The Super Eagles will
once again come up against Argentina after being grouped alongside the two-time
former world champions in Group D at Friday’s World Cup draw in Moscow.
Other
teams in Group D are Iceland and Croatia.
The
Super Eagles have played against Argentina in the group stage of all but one of
their five previous World Cup appearances, and both sides will once again meet
at next year’s tournament.
They
lost to the South Americans in 1994, 2002, 2010, and 2014.
Nigeria
will, however, open their campaign in Russia at next year’s FIFA World Cup in
Russia with a tough tie against Croatia on June 16 in Kaliningrad before taking
on Iceland six days later in Volgograd, and then Argentina on June 26 in St
Petersburg.
On
paper, it is a tough group, and it is a fact that is not lost on Super Eagles
striker, Odion Ighalo.
“It
is a tough group. It is a tough group but even the other teams will be wary of
us,” said Ighalo, who was instrumental to Nigeria’s qualification for the World
Cup, shortly after the draw in a live TV programme on SuperSport.
“It
is a tough group but we have what it takes to qualify.”
Nigeria
recently defeated Argentina 4-2 in a friendly match played in Russia, but have
never beaten the Argentines in a competitive fixture.
Iceland,
meanwhile, will be making their first appearance at the football tournament.
They are the smallest nation to have ever qualified for the World Cup but their
heroics at last year’s European Championship, where they eliminated England on
the way to a historic semi-final appearance, means they won’t be pushovers.
“Iceland
are doing well,” continued Ighalo. “We all saw what they did to England at the
last Euros, and they are not going to be pushovers.
“We
will have to be at our best to get anything out of this game as well as all the
other games.”
Group A: Russia, Saudi
Arabia, Egypt, UruguayGroup B: Portugal, Spain, Morocco, Iran
Group C: France, Australia, Peru, Denmark
Group D: Argentina, Iceland, Croatia, Nigeria
Group E: Brazil, Switzerland, Costa Rica, Serbia
Group F: Germany, Mexico, Sweden, Korea
Group G: Belgium, Panama, Tunisia, England
Group H: Poland, Senegal, Colombia, Japan
No comments:
Post a Comment