By Daily Sports on December 14, 2016

Former national team striker Jonathan Akpoborie has warned the national team players and their handlers that it is not yet Uhuru as regards Nigeria’s qualification to the Russia 2018 World Cup despite having made an impressive start to the qualifying campaign.

According to the former international, the country still have a long way to go to ensure that the country’s flag is among the once that would be hoisted in Russia when the world’s biggest football fiesta starts in two years time in Russia. He appreciated the fact that the team, has done well in the two games they have played so far in the qualifiers but charged them not to lose focus.

Akpoborie said complacency on the part of the Eagles and their handlers in the remaining games would be disastrous if they believe that with the six maximum points they have pocketed in their first two games in the qualifier have already qualified them, and as a result charged them to remain focused and determined.

Akpoborie believes that the calculation by the officials and the technical crew of the Super Eagles may end up in flames if they are complacent in their approach to the remaining games in the World Cup qualifiers.

“I must start by admitting that we started well in our World Cup qualifying campaign having won two of our games especially our game against Algeria; because at the moment they are the best on the continent but that does not take anything away from other teams in that group,” Akpoborie declared.

“It is not yet Uhuru for us in the qualifying campaign because we still have a long way to go. That we started well by winning our first two games does not mean that we have qualified for the 2018 World Cup, far from it.

“We should not be complacent in our remaining games in the qualifiers. It is even now that we are on top of our group that we needed to approach every game with seriousness it deserves because others in the group will be aiming at upstage us because they also want to be at the World Cup,” Akpoborie explained.

“So any match that Eagles will be playing from now will be like the final of the World Cup itself and it is only with that mentality that we will be able to give our best in the remaining games,” he said.

Continuing he said: “The players and their handlers should not think that because they have won their first two games they are already in Russia. In other words, there shouldn’t be any room for complacency in the remaining games.

“It will be counterproductive for the technical crew and the officials to think that if we win our double header against Cameroon in August next year we are home and dry, it is not so because you may not know what will happen in those two games against Cameroon.

“It is true that with the way things are at the moment, our destiny is in our hands. It all depends on how we manage the situation. Moreover, we should not underrate any of the teams in our group because all the teams are former African champions.

“So, we will be making a great mistake by thinking that we have already qualified when we have just played two games out of six. We have not even gone half way in the qualifiers.

“As far as I am concerned, I think that instead of targeting two victories which are not in our hands, we should be planning and working on how to win three out of the four remaining games.

“Our two games against the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon and our home game against the Chipolopolo of Zambia are key to our qualification to the World Cup. If we win the three matches, I can assure you that we are sure of being in Russia,” Akpoborie explained.

Source Daily Sports

Posted December 14, 2016

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