Seek redemption song in Khartoum
By Gbenga Jolaosho
Abuja
It will be a do or die weekend for Super Eagles of Nigeria as nothing but three points for a victory will revive their hopes of qualifying for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco as they confront Sudan tomorrow.
The likes of the Egypt, Lesotho, Botswana, Togo, Sierra Leone, Angola, Ethiopia and Sudan are other countries that must rooting for total victory in their campaign for tickets to Morocco 2105 this weekend, and this they must achieve for them to have any hope of remaining in the qualifying process as challengers and not as teams making up the numbers in their groups.
Nigeria is third on Group A table with just a point from two games and well behind Congo and South Africa, who have recorded six and four points, respectively.
Sudan are the last and without any point on the table, having lost to both Congo and South Africa in their previous two matches, hence Super Eagles and their hosts now find themselves in a must-win situation in this encounter in Khartoum, the Sudan capital.
Both countries have clashed 11 times and Nigeria have won six of these meetings, drawn four times and lost once to the Sudanese.
Nigeria have only lost once to Sudan, back then in 1969.They have emerged victorious in six games and have drawn four times. The last time Sudan hosted Nigeria in 2001 they were whacked 4-0 and the story was more or less the same in their last encounter as the Super Eagles emerged 2-0 winners in January 2008 in an Afcon Group C match.
The Eagles will be without Stoke City Victor Moses, who has suffered a recurrence of a thigh problem at his English Premier League club, and Ukraine-based winger Babatunde Michael, who is nursing a knee injury.
Questions rather than praise have greeted Keshi’s invitation for several uncapped players including China-based striker Aaron Samuel and Reading midfielder Hope Akpan.
The return of skipper Vincent Enyeama, who stayed away to attend to what team officials said were “pressing personal problems,” is, however, expected to boost the chances of the team this timeout as the players are hoped to effectively cope with boiling temperatures of the Arabian country.
The Eagles are very much aware of the situation they are in and have promised to give in their best to give their best to redeem their image before soccer loving Nigerians.
CSKA Moscow forward Ahmed Musa said: “We know we are not in the position we ought to be in the group, we are battle ready to give our best to get victory against Sudan, then will come back to host them and play for another victory.”
And concerning fear about the weather condition of the country, Elderson Echiejile believes that he and his teammates will cope with the heat and playing on an artificial pitch.
“Personally, I prefer playing on a natural grass pitch, but we just have to adjust, be smarter and work on our timing when we play on astro turf and we will be okay,” said Elderson, who will be visiting Sudan for the first time.
“And as for the weather, we are first and foremost Nigerians and born in Africa and so we should also be able to cope on the day.”
“We are going for the maximum points against Sudan so as to be better placed in the table especially as the last two qualifying games, against Congo and South Africa, will not be easy,” he said on his website www.elderson3.com
Meanwhile, Sudan long-serving coach Mohamed Abdallah aka Mazda, has promised to give Stephen Keshi and his ward a good run for their money, saying they will be fighting for their own lives in front of their partisan fans after they lost their opening qualifiers against South Africa and Congo last month.
“We must fight to get a win against Nigeria because another defeat will end our chances of qualifying for the tournament in Morocco,” said the highly-experienced coach.
