Captain Ahmed Musa has tasked the Super Eagles to win back public confidence in the team after they failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Nigeria will today at the MKO Abiola National Stadium in Abuja begin their campaign to qualify for next year’s AFCON in Cote d’Ivoire with a home game against Sierra Leone.
This game comes after the three-time African champions failed to qualify for this year’s World Cup in March when arch-rivals Ghana denied them passage.
And after new coach Jose Peseiro lost his first two games in charge of the Eagles – 2-1 to Mexico and 1-0 to Ecuador.
“The last game we played here in Abuja was very sad for everyone especially for me it was a very tough moment, there’s nothing we can do because that’s football, in football sometimes you win or lose,” Ahmed Musa said.
“Now we are here for the qualifier against Sierra Leone and everyone in camp is ready to make Nigeria proud once again.
“We know that no one care about the Eagles because of the World Cup disappointment, but we just have to keep pushing and make the fans believe that the Eagles can rise again and I believe we will make Nigeria proud.”
In November, fellow West Africans Sierra Leone staged a remarkable comeback to draw 4-4 with the hosts team in a 2021 AFCON qualifier.