Tiny Tahiti will not be shown any mercy in tonight’s FIFA Confederations Cup Group B opener in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, Nigeria’s Super Eagles have vowed. The African champions have equally vowed not to underrate the minnows whom they are meeting for the first time ever..
“It is an important competition for the team and for me as a player. It is not every time one plays at such competition, we are ready to put in our best to do well in the competition,” assures speedster Ahmed Musa said ahead of the match.
“We will take the opening game with all seriousness and won't look down on Tahiti,” he added.
Adding his voice, full back Godfrey Oboabona, who scored Nigeria’s face-saving goal away to Namibia in last week’s World Cup qualifier, told MTNFootball.com: “I have no other target going into this competition than to help Nigeria win it. After winning the AFCON, my mind set for every competition and game is to win. I am sure we have all it takes to win the competition. We will start well against Tahiti.”
On his part, striker Brown Ideye said: “It is not going to be an easy competition as it is a competition involving continental champions, it shows how tough it will be, we are ready and not scared of facing any team, but we are set to start on a winning note. We will not look down on Tahiti.”
Ideye will however be sitting on the bench as he did last week against Namibia – his place being taken for the second consecutive time by Anthony Ujah. Except for injured Ogenyi Onazi, whose place has been taken by Fegor Ogude, Keshi is sticking to the line-up that he started with against Namibia. The match blasts off 8pm Nigerian time.
SUPER EAGLES LINE-UP
•Vincent Enyeama •Efe Ambrose •Elderson Echiejile •Kenneth Omeruo •Godfrey Oboabona •Fegor Ogude •John Mikel Obi •Sunday Mba •Ahmed Musa (shown in photo) •Anthony Ujah •Nnamdi Oduamadi.
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