Eagles end up in World Cup group of death alongside Cameron, Algeria and Zambia

NIGERIA'S Super Eagles have been placed in the group of death for the forthcoming 2018 World Cup qualifiers after tonight draw in Cairo placed the team in the same group as Cameroon, Algeria and Zambia.

 

At the draw conducted at the Cairo Marriott Hotel, Nigeria was placed in the same group as Zambia’s Chipolopolo, Cameroun’s Indomitable Lions and Algeria’s Fennecs in the final round of the qualifiers. All former African champions, the quartet will slug it out for the sole qualification ticket in Group B, while reigning continental champions Ivory Coast will tackle Gabon, Mali and Morocco in Group C.

 

Tunisia’s Carthage Eagles head Group A that also includes Libya, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Guinea, while Ghana’s Black Stars will do battle with the Pharaohs of Egypt, Congo’s Red Devils and Uganda’s Cranes in Group E. Senegal’s Teranga Lions, which reached the World Cup quarter finals in 2002, head Group D that also includes South Africa’s Bafana Bafana, Burkina Faso’s Etalons and Cape Verde’s Blue Sharks.

 

Nigerian Football Federation president Amaju Pinnick, said: “It is a tough draw but then I have always said that you have to beat the best to get to the World Cup. Now we have the draw, we know how to prepare and the preparation has to start right now and we must make good use of every single day leading to the kick–off of the series.

 

“The other pools are tough as well because for me, you can never afford to under rate any team these days. Now, we must quickly sort out the issue of head coach and his assistants and put every other thing in place in good time.”

 

Algeria knocked Nigeria out of the race to the 1982 World Cup but Nigeria also overpowered Algeria to qualify for the finals of USA 1994. Nigeria beat Algeria 3-0 to lift her first ever Africa Cup of Nations title on home soil in 1980, but the Fennecs avenged by beating the Eagles 1-0 to also win their first African title, on home soil, 10 years later.

 

Cameroun for their part stopped Nigeria from reaching the 1990 World Cup finals, winning the final qualification game 1-0 in Yaounde. In a friendly in Belgium in October last year, the Super Eagles steamrolled the Lions 3-0.

 

GROUP A: Tunisia, Libya, DR Congo, Guinea

GROUP B: Zambia, Cameroun, Algeria, Nigeria

GROUP C: Gabon, Mali, Cote d’Ivoire, Morocco

GROUP D: Senegal, South Africa, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde

GROUP E: Ghana, Egypt, Congo, Uganda