FIFA World Cup: Odegbami says Nigeria’s qualification a foregone conclusion

Lagos – Segun Odegbami, a former Green Eagles
Captain, on Monday said the Super Eagles’ conquest
of the Walya Antelopes of Ethiopia was a “foregone
conclusion’’.
Odegbami  in Lagos said that the Ethiopians would
succumb to the Super Eagles in Calabar on Nov. 16
“come what may’’.
“The Super Eagles will ultimately seal their
qualification for the Brazil 2014 FIFA World Cup on
Nov.16,’’ he said.
odegbami
Eagles had won 2-1 in Addis Ababa on Oct. 13 in
the first leg match of their 2014 FIFA World Cup Final
Qualification Round Playoff.
The Eagles only needed to consolidate on that
victory in the return leg game against their east
African opponents to make qualification for Brazil a
certainty.
“To me, it is a done deal. We are going for the World
Cup, and already they (the Ethiopians) will be under
pressure. Truthfully, very few teams deal with
pressure well.
“We (Nigeria) are not under pressure but at the
same time we should take our chances, and tie the
loose ends,’’ Odegbami, who was a member of the
victorious Eagles who won the 1980 edition of the
AFCON in Lagos, said.
On his assessment of the team’s performance in
Addis Ababa, the former Green Eagles captain said
the players performed well considering the
inclement weather and bad pitch.
“It was a very difficult match, bad pitch, dry
weather, high altitude and a very physical Ethiopian
team. All the players in the match deserve to be in
the team.
“They must have gone through sweat, tears and
blood. The boys and the coaching crew should be
commended for this,’’ he said.(NAN)