Nigeria vs DR Congo: Mikel Obi Confident About Today's Int'l Match In Port-Harcourt, Charges Teammates

Mikel Obi

Super Eagles captain, John Obi Mikel has charged his team-mates to treat today's international friendly against the Democratic Republic of Congo seriously, as a win will boost the team's confidence at the Russia 2018 World Cup tournament. 

Mikel stated that the international friendly match on Monday at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium in Port Harcourt, will not be an easy one for Gernot Rohr’s men.

“We do not expect the Congolese to be easy opposition. They have a strong team made up of very talented players and we know this is one good opposition for us to confront before going to the World Cup,” Mikel told thenff.com.

“The FIFA World Cup is no picnic. We have to arrive in Russia with a winning mentality and you get that feeling of being ready only after beating strong teams."

Super Eagles coach, Gernot Rohr has thrown in his own motivational factor by telling his ‘soldiers’ that five players would be cut from the provisional list of 30 after today’s encounter, leaving him with only two more to dispense with when announcing the final squad in Bad Tatzmannsdorf, Austria on Monday next week.

This declaration, plus Obi’s assertion of the need for winning mentality, will propel the Eagles to give their all on Monday, against a squad that nearly grabbed a World Cup ticket for itself.

However, players like Odion Ighalo, William Troost-Ekong and Simon Moses remain major doubts for the game billed for the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium.