Former Super Eagles and West Bromwich Albion striker Brown Ideye has advised the Nigerian National team to play in a certain way against Mozambique, Soccernet.ng reports.
The 37-year-old played all six games for Nigeria at the AFCON 2013 tournament, making history under the mentorship of the late Stephen Keshi.
Ideye was impressed with the flawless record Eric Chelle’s men maintained throughout the group stage games in Morocco.
Now, speaking from experience, the former Dynamo Kyiv forward urged the Super Eagles to play with more urgency in their knockout games, as they have no chance to rewrite any mistakes.
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Brown Ideye calls for intensity in Super Eagles clash against Mozambique
Ideye predicted Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and has urged the team to play with intent to avoid the mistake that occurred against DR Congo.
“The knockout phase is different from the group stage,” the former Enyimba International forward said on the Home Turf Podcast with Bet9ja.
“Get it running from the first minute, and the pace you start the game with is what you should end it with.
“I know it is difficult because you can start the game strong, but at the end, you might not have the same energy due to tiredness or fatigue, but we don’t have any chances.
“We don’t have space to play in three days to avoid any mistakes. Hit the ground running and bang those goals. More than one goal, if you can score five, do it.
Quizzed about what Eric Chelle should change heading into the knockout round, Ideye called for the inclusion of Raphael Onyedika.
“I don’t think Chelle should change anything. I think the players coming off the bench are what he has to work on. Put in the right players and do so at the right time.
“Let the players blend in perfectly to get the team the perfect results,” he concluded.
Nigeria’s clash against Mozambique will be played at the Complexe de Fes, with kick-off slated for 8:00 PM WAT on Monday.