Super Eagles manager, Gernot Rohr has assured Nigeria fans that his team will be ready for their 2018 World Cup opener against Croatia this coming weekend.
The West African giants will open their campaign on Saturday, June 16, when they face Croatia in Kaliningrad.
Nigeria’s performances in their warm-up games have been of great concern, with the team recording a draw against DR Congo before falling to defeats at the hands of England and the Czech Republic.
Yet Rohr is confident his team will rise to the occasion and says they are happy to take on the ‘underdog’ role in Group D, which also features Argentina and Iceland.
“We will take it one match at a time. I love this group because we know how to rise to the occasion together. Nigeria will be ready for Croatia,” Rohr told the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) website.
“We are okay with the garb of the underdog. But the defeats have done something for us – we have our heads firmly on our shoulders and we are focused.
“Together, we have reviewed the matches and learnt so many lessons. We will approach the World Cup matches differently.”
Nigeria are expected to fly out of their camp in Austria today and take up residence in Essentuki, Russia, where they will be based for the tournament.
Packaged by Lanre Olabisi
