Boss, Stephen Okechukwu Keshi has demanded total concentration from his players ahead of the final leg CHAN qualifier against Cote D’Ivoire in Abdjan on July 27, noting that the match will be like war against the West African neigbhours.
Speaking before training commenced on Tuesday morning at the FIFA Goal Project site in Abuja, Keshi who started his foreign career in Cote D’ Ivoire, said the people are passionate about football and they will do anything to defeat Nigeria, hence the need to forget the 4-1 win in Kaduna and concentrate on the return leg.
“The win in Kaduna is history and if you have been following the media you will see that they have been making remarks that they can also beat us well. We must be ready for their antics and forget the past”.
The team is training at the Goal Project because the Ivorians had already informed CAF that the return leg will be played on artificial turf.
Twenty three players trained on Tuesday morning with only Godfrey Oboabona exempted by the coaching crew because he had had a hectic schedule with his club, Sunshine Stars. He will join his teammates on Wednesday morning, as the players battle for the 20 slots that the coach will take to Abidjan for the match.
Also on Monday evening, FC Braga of Portugal defence ace, Elderson Echejile, was at the team’s Bolton White Apartmentabode to wish his mates and the coaching crew a good outing in Abidjan.
Echejile came in at dinner time and went straight to see Keshi, before spending sometimes with most of his mates. “It’s to encourage them to excel when they play the Ivorians and I believe they can defeat them right there in Abdjan”, he said smiling.
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