10th October, 2013
Nigeria’s Super Eagles this weekend will go to war against the Walya Antelopes in the first leg of the 2014 World Cup playoffs at the Ydnekachew Tesema Stadium, Addis Ababa.
There is no doubt that winning this match is very crucial to their bid to play in next year’s FIFA World Cup in Brazil as a victory in an away encounter will put Stephen Keshi’s Eagles and indeed the country at an advantage as the second leg of the playoffs will be played in Nigeria in front of Eagles’ teeming supporters.
Nigeria’s Super Eagles tower above rival Eagles, are ranked 36th in the world and 4th in Africa, while the Antelopes are ranked a distant 93rd by the FIFA and 25th in Africa. In the last encounter between the two teams at the Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa last February, Nigeria had an upper hand as the tie ended 2-0. Liverpool of England player, Victor Moses scored the two goals for the Eagles through penalty kicks in the last group match of the competition which Nigeria went ahead to win.
Keshi is prosecuting this match with the set of players that defeated Malawi 2-0 in Calabar, Cross River State in the last match of the qualifying series. He has stuck with the same team who secured the playoff berth. The players have been sweating it out in their camp in Abuja before they will fly out to Addis Ababa 24 hours before the match, a game plan designed by Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, to beat the acclimatisation problem in Ethiopia.
Record shows that the two teams have met seven times before, with Nigeria winning four of those matches. Ethiopia recorded a famous victory against the Super Eagles in a 1994 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier, while two of the fixtures ended in draws.
As African champions, all eyes will be on the Eagles to secure the ticket to play at the World Cup next year. With President Goodluck Jonathan giving approval for the airlifting of 200 fans to Ethiopia to cheer the Eagles, it shows the seriousness the government attaches to this match.
There is strong need for the star studded Nigerian team to tread the path with caution. Keshi and his team may possess a multi-talented set of players but they should be acutely aware of the threat posed by their hosts. He should deploy every skill at his disposal to win this match.