The Blue Sharks can make it to the final qualifying round of the 2022 FIFA World Cup with a victory over the Nigerian national team on Tuesday
Cape Verde captain Marco Soares has disclosed that the Blue Sharks are ready to give a historic win their best shot when they face the Super Eagles in the next few hours.
Nigeria have the advantage ahead of the final Group C match slated for the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos on November 16.
The three-time African champions top the group with 12 points, two more than the Cape Verdeans, and need just a draw to make it to the playoff round.
However, the Blue Sharks must beat the 2013 Afcon winners to keep the dream of making their first appearance at the FIFA World Cup alive.
The Islanders arrive Nigeria in good form, having won each of their last three games, including their come-from-behind 2-1 win over the Central African Republic (CAR) in Mindelo on Saturday.
A similar outcome in Lagos will see the Blue Shark overtake Nigeria on the standings and captain Soares has pledged that they will give their all to earn a result that would make their countrymen proud back home.
“We know that we have to go to Nigeria to win the game, as we do in every game, and it won’t be any different there,” the FC Arouca midfielder said.
“We will do everything from the first minute to make Cape Verdeans proud of their team.”
Nigeria have a good World Cup qualifying record, with the Super Eagles losing just once in four decades on home soil.
But that single loss came in October when lowly Central African Republic picked up a historic 1-0 victory in Lagos. Should Nigeria avoid a beating, the team will join Egypt, Senegal, Morocco, and Mali in the final playoffs.
