With only three points out of a possible nine and a win against Benin Republic to reignite hope of securing a World Cup spot, Finidi George has assured Nigerians that his team will approach the Monday encounter in Abidjan with “all seriousness.”
The Eagles recorded their third straight draw in the qualifiers after a 1-1 scoreline with South Africa in Uyo, Akwa Ibom capital, on Friday.
Nigeria had recorded the same uninspiring scoreline against Lesotho and Zimbabwe on matchdays 1 and 2 in November 2023.
Bafana Bafana took the lead through Themba Zwane before Fisayo Dele-Bashiru equalized early in the second half.
In his pre-match presser on Sunday, Finidi said if his players can replicate their second-half performance against South Africa, they stand a chance of beating Benin Republic.
He said: “We are going to approach the game with every seriousness.
“The match against South Africa has gone; we have learnt from it; we just have to see how we can get ourselves to have that fantastic second half we had. If we can start that way, I think we have a chance.”
The Eagles are in fifth place on three points after three games, while Benin Republic, on four points, is third on the table.
Former Eagles coach Gernot Rohr manages the Beninoise.
Persecondnews reports that the Super Eagles arrived in Abidjan, the capital of Cote d’Ivoire, for Monday’s 2026 FIFA World Cup African qualification series Day 4 encounter against the Cheetahs of Benin Republic.
The delegation, led by the President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Ibrahim Gusau, included 23 players, technical and administrative officials, a few members of the NFF Executive Committee and Management, and a couple of media representatives.
They flew aboard a chartered ValueJet aircraft from the Obong Victor Attah Airport in Uyo and landed at the Aeroport Felix Houphouet-Boigny at noon on Sunday.
Lying in a strange fifth place in the six-team Group C after three rounds of matches, the Super Eagles know only a win against the Cheetahs on Monday evening will keep them seriously in the hunt for a place at the World Cup finals to be jointly hosted by Canada, the USA, and Mexico in two years.
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