2023 AFCON QUALIFIERS
*Ambitious G’Bissau’s Wild Dogs land in Abuja hoping to upstage Nigeria
Duro Ikhazuagbe
Napoli front man, Victor Osimhen, has reassured Nigerians that Super Eagles will defeat Guinea Bissau in Abuja tomorrow and seal the qualification for the 2023 AFCON with another victory away in Bissau on Tuesday.
Speaking yesterday in Abuja, Osimhen who is the leading marksman in Italian Serie A on 21 goals however emphasized that Super Eagles will not underrate the visitors.
“We don’t underrate our opponents Guinea Bissau but it is our determination to win on Friday and complete the job on Tuesday in the second leg away in Bissau,” began the Nigerian forward who is in hot demand amongst top European clubs at the moment.
He said that he was not particular about scoring more goals to become the highest scorer in the qualifiers but for Nigeria to win the two legs and qualify for the 2023 AFCON scheduled to Hold next January
“It won’t be an easy game but I believe that we can win. The players are ready and willing to give their all on Friday. For me, it is not wether I want to become the highest goals scorer in the qualifiers. The most important thing is to help the team win and qualify for the 2023 AFCON.”
While trying to put behind the non qualification of Nigeria for the last World Cup in Qatar, stressed that Eagles are set to win well and regain the confidence of Nigerian football fans.
FC Porto’s defender, Zaidu Sanusi was the last Super Eagles player to join the camp yesterday to complete the squad for the all-important double header Tomorrow and Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s opponents in tomorrow’s 2023 AFCON qualifying match at the Moshood Abiola Stadium, the Wild Dogs (Djurtus) of Guinea Bissau arrived Abuja yesterday with a 30-man delegation.
The delegation including players and technical officials, changed its travel plans severally but finally touch down in Abuja looking confident and ready to upstage star-studded Super Eagles.
At the head of the delegation is the First Vice President of the Guinea-Bissau Football Federation, Celestino Gonçalves with Coach Baciro Cande leading the players and technical team.
Other members include, ‘Moreira’, Ivanildo Soares Cassama and Vítor Correia, former football star also the ambassador of football, Ciro Zé, former Guinean international referee, Fidel Gomes, special adviser to the president of the football federation in the areas of cooperation and international relations, Suaré Baldé, president of the club de Bula, Feliciano Sanca, and sports journalists.
The team spent one day in Dakar, Senegal with all the invited 25 players available and trained at the Ibo Mar Diop Stadium before departed the Blaise Diagne International Airport to Nigeria yesterday.
According to Coach Cande, the players are in good physical condition during training and motivated to face the Super Eagles on Friday.
The team will leave for home aboard a chartered aircraft immediately after tomorrow’s match in Abuja.
