8th October, 2014
Nigeria defender Juwon Oshaniwa has reassured soccer loving Nigerians that their darling Super Eagles would qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations taking place in Morocco next year.
Nigeria find themselves in a very precarious position after they failed to win in their two opening qualifiers last month and they must now beat Sudan in Sudan to get their qualifying campaign back on track.
They are third in Group A with a point, while Congo lead the standings with six points and South Africa are second on four points.
Oshaniwa expressed positivity over the nation’s qualification to defend their title won in South Africa ahead of their two-legged matches against Sudan.
The MS Ashdod FC of Israel defender, told Goal that the Eagles will get the maximum points against the Falcons of Jediane.
Oshaniwa, 24, who was a member of the Eagles that won the 2013 AFCON title in South Africa, is hopeful of regaining a starting role after his impressive performance at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in place of injured Elderson Echiejile, who is now back to the fold.
The former Sharks defender, who only featured in the AFCON 2013 final as a substitute, insists he and his teammates are fully aware of the immediate importance of the Sudan clash and cannot afford to drop points if they hope to reach the finals in Morocco.
“I’m happy to still be invited to the team and the dream to ensure the country’s flag is hoisted in Morocco is our objective. We might have had our bad start, but we still have a big chance to go through as all hope is not lost,” Oshaniwa told Goal.
“The games against Sudan are very important and we the players know it. We will be going out for victories both at away and home. We know how much we need to win these games because we want to go to the Nations Cup and defend our title,” he said.
Lazio midfielder Ogenyi Onazi wants Nigerians not to press the panic button, insisting Nigeria will qualify for AFCON 2015.
Two years ago, Nigeria failed to qualify for the Nations Cup only to return to the tournament in style the following year to win a third AFCON title in South Africa.
But Onazi, who recently signed an improved deal with his Rome club, has insisted there is no cause for so much concern.
“We don’t need any panic,” he said.
“We just know that we don’t want to see that the points are three or one. We just know what is at stake and we know what is expected of us. That is why we are training hard to make sure we come out victorious in the games ahead.”
The Eagles, who are expected to depart the country on Thursday will first play the Sudanese national team in Kharthoum on 11 October, before they host them four days later in Abuja.