Nigeria\u2019s Super Eagles are fully concentrated on Tuesday\u2019s FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 playoff duel with Ghana\u2019s Black Stars, with the players determined to put up a performance that will earn Nigeria a seventh appearance at football\u2019s biggest houseparty since her 1994 debut.
\nSuper Eagles Captain, Ahmed Musa, made this known in an interview with NFF TV.
\nNigeria have been at every FIFA World Cup finals since 1994, bar the 2006 edition in Germany, and reached the Round of 16 in USA 1994, France 1998 and Brazil 2014.
\nThe last time both countries were involved in a FIFA World Cup qualifying was in 2001, when they finished 0-0 in Accra and Nigeria swept aside their visitors 3-0 in Port Harcourt in July 2001 to qualify for Korea\/Japan.
\nCaptain Ahmed Musa told thenff.com that \u201cAll the players, including myself, want to go to the World Cup. For me, it is very important because it could be my last World Cup. I enjoyed the last two finals that I participated in, Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018. I want to experience it again. Most of the players in the present squad have not been to the World Cup and they desire to be there.
\n\u201cWe all know it won\u2019t be easy. Ghana will come here to do battle but we are ready for whatever they turn up with. I will not say more than that.\u201d
\nGhana paced the pitch but Nigeria created more chances in a high-octane first leg at a paroxysmic Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi on Friday. Both teams failed to score in a 0-0 scoreline.
\nJoseph Ayodele-Aribo, Emmanuel Dennis and Moses Simon came close and Moroccan referee R\u00e9douane Jiyed only annulled his own decision for a penalty kick in favour of Nigeria after a VAR review indicated an earlier infringement.
\nNigeria has the distinct advantage to pull through to Qatar at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, with the Eagles to play in front of a capacity 60,000 fans after the Nigeria Football Federation secured a go-ahead from the Confederation of African Football for maximum capacity.
\nThere is strength in depth for Coach Augustine Eguavoen\u2019s team, as the squad is able to pick a capable second 11 if the need arises. Goalkeeper Daniel Akpeyi, defenders Abdullahi Shehu, Kenneth Omeruo, Semi Ajayi and Calvin Bassey, midfielders Frank Onyeka and Akinkunmi Amoo and forwards Emmanuel Dennis, Sadiq Umar, Odion Ighalo and Ademola Lookman are capable of starting in place of the usual suspects.
\nOnyeka came into the second half in Kumasi but could start alongside Oghenekaro Etebo and Innocent Bonke on Tuesday as the Eagles look to tackle the menace of Ghana\u2019s pace in the middle.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Nigeria\u2019s Super Eagles are fully concentrated on Tuesday\u2019s FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 playoff duel with Ghana\u2019s Black Stars, with the players determined to put up a performance that will earn Nigeria a seventh appearance at football\u2019s biggest houseparty since her 1994 debut. Super Eagles Captain, Ahmed Musa, made this known in an interview with…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":17646,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17644","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports"],"yoast_head":"\n