Will Nigeria’s hope of qualifying for the next round of the world cup be kept alive? This is the question pertinently asked by millions of Nigerians as the Super Eagles of Nigeria meet with debutant Iceland tomorrow by 4pm Nigeria time. To ensure a positive result, coach Gernot Rorh said he was putting finishing touches to the lapses discovered in their first match against Croatia.
The German-born tactician added that he won’t allow himself to be pressured beyond the normal demands of his job as manager of the Nigerian senior national team.
He said: “The pressure I feel now is the same as I have always felt. It is the usual pressure to win and do well for Nigeria. There is no need to add to this pressure. More pressure on the team will not translate to better results.”
On the very crucial duel with debutants Iceland, which could make or mar Nigeria’s hopes of advancement in the competition, Rorh is positive that enough hard work is being done in training to perfect strategies for the game, including working on the inadequacies at set-pieces.
“It (the match against Iceland) will be a tough game. We have to be at our best and be more professional with our defending, especially set pieces. We have to be fully focused and not lose concentration all through the game. I believe with hardwork we can get a good result,” he concluded.
Rohr is of the opinion that the Super Eagles did not do too badly against the Croatians who had difficulty breaking down the Nigerian team despite going ahead to win the game through two defensive errors.
“We have watched the game again to see our mistakes so we can correct them. I also observed that Croatia’s only shot at goal was in the 71st minute when they scored their penalty…that is football,” he said.
A win for Nigeria will restore hopes of progress while a defeat will mean certain elimination for the Super Eagles
