Super Eagles captain Wilfred Ndidi has urged his teammates to avoid a sluggish start as Nigeria prepares to open their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign against Madagascar in Uyo on Friday.
Speaking at a pre-match press conference on Thursday, Ndidi reflected on the national team’s failure to secure a spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He emphasized that the squad has drawn valuable lessons from that setback and is determined to establish strong momentum from the outset of their new tournament.
“We know the experiences of the last World Cup. How we started was really, really poor, really bad, and it will never happen again because this is a focused team,” Ndidi stated. He added that the first match is crucial in every competition, and the team is committed to performing optimally to set the tone for the rest of the qualifying rounds.
Nigeria is placed in Group L alongside Madagascar, Guinea-Bissau, and Tanzania. With Tanzania already qualified as one of the co-hosting nations for the 2027 tournament alongside Kenya and Uganda, only the highest-ranked team among the remaining three nations will advance from the group.
Acknowledging the competitive pressure created by this qualification structure, Ndidi said the Super Eagles are prioritizing the accumulation of maximum points rather than focusing on their rivals. “Pressure constitutes an integral component of our sport. We endeavor to perform effectively under pressure,” he noted.
“The most important focus is us, you know. We try as much as possible to get as many points as we can. It doesn’t matter how many qualify; we want to qualify, so that’s the most important thing for us,” Ndidi concluded.
<small>Source: Daily Post Nigeria — read the original story there.</small>
