Confident Eagles ready to devour Antelopes

Having come this far in the qualifying series, no country can be taken for granted and this explains why the Eagles may not like to take this encounter lightly. The high level of commitment shown so far by the players goes to buttress this point. On the day Eagles’ camp at Bolton Whites apartment in […]

Having come this far in the qualifying series, no country can be taken for granted and this explains why the Eagles may not like to take this encounter lightly. The high level of commitment shown so far by the players goes to buttress this point.
On the day Eagles’ camp at Bolton Whites apartment in Abuja opened, almost all the 23 players for the battle of Addis Ababa had arrived. Surprisingly, Eagles stand in captain, Vincent Enyeama was the first to arrive camp as only few of the players could not beat Coach Keshi’s October 8 deadline.
The team commenced training at the refurbished main bowl of the Abuja National Stadium on Tuesday with 18 of the 23 players in attendance. The training which lasted for only two hours attracted a capacity crowd of enthusiastic fans who thronged the stadium to catch a glimpse of their super stars.
So far, the African champions appear to be battle ready as they have not hidden their intention to win the first leg convincingly to make the return leg a mere formality. Although optimistic of victory, Eagles recent responses to questions bothering on the match have shown that they are quite aware of the enormity of the task at hand.
The players know that a good result tomorrow in Addis Ababa would no doubt make the business in the return leg easier but they must be ready to overcome certain obstacles. Apart from the fact that there are no more minnows in African football, the Antelopes were among the 2013 AFCON finalists and it took the individual brilliance of Victor Moses to break down their resilience when they met the Eagles in the group stage of the continental showpiece. In addition, most members of the Eagles who ply their trade in Europe will find it hard to cope with the scorching sun in Addis Ababa.
Thus, if the ‘stubbornness’ of the Antelopes in South Africa is anything to go by, it means tomorrow’s battle in Adis Ababa won’t be a stroll in the park for Keshi’s men. History has it that the national teams of Nigeria and Ethiopia have met seven times. Out of these meetings, Nigeria has won four times, lost one and drawn two. The only victory the Antelopes have recorded over the Super Eagles was in the 1994 AFCON qualifiers. The Antelopes defeated the Super Eagles 1-0 in Addis Ababa but the return leg witnessed a massacre of the Ethiopians with the late Rashidi Yekini inspired team recording a resounding 6-0 win.
But that is now history. The Antelopes have come of age as was evident in their performance at the 2013 AFCON in South Africa. The Eagles know they have a mountain to climb this afternoon but the optimism oozing from the team’s camp is thick enough to be cut with a knife.
Coach Stephen Keshi sums up the confidence of the team when he told the media in Abuja that “We are going for the result that will make Nigerians proud as long as we do not lose our match. We will just keep our calm right from the Airport. We have come through many hostile environments and it will not be something new to us in Ethiopia. We will just concentrate on the game for us to carry the day”.
Flying winger, Ahmed Musa of CSKA Moscow also said it is going to be a tough game but the crowd will ginger him and his team mates to make the country proud in far away Addis Ababa.
“The crowd will make us play well. It will motivate me to play well and everybody is ready to come out and play out their heart for Nigerians. So the Ethiopians cannot stop us”, he assured.
Officially two hundred government sponsored Nigerian football fans will be in the stadium to cheer the Eagles to victory over the Antelopes. This means the players would be getting the desired motivation to clinch the much needed victory.
The team is certainly brimming with infectious confidence but former international, Barnabas Imenger does not want the Eagles to take anything for granted.
“It is good to approach such a match with utmost confidence. However, too much confidence can be counter-productive. They should not undermine the abilities of the Ethiopians. As it is commonly said, there are no more minnows in football.
“They must be ready to give their hundred per cent even as they are bound to face the hostile home crowd. They are all professionals and should be able to handle the pressure that comes with such games. If they can get a good result in Addis Ababa, the return leg in Nigeria will be a mere formality”.
Another former international, Tijani Babangida said “The Super Eagles are in high spirit and I know Coach Keshi and the boys will do everything humanly possible to get us the 2014 World Cup ticket.
“Of course it won’t be easy game but for sure we shall overcome them. I don’t think we are going to lose in Addis Ababa.  Eagles may record a slim win with just a goal are maybe a draw but they will finish the job in Calabar. I do not see us losing in Addis Ababa. All we need do is to use the players who are fit for the game”, he advised.
All said and done, the stage is now set for the battle of Addis Ababa. The Super Eagles as defending champions of Africa are favoured to take the day but the Walya Antelopes will certainly not lie low to be devoured by the Eagles.