Peter Rufai insists the Super Eagles will only triumph in their   Group B Russia 2018 World Cup qualifying double-header   against Cameroon’s Indomitable Lions if Nigeria coach Gernot Rohr features players who are ready to fight on the pitch.

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The Eagles host their fierce rivals in Uyo on August 31 and travel to Yaounde for the reverse fixture on September 4.Nigeria sit atop the group on six points, followed by African champions Cameroon on  two points. Zambia and Algeria who are other teams in the group have one point each.

Rohr has been hit by a goalkeeping crisis in the run-up to the double-header after his first choice keeper Carl Ikeme was diagnosed with acute leukaemia last month. And Rufai, who expressed concern over the goalkeeping crisis facing the Eagles, warns  Rohr  not to gamble on team selection over the two legs.

Rufai, who represented Nigeria  at the  USA ’94 and France ’98 World Cups, says Rohr should   feature good quality and experienced players  to enable the Eagles to survive the  highly physical  Cameroonian  players.

The former Stationery Stores shot-stopper believes Rohr and his charges had learnt some lessons  from their 2-0 defeat by South Africa’s Bafana Bafana  in their 2019  Africa  Cup  of  Nations qualifier in Uyo on  June 10.”

On  the goalkeeping   crisis  facing  the Eagles ahead of the World Cup qualifiers, the former Lokeren keeper  said  the Nigeria  Football Federation Technical  Committee would  help   Rohr as the  German  searches for  Ikeme’s  replacement.

 

Report by Miyen Akiri