IT is one of the most important games of his Nigerian coaching career, but Super Eagles gaffer, Stephen Keshi, is calm ahead of the date with Harambee Stars.
Keshi, who is leading his African champions to a crucial World Cup qualifier today in Nairobi against the Harambee Stars, says he is not thinking of defeat or a draw in the game, which could define Nigeria’s chances of being in Brazil next June.
Although his team had only one training session in Nairobi in preparation for the game, Keshi’s belief in his team’s abilities is unshaken, despite the home team’s boasts that they would upset Nigeria.
“We respect the Kenyans for what they achieved when we played in Nigeria, but I like to state that is in the past. We have forgotten about that, just as we are not going to be thinking about the fact that we have beaten Kenya in nine of 11 previous meetings.
“The important thing is that we have a mission here and that is to pick the maximum points and then go to Namibia to do same. That way, we would have enhanced our chances of qualification for the World Cup
before going to the Confederations Cup.”
The former Nigerian captain admitted that the team would have loved to have midfielders Victor Moses and Kalu Uche; and striker, Emmanuel Emenike with them in Nairobi, but that his game plan is not significantly affected.
“Our focus is unaffected and our determination not in anyway weakened. We were forced to a 2-2 draw by Mexico in a friendly match in America last week, even without a good number of our regulars.
“On Wednesday, we would go out on the field to do the job and in the process, do our country proud.”
The Super Eagles flew into Nairobi about 1.20 a.m. Tuesday morning, from Frankfurt via Khartoum and Addis Ababa, and immediately headed for their La Mada Hotel secured by the Nigeria Football Federation.
While the Eagles are battling the Harambee Stars in Nairobi today, Malawi’s Flames would also be hosting Namibia’s Brave Warriors in Blantyre in the other match of Group F.
The Flames, on five points like the Super Eagles but with inferior goals difference, will also host the Harambee Stars in Blantyre on Wednesday next week, at the same time that the Eagles will be doing battle with the Brave Warriors at the Sam Nujoma Stadium in Windhoek.
Influential midfielder, John Mikel Obi, who alongside first-choice goalkeeper, Vincent Enyeama were the only ones involved when the Eagles edged the Kenyans 3-2 in a final 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying match at the Moi International Sports Centre (venue of today’s match) on November 14, 2009, flew into Nairobi ahead of the delegation, having travelled aboard a British Airways flight from London.
Kenya are bottom of the Group F with only two points from three matches, behind three-pointer Namibia.
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