The African giants face a monumental challenge of making it two wins out of two in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers when they take on their West African rivals with just a population of over 500,000
Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr has admitted that their 2022 World Cup qualifier against Cape Verde on Tuesday evening would be a difficult encounter, but he has full confidence in the abilities of his players.
Nigeria kicked off their qualifying campaign with a comfortable 2-0 win over Liberia but will go into Tuesday’s clash against Cape Verde without a host of regular names.
The preparations for the match at Estádio Municipal Adérito Sena in Mindelo have been far from ideal for the three-time African champions.
The Super Eagles will be without the services of the Uk players that played in the game against Liberia due to the UK’s quarantine rules.
Ola Aina has also been excused for family reasons, while Tyronne Ebuehi and Samuel Kalu did not travel with the team due to an incorrect coronavirus test result.
It leaves Rohr with just 19 players to prepare for the all-important clash at Mindelo. Rohr admits that it would be a difficult challenge for the Super Eagles, but he trusts the players available to do the job.
“I trust these boys that will play for the first time for the Super Eagles. Cape Verde wants to win because they drew their first game, Rohr told the Nigerian media ahead of the clash.
“We have been preparing since we are in Lagos, but Cape Verde had more days to recover. It will be a physical challenge, but we will be ready,” he added.
A win for Nigeria will put them three points clear of second-placed Liberia and a commanding position in the group.