Nigeria are
highly motivated to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia even though the
qualifying tournament still has a long way to go, according to coach Gernot
Rohr.
The Super
Eagles have missed out on two straight Africa Cup of Nations, but they lead
their qualifying group for Russia 2018 with six points after two rounds of
matches.
Cameroon
have two points, while Zambia and Algeria are on a point each.
“They are
very motivated. To qualify for Russia is more than a dream, it is something
they want to have, they missed another Africa Cup of Nations, that is difficult
for a big country like Nigeria,” the German manager told AfricanFootball.com.
“They are
hungry, they want to go to World Cup and because they are young, they don’t
have so many titles and experience in international football.
“But they
will always fight for their country; they will always give their best.
“It’s a good
feeling (to be top of the group), but there is still a long way to go to
Russia. We still have four games and 12 more points. We are happy but we are
also humbled.”
Rohr said he
was happy with the progress of the team, but admitted there was still a lot
more work to be done before the World Cup qualifiers resume in August 2017.
“The players
are changing but the philosophy remains the same, the players could come and go
but the spirit remains and this is very important for the future,” the former
Burkina Faso coach said.
“We must
have a stronger team. In certain positions, we have some problems, we must be
honest about this. Not all is perfect, there is still a lot of work to do in
some positions, but we must find better solutions.”
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