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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