All hands will be on deck to ensure that the Super Eagles pick 2018 World Cup ticket according to the country’s football governing body
President of the Nigeria Football Federation Amaju Pinnick has assured that the country would pick a ticket to 2018 Fifa World Cup.
The Super Eagles would be seeking a sixth appearance at the world football showpiece billed for Russia when the African qualifying series begin later this year.
Having missed out of the last two editions of the Africa Cup of Nations described as ‘painful’, the country’s football federation has revealed that anything aside from the World Cup ticket would be unacceptable.
“We cannot afford any distractions, not from anywhere,” Pinnick told media.
“We have an objective of qualifying for Russia 2018 and that is not what we can negotiate. That is one of the reasons I am in the office today.
“The Board has to look at various areas of the preparation as we countenance the draw for the group phase of the series that is coming up on 24th June.”
He also drew positives from the three-time African champions’ victory over Mali and Luxembourg in last month’s international friendlies.
Nigeria are likely to face Algeria, Cote d’Ivoire, Tunisia or Cameroon in a tough World Cup qualifying group after they were zoned in Pot 3 with Congo Brazzaville, Morocco, Mali and South Africa.
They will know their foes on June 24, 2016 as the draw for the World Cup qualifiers will be staged in Cairo, Egypt.
There, 20 teams will be divided into five groups of four teams with the winners qualifying for Russia.
