SUPER Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong has promised that the team will take full advantage of the opportunity to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup via the play-offs after failing to secure an automatic ticket in the group phase.
The three-time African champions advanced to the CAF play-offs final on Thursday after beating Gabon 4-1 in the semi-final in Rabat, Morocco.
The Super Eagles face the Democratic Republic of Congo tomorrow with a spot in the intercontinental play-offs at stake.
“We would have preferred to have taken the automatic ticket but it didn’t work out,” Troost-Ekong said during the pre-match press conference today.
“Now, we are here and we have a second chance and we do not intend to bungle it.”
The Saudi Arabia-based centre-back admitted that the Leopards of DRC will be tough to deal with, but assured that the Super Eagles have what it takes to win at the Complexe Sportif Prince Moulay El Hassan in the Moroccan capital.
“There is no doubt that the Congolese will be a big challenge. They got here because they are tough and ambitious, and also want to go to the World Cup,” Troost-Ekong noted.
“However, we have a large group of players here, 24 of them, out of which only about four of us have been to the World Cup (in 2018). There is that adrenalin flowing in their system to go to the World Cup and I see it as a big motivation for us to conquer on Sunday.”
Troost-Ekong, Alex Iwobi, Wilfred Ndidi and Chidozie Awaziem are the only members of the present Super Eagles squad who were part of team to Russia 2018.
Super Eagles head coach Chelle has all his 24 players available for selection, including Iwobi who will be winning his 91st cap and Simon Moses who will collect his 87th.
DR Congo will be led in attack by Spain-based Cédric Bakambu, and have a number of prominent stars including Chancel Mbemba, who scored the only goal in the play-offs win over Cameroon, former Manchester United defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka and CAF Champions League winner with Pyramids FC of Egypt Fiston Mayele.