Coach Gernot Rohr has declared the Super Eagles will be gunning for a fourth AFCON title in Cameroon.
Rohr, 66, has extended his contract with Nigeria till 2022, and he is upbeat his team can now go all the way after they finished third at the 2019 AFCON in Egypt.
“Let’s qualify (for the AFCON) and then we want to win it,” he said in a television interview.
“We have a good team, we’re now No 3 in Africa. When I arrived (in 2016) we were No 13.
“We have worked together for the past four years and I hope we can progress.”
Nigeria were crowned African champions in 1980, 1994 and 2013.
They top their qualifying group for the 2021 AFCON after winning their first two games against Benin and Lesotho.
The Franco-German coach agreed a pay cut – he will now earn $49,000 a month as against the $55,000 in his previous contract – will now be paid in the local currency and will live in Nigeria for at least 10 months in a year.
He said his sacrifices are because his mission with the team is not ended.
“This is special job because this is my team, I built it with my staff,” he explained.
“It’s a young team, but the mission is not finished yet, so we want to continue.
“We all have to make sacrifices.”
Rohr has been ordered by his employers to pick players from the domestic league, but he insisted he will always work with the best players.
“I pick the best players and I don’t do it alone,” he said.
“We have to take the best players no matter where they are coming from.
“We have very good young players, so it’s difficult for the local players to break into the team.”
