Seychelles Talks Tough Vows to Upset Eagles

By Admin Seychelles say they will be out to pull off one biggest underdog victories in football history by beating Nigeria in their Group E Cameroon 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Victoria on Saturday. The Super Eagles are under pressure to win the encounter to keep their hopes alive for a place in the continental showpiece after their 2-0 defeat by South Africa on the opening day of the qualifiers in Uyo last year left them in a precarious position in the group. The first two teams will reach Cameroon from the group, and Libya, who sit atop the ladder following their 5-1 defeat of Seychelles last year, are on track. They are followed by South Africa on the log. Seychelles coach Gavin Jeanne has vowed to pile more pressure on the Eagles by leading the Pirates to victory against them at Stade Linite. Although Jeanne admits the Eagles hold the edge over the Pirates in terms of experience, he insists the three-time African champions are beatable. “Although we expect a difficult match, we would also like to win the match like any team in a competition,” Seychelles News Agency quoted him as saying on Friday. “Playing against Nigeria will be no different.” He added, “What is important is for us to use an effective strategy because with Nigeria not paying attention can cost us heavily. We will be trying to at least not concede any goals early in the match and keep ourselves in the game as much as possible.” The Seychelles Football Federation urged the Pirates, who are ranked 188 in the latest FIFA rankings, to prove they can beat one of the game’s continental heavyweights. “(The match) will show that we can also face some of the biggest names in football. Many people are expecting us to lose the match but I always have an optimistic mind and believe that nothing is impossible in football,” SFF Secretary-General George Bibi said. Meanwhile, uncapped trio Semi Ajayi (Rotherham United), Kelechi Nwakali (Porto B) and Jamilu Collins (Paderborn) on Friday expressed their readiness to lead Nigeria to victory against Seychelles. They said in videos on the team’s Twitter handle they would give their best if picked by Nigeria coach Gernot Rohr for the encounter. Nwakali, who expressed his delight at a chance to play for his country, urged his teammates to approach the match like a cup final, while Jamilu called for support for the Eagles. Ajayi called for focus to enable the team to leave the pitch with three points. He said, “We need to make sure that we’re focused and we don’t take it too lightly and we approach the game in a professional manner. We must play to the best of our abilities and listen to the coach and hopefully we can get a positive result.” Also, Italy-based forward Simeon Nwankwo promised that the Eagles would not disappoint their fans. “The expectations are always the same for the Eagles – play to win – and that is the focus and we are working hard to be prepared,” the Crotone star was quoted as saying ahead of the match. “We have a strong base of capable and very talented players who have been here for a while and this will help the new ones settle in and get the job done. “We will focus on doing the job the best we can.”