special plea is for the fans to troop out on Saturday to come and support the boys. The Ghanaians came out in large numbers to support their team in the first leg and this imbued their players with extra energy and aggression.”
His Ghanaian counterpart, Didi Dramani is also upbeat his team will pick the ticket to the competition.
“We created far more chances and were unlucky not to score. No need crying over spilt milk. Tomorrow is an opportunity to get the goals and qualify for the CHAN. It is not going to be easy as there is never any clash between Nigeria and Ghana that can be easy,” Dramani declared.
“The Super Eagles team is a good one and we have to take our game to another level. We will play an attacking game. Football is about scoring; even when you’re consciously soaking up pressure, you’re still looking to go on the counter and score. Our objective is to qualify for the final tournament.”
By Adeboye Amosu
