The Coach of the Super Eagles, Eric Chelle, has spoken ahead of the World Cup Qualifier against Rwanda on Saturday in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, as Nigeria stands on a cliff hanger.
He spoke at a news conference as news filtered in of the wins recorded by co-Group C members: Bafana Bafana of South Africa and Cheetahs of Benin Republic.
At the pre-match conference, Chell agreed that the team from Rwanda is a good one and that the Super Eagles cannot afford any slip in the first of the double header game.
He said: “We have a good team coming to Uyo tomorrow.
“They also have a good technical staff.
“For us, we are ready with our game plan.
“I want my players to be focused on just this game, and not the World Cup Qualifiers as a whole.
“We need to talk about the game here, and we need to win this game.
“After this, we will see what happens.”
On what his line up might look like on Saturday, Chelle said: “When you prepare for a game, the other coaches and I watch a lot of matches, and before the game, we will decide the team that will play.
“I can change my mind at the last moment, and it depends on what I see and how I feel.”
On the inclusion of CAF Footballer of the Year, Ademola Lookman, in the squad despite being without game time at Atalanta, Chelle said: “About Lookman, can we do a list without the best player in Africa?
“This is my job to do.
“If he can play, maybe five minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 50 minutes, or even 60 minutes.
“So, I cannot make a list without him.
“I trust him, and I have so much confidence in him.
“After this final training session, I have a lot of responsibilities to do.
“This is my job.
“And we will see tomorrow.”
The results of the matches South Africa and Benin Republic won has put the Super Eagles in a tight corner ahead.
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The team, after the matches on Friday, is in the fourth position on the Group C log, with South Africa having 16 points.
While South Africa defeated Lesotho 3-0, Benin Republic dismissed Zimbabwe by a lone goal.
Benin Republic occupies the second position on the log with 11 points, while Nigeria’s foe on Saturday (today), has eight points.
Nigeria has seven points in its kitty.
Lesotho and Zimbabwe take the rear with six and four points respectively.
A win on Saturday would lift Nigeria to 11 points, the same with Benin Republic, as the Super Eagles head to South Africa for the second of the double header against Bafana Bafana.
