Super Eagles captain Wilfred Ndidi has warned that Nigeria must avoid another slow start when they begin their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign against Madagascar in Uyo on Friday.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference on Thursday, Ndidi reflected on Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and stressed that the team has learned from the disappointment as they prepare for their opening Group L fixture.
With that experience still fresh, Ndidi said the players are determined to establish a strong foundation against Madagascar rather than allow another difficult beginning to affect their campaign.
“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," he said.
“This is a qualifier, so the first game sets the momentum. So, it gives us the confidence to go for the other games coming. So, we think we will do our best. Not we think—we will do our best. We think we will set the momentum. We're ready for it, and everyone is focused on it," he added.
Nigeria were drawn in Group L alongside Madagascar, Guinea-Bissau and Tanzania, with Tanzania already guaranteed a place at the 2027 tournament as one of the co-hosts alongside Kenya and Uganda.
Consequently, only the highest-placed team among the remaining three nations will qualify from the group.
Ndidi acknowledged the pressure created by the qualification format but said the Super Eagles are concentrating on collecting as many points as possible rather than worrying about the other teams.
“For us, I don't know about the others in the group, but for us, as the coach said, pressure is part of our game. So, we try to play through the pressure. The most important thing is we, as a team, we, as a group, we, as a 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," he concluded.
Wale Adejumo
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