‘This is a setback, which can be quickly reversed’-Pinnick reacts to Nigeria’s loss to CAR

The country’s number one football man has expressed his disappointment following the team’s loss to Les Fauves, but he’s confident the boys can redeem themselves on Sunday 

Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) president Amaju Pinnick has revealed that Nigeria’s loss to the Central African Republic came as a shock to him, but he believes the team can gain their revenge in the return leg.

The Super Eagles suffered an embarrassing 1-0 loss to a side 90 spots below them in the FIFA rankings. It was also Nigeria’s first loss at home in a World Cup qualifier in 40 years.

Following the game, Pinnick released a statement to the media, saying the result was disappointing, especially after the Federation provided the perfect condition for the team.

“This result has been a huge shock, especially after the NFF provided everything necessary to make the team comfortable and focused on the task at hand, even going the extra mile in a number of areas,” Pinnick said in a statement released to the media by NFF communications department.

However, despite the disappointment, the FIFA Executive council member expects Gernot Rohr’s men to set things right when they play the second leg on Sunday.

“This is a setback, which can be quickly reversed, and the Nigerian Spirit is what we will take to Cameroon. The NFF is backing the team to retain a strong hold on the group and qualify to the knockout phase,” he added.

The Super Eagles take on Les Fauves in the second leg on Sunday in Douala. A win in the game will put them in a good position to qualify for the playoff rounds ahead of the final round of group games next month.

This post was last modified on October 8, 2021 3:11 pm

Joba Ogunwale

Oluwajoba Ogunwale has many years of experience as a sports content writer. The most recent of these was at Opera News, after which he took up the role of Editor-in-Chief at Soccernet.

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  • Pinnick and Rohr should resign with immediate effect. They have no shame. Even if only local players were selected to play, should CAR defeat Nigeria in Lagos?

  • Total dedication and commitment devoid of complacency are the keys to victory on Sunday match. God will give us victory on that day in Jesus name

  • It's unfortunate that complacency took the better part of our players , who will ever think CAR will pose any treat to Nigeria when it comes to football in any grade it's never happened before no one saw it coming especially when playing at home , now that the players have learnt their lessons in an embarrassing way it's up to them now to redeem their image and that of Nigerians that are solidly behind them , I know these guys will live up to expectations knowing what's at stake .

  • Pinnick knows that Rorh, is incompetent . He only kept him there before of the shady contract deal. ... Rorh so incompetent

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