Nigeria Coach Gernot Rohr says he is calm and collected and that the Super Eagles have no fear of any team, 24 hours before Friday’s Final Draw for the 21st FIFA World Cup finals.
Speaking from the Crowne Plaza World Trade Centre, Moscow the morning after he landed in the Russian capital for the showpiece event, Rohr told thenff.com that there is no weak squad in the 32 –team field, and anyone hoping to play so –called ‘average teams’ in the group phase is only guilty of wishful thinking.
“All the teams that are in the Final Draw, except the host nation Russia, played qualifying matches. They all emerged from tough encounters and therefore, none can be tagged ‘weak.’
“In the next 24 hours, we will enter the State Kremlin Palace for the Final Draw and a couple of hours later, everyone will know their opponents. There is no apprehension. If you have to be listed among the best, you have to conquer the better teams and even beat some of the best.”
Nigeria emerged from a truly tough qualifying group, which included three teams that were among Africa’s five flag –bearers at the 2014 World Cup, and the other – Zambia – having won the Africa Cup of Nations only few years before. All were former Africa Cup champions, and Cameroon were even the Cup holders.
Between them were 10 African titles: Cameroon (5); Nigeria (3); Algeria (1); Zambia (1).
During the week, statistical analysis of the teams in the Final Draw revealed that Nigeria used the youngest squad to qualify for the finals, and 16 days ago right on Russian soil, the three –time African champions came from two goals down to flog two –time world champions Argentina 4-2 in a friendly game.
“We don’t see that as more than a friendly, but what we took away was the capacity of the boys to respond appropriately to adversity, and I loved their reaction,” Rohr intimated. The win brought back memories of Nigeria’s 4-1 spanking of the Argentines in another friendly in Abuja on the first day of June 2011, and the 1996 Olympic Final, in which the South Americans were outlcassed by the Dream Team.
“Seriously speaking, every team has the right to dream. But we have our heads on our shoulders and our feet on the ground, and whatever draw comes, we will take it one match at a time.”
Friday’s Final Draw at the State Kremlin Palace will start at 6pm Moscow time (4pm Nigeria time).
Russia is the largest country in the world, bounded by 12 seas including the Atlantic, Arctic and Pacific Oceans and its 17.1million square kilometres make it one-eighth of the earth’s inhabited surface area. The country extends across 11 of the earth’s 24 standard time zones, and its 146 million people make it the 9th most populous nation in the world. The 146 million people represent 140 nationalities, who speak over 100 languages.
Seven still a perfect number for the Eagles…
In qualifying for the 2018 FIFA World Cup finals, a total of seven players scored for the Super Eagles of Nigeria, and the ticket was secured on the 7th October 2017 in Uyo.
Qualification was also secured after seven matches (two against Swaziland, two against Cameroon, two against Zambia and one against Algeria).
Another number seven has emerged, with the Super Eagles being one of only SEVEN countries worldwide to remain unbeaten in the qualifying campaign for Russia 2018.
The other countries are five –time world champions Brazil; four –time champions Germany; 1966 champions England; 2010 champions Spain; Belgium and; Iran.
However, only THREE countries in the world, including Nigeria, remain unbeaten in the past three qualifying series for FIFA World Cup finals (South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014 & Russia 2018), the others being Germany and Spain.
A colourful session awaits….
Friday’s Final Draw for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia is set to topple whatever has been done previously in the final draws for the past 20 championships.
To start with, the Draw Ceremony is being held inside the State Kremlin Palace – the Parliament of the Russian Federation, which served the same purpose when the country was a much bigger, more intimidating Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).
It is a long way from 1934, when the Final Draw was held inside the Clock Room (Salon d’Horloge) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Paris, France and 1958, when the Final Draw took place inside a studio of the Swedish Television in Solna, and 1974, when the ceremony took place in the main hall of Radio Hessen in Frankfurt.
On Friday, Gary Lineker, who played in the 1986 and 1990 finals for England and scored in both competitions, will conduct the Draw alongside Russian star Maria Komandnaya, with Miroslav Klose, the World Cup’s highest scorer who netted across four finals in 2002, 2006, 2010 and 2014, to be the trophy bearer.
Draw assistants are Laurent Blanc (1998 World Cup winner with France); Gordon Banks (goalkeeper of England’s 1966 –winning squad); Cafu (two –time winner with Brazil, also involved in the Final Draw for 2014 competition); Fabio Cannavaro (Italy’s 2006 team –winning captain, also involved in the Final Draw for 2014 competition), Diego Forlan (whose Uruguay won in 1930 and 1950); Diego Maradona (who led Argentina to victory in 1986, after they won at home in 1978); Carles Puyol (involved in Spain’s 2010 triumph in South Africa) and Nikita Simonyan (who played for 2018 hosts Russia in the 1958 finals in Sweden).
THE 32 TEAMS FOR RUSSIA 2018
Russia (Coach: Stanislav Cherchesov)
Nigeria (Coach: Gernot Rohr)
Egypt (Coach: Hector Cuper)
Iran (Coach: Carlos Queiroz)
Japan (Coach: Vahid Halilhodzic)
Korea Republic (Coach: Shin Tae-yong)
Saudi Arabia (Coach: TBA)
Tunisia (Coach: Nabil Maaloul)
Morocco (Coach: Herve Renard)
Senegal (Aliou Cisse)
Belgium (Coach: Roberto Martinez)
Iceland (Coach: Heimir Hallgrimsson)
Serbia (Coach: Slavoljub Muslin)
England (Coach: Gareth Southgate)
Poland (Coach: Adam Nawalka)
Spain (Coach: Julen Lopetegui)
France (Coach: Didier Deschamps)
Portugal (Coach: Fernando Santos)
Germany (Coach: Joachim Low)
Costa Rica (Coach: Oscar Ramirez)
Mexico (Coach: Juan Carlos Osorio)
Panama (Coach: Hernan Dario Gomez)
Argentina (Coach: Jorge Sampaoli)
Brazil (Coach: Tite)
Colombia (Coach: Jose Pekerman)
Uruguay (Coach: Oscar Tabarez)
Peru (Coach: Ricardo Gareca)
Australia (Coach: TBA)
Croatia (Coach: Zlatko Dalic)
Sweden (Coach: Janne Andersson)
Denmark (Coach: Age Hareide)
Switzerland (Coach: Vladimir Petkovic)
POT 1: Russia; Germany; Brazil; Portugal; Argentina; Belgium; Poland; France
POT 2: Spain; Peru; Switzerland; England; Colombia; Mexico; Uruguay; Croatia
POT 3: Denmark; Iceland; Costa Rica; Sweden; Tunisia; Egypt; Senegal; Iran
POT 4: Serbia; Nigeria; Australia; Japan; Morocco; Panama; Korea Republic; Saudi Arabia
Host Cities: Moscow; Ekaterinburg; Saransk; Rostov-On-Don; Kazan; Kaliningrad; Sochi; Samara; Saint Petersburg; Volgograd; Nizhny Novgorod
Official Mascot: Zabivaka
PREVIOUS WORLD CUP HOST NATIONS AND WINNERS
1930: Uruguay (Winner: Uruguay)
1934: Italy (Winner: Italy)
1938: France (Winner: Italy)
1950: Brazil (Winner: Uruguay)
1954: Switzerland (Winner: West Germany)
1958: Sweden (Winner: Brazil)
1962: Chile (Winner: Brazil)
1966: England (Winner: England)
1970: Mexico (Winner: Brazil)
1974: West Germany (Winner: West Germany)
1978: Argentina (Winner: Argentina)
1982: Spain (Winner: Italy)
1986: Mexico (Winner: Argentina)
1990: Italy (Winner: Germany)
1994: USA (Winner: Brazil)
1998: France (Winner: France)
2002: Korea/Japan (Winner: Brazil)
2006: Germany (Winner: Italy)
2010: South Africa (Winner: Spain)
2014: Brazil (Winner: Germany)
