Eguavoen: Eagles Will Make Our Chances Against Ghana Count

Olawale Ajimotokanin

Super Eagles Technical Adviser, Augustine Eguavoen, has assured Nigerians that the team will take all the chances that come their ways in today’s reverse Qatar 2022 playoff fixture against Ghana at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.

Eguavoen spoke when he addressed the media yesterday ahead of the make or break encounter between the two West African arch-rivals.

He said the team will attack the Black Stars because only a victory of whatever shade will guarantee Nigeria’s qualification for a seventh World Cup appearance.

“We need to score goals, because opportunities rarely come in high level matches like this, so when you have a chance you have to take it.

“Ghana played very well in the first leg. The Black Stars are no pushovers. They are a team that we respect, same way they respect us. There was no clear cut chance for the Ghanaian team, but we came close to scoring, so what we need do in this match is to ensure that every chance we get must count. That  is what we must correct,” Eguavoen insisted.

He appealed to Nigerians to rally in support of the team by turning up enmasse for the match, saying their support for the Eagles will count.

The former Kortrijk of Belgium defender similarly disclosed that in spite of the first leg match in Kumasi ending in a stalemate four days ago, the players and the technical crew were not under any form of pressure against the Ghanaians.

The coach also spoke about the match fitness of Samuel Chukwueze and Innocent Bonke, who both received knocks in Kumasi in the first match leading to their substitution in the second half.

According to him, Bonke was still under observation which explained while he has not participated in the training sessions since the team returned from Ghana, while the outcome of a scan on Chukwueze’s groin was still awaited.