Super Eagles captain, Wilfred Ndidi, has cautioned that Nigeria must prevent a sluggish opening when commencing their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign against Madagascar in Uyo on Friday.
During the pre-match press conference held on Thursday, Ndidi reflected upon Nigeria’s inability to secure qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and emphasized that the team has benefited from lessons learned following this setback as they prepare for their inaugural Group L encounter.
Given that this experience remains recent, Ndidi stated that the players are committed to establishing a robust start against Madagascar rather than permitting another challenging beginning to undermine their campaign.
Ndidi said, “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. We are planning to set the momentum, you know, because the first game is the most important game in every competition.
“This is a qualifying tournament, therefore the opening match establishes the momentum. Consequently, this provides us with the assurance to progress through subsequent matches. We are committed to performing optimally. Not merely thinking—we will perform optimally. We believe we will establish the momentum. We are prepared, and everyone maintains complete focus,” he continued.
Nigeria was placed in Group L alongside Madagascar, Guinea-Bissau, and Tanzania, with Tanzania already securing a position at the 2027 tournament as one of the co-hosting nations alongside Kenya and Uganda.
Consequently, merely the highest-ranked team among the remaining three nations will advance from the group.
Ndidi recognized the competitive pressure generated by the qualification structure but stated that the Super Eagles are prioritizing the accumulation of maximum points rather than concentrating on rival teams.
He said, “Regarding the other teams in the group, I cannot speak for them, but as our coach has indicated, pressure constitutes an integral component of our sport. We endeavor to perform effectively under pressure. The paramount consideration is our team, our collective unit, our nation.
“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.”
Nigeria vs Madagascar: ‘It’ll never happen again’ – Ndidi on World Cup misfortune