World Cup Draw : Rising European Powerhouse Belgium Want To Avoid Nigeria

Ahead of the 2018 World Cup draw in the Russian capital, some former members of the Belgian national team and coaches want to avoid facing Nigeria in the group stage.

The Belgium squad boasts some of the biggest stars in the English Premier League : Chelsea trio Thibaut Courtois, Eden Hazard and Michy Batshuayi, Manchester United's Marouane Fellaini and Romelu Lukaku and Liverpool's Simon Mignolet.

''I’m going to take Iran out of pot three, I choose Panama from pot 4. Serbia, Nigeria, Australia, ... many of their players are already playing abroad, so let us go for Panama, all I know about that is that there is a way, '' Aimé Anthuenis, who coached Belgium 2002-2005, told hln.be.

Nico Claesen, who represented Belgian at the 1986 and 1990 World Cups added : 'From pot three I opt for Iran, I think the weak brother. I hope to avoid Serbia and Nigeria from pot four. They can not be underestimated. ''

The draw for the 2018 World Cup will be held in the Kremlin, Moscow on Friday, December 1 starting from 1800 hours local time.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel