Nigeria stars have said next month’s World Cup warm-up match against Mexico will be taken very seriously as it could determine their fate.
The Super Eagles face fellow World Cup finalists Mexico on March 5 in Atalanta, Georgia, USA, as they step up their preparations for the World Cup in Brazil in June.
Eagles first-choice goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama said a favourable outcome would lift team confidence.
“The game will be a good one for us, it will boost our confidence level as the World Cup approaches,” the Lille star said.
Juwon Oshaniwa told MTNFootball.com that he expects a tough match from Mexico and Nigeria will be up for it.
“A friendly match is not usually about winning, but how the team play, how we have improved and to know where to work on, but that is not saying we are not taking the game seriously,” said the Israel-based left back.
“Personally, I will put in my very best in the game, which I know others in the team will do.”
CSKA Moscow forward Ahmed Musa said, adding that Nigeria will aim for victory against Mexico.
“It is going to be a tough game, Mexico are no small team and will give us good test. We as a team love winning and that is what Nigerians love too, we will go there to do our best to achieve that,” Musa told MTNFootball.com
Ogenyi Onazi also said they hope for a good result. “Nigerians want good result in every game we play and that shows they love the team, that is exactly what we will try to do against Mexico. It is going to be a tough game no doubt.”
The previous two meetings between both nations ended in draws with the first being in 2007 in Mexico and the last was in Houston, USA, in 2013.
Mexico pick 8 Euro-based stars for Eagles
Manchester United star, Javier Hernandez will lead seven other Europe based players in the Mexican team that will take on the Super Eagles in a 2014 warm up match coming up in Atalanta, USA on March 5.
Mexico coach Miguel Herrera, who went without any of El Tri’s European-based players for the World Cup qualifying playoffs, has called in eight “Europeos” for the March 5 friendly against Nigeria.
Herrera, who took over El Tri, first on an interim basis, after Mexico dropped to fourth in the final Hexagonal standings, recently returned from a whirlwind tour of Europe where he met with many of Mexico’s stars.
Five of the players had started in the USA’s 2-0 win over Mexico in Columbus. For the playoff series against New Zealand, Herrera, Mexico’s fourth coach in five qualifiers, went solely with Mexican-based players, the majority from Club America, which he coached.
The one player not returning for the game against Nigeria will be Real Sociedad’s Carlos Vela, who has been at odds with the Mexican federation and did not take part in qualifying.
The Europe based players include
1. Javier Hernandez (Manchester United)
2. Andres Guardado (Bayer Leverkusen)
3.Giovani dos Santos (Villarreal)
4. Hector Moreno (Espanyol)
5. Javier Aquino (Villarreal)
6. Hector Herrera (Porto)
7. Guillermo Ochoa (Ajaccio)
8. Diego Reyes (Porto)
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