Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle has said his team cannot leave anything to chance as the 2027 AFCON qualifiers get underway.
Nigeria welcome Madagascar to Uyo Friday before a trip to Guinea Bissau four days later.
“We have to show everyone from Day One that we want it, and the only way to do that is to go for it with our hearts, and refuse to slow down at any point. We must go for the points without any hesitation,” Chelle declared.
Udinese goalkeeper Maduka Okoye has finaly joined the training camp to douce speculations over his availability.
It will therefore be left to Eric Chelle who will start in goal between Okoye and Stanley Nwabali.
Nigeria will welcome back dependable defender Ola Aina and utility youngster Benjamin Fredricks, as well as forward Taiwo Awoniyi, who has been drafted in the forced absence of Victor Osimhen.
Friday’s clash with the Barea will stir memories of interesting past encounters between the two countries at senior level.
At this same stage, 16 years ago (commencement of an AFCON qualification race), the Super Eagles defeated the Barea 2-0 in Calabar on 5th September 2010. A year later, in the reverse fixture in Antananarivo, the Eagles won by the same margin.
However, on the last day of June 2019, the Barea caused one of the biggest upsets in AFCON history by defeating Nigeria 2-0 in a group phase match in Alexandria. Noteworthy is the fact that the Eagles had already qualified for the tournament’s Round of 16 before that encounter.
On Friday, both teams will battle for three crucial points at the beginning of another AFCON ticket race, with the Barea sounding off that they are ready for battle, and arriving in Uyo three clear days ahead of the encounter.
