Super Eagles' Pre match press conference ahead of Saturday’s qualifying match.
“We cannot afford to miss another African Cup of Nations, so, I join millions of Nigerians to plead with the Super Eagles to threat this game against Libya with seriousness it deserves.
They must ensure that Nigeria gets the three points at stake to turn the results of the qualification series around.”
Those were the words of Coach Godfery Esu, while speaking with The Guardian yesterday on today’s make-or-break Afcon qualifier between the Super Eagles and The Mediterranean Knights of Libya.
The match holds at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
The Eagles failed to make it to the last two editions of the Nations Cup, as they were stopped by South Africa from playing in the 2015 edition in Equatorial Guinea, while the Pharaohs of Egypt eliminated them from Gabon 2017 edition.
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The coach Gernot Rohr-led Eagles lost the first game 0-2 to the Bafana Bafana of South Africa at the same Godswill Akpabio Stadium in the qualifier for Cameroon 2019 Afcon.
Nigeria’s last appearance in the Nations Cup was at South Africa 2013, which the late coach Stephen Keshi and his boys won.
Esu, a veteran coach in the Nigerian local league said yesterday that it would be a great disaster for Nigerian football, if the Eagles failed to beat Libya in today’s encounter.
“In the first place, I want the players to realize that there is huge sporting gap between Nigeria and Libya. The Super Eagles should be able to explore it.
We have two matches at hand against Libya, but as a coach, I want our boys to focus attention on the home game first. We must win at home first before talking about the away fixture.
“I know that the Libyans must be saying that if South Africa could beat Nigeria at home, they too can do it.
Our boys must not allow that to happen. We are in a very tight corner as far as this race to Cameroon 2019 is concern. All we need is victory,” Esu stated.
Source: G Sport
