Nigeria's Super Eagles are completely focused on Tuesday's FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 playoff match against Ghana's Black Stars, with the players determined to put on a show that would earn Nigeria a seventh trip at football's largest celebration since her debut in 1994.
Ahmed Musa, the captain of the Super Eagles, stated this in an interview with NFF TV.
Nigeria has competed in every FIFA World Cup finals since 1994, with the exception of the 2006 edition in Germany, and has advanced to the Round of 16 in three of them: 1994 in the United States, 1998 in France, and 2014 in Brazil.
Both countries last competed in FIFA World Cup qualifying in 2001, when they tied 0-0 in Accra and Nigeria defeated their opponents 3-0 in Port Harcourt to qualify for the tournament.
"All the players, including myself, want to travel to the World Cup," captain Ahmed Musa told thenff.com. It's crucial for me since this could be my final World Cup. I had a great time in the last two finals I competed in, Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018. It's something I'd like to do again. The majority of the players in the current group have never attended a World Cup and are eager to do so.
"We're all aware that it won't be simple. Ghana will come here to fight, but we will be prepared for whatever they bring. "I'm not going to say anything else."
In a high-octane first leg at a paroxysmal Baba Yara Stadium, Ghana paced the pitch, but Nigeria generated more chances.
Emmanuel Dennis, Moses Simon, and Joseph Ayodele-Aribo all came close, and Moroccan referee Rédouane Jiyed only overturned his own penalty kick judgment in favor of Nigeria after a VAR review revealed an earlier violation.
Nigeria has a significant edge in Qatar, with the Eagles set to play in front of 60,000 supporters at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium after the Nigeria Football Federation received approval from the Confederation of African Football for maximum capacity.
Coach Augustine Eguavoen's team has depth, as the squad can select a capable second 11 if the situation requires it. In place of the usual suspects, goalkeeper Daniel Akpeyi, defenders Abdullahi Shehu, Kenneth Omeruo, Semi Ajayi, and Calvin Bassey, midfielders Frank Onyeka and Akinkunmi Amoo, and forwards Emmanuel Dennis, Sadiq Umar, Odion Ighalo, and Ademola Lookman could start.
In Kumasi, Onyeka came on in the second half, but he might start on Tuesday alongside Oghenekaro Etebo and Innocent Bonke as the Eagles attempt to counter Ghana's pace in the center.
