Nigeria Coach Stephan Keshi is taking a cautious approach ahead of his side’s clash against Liberia in the final phase of the African Nations Cup qualifiers.
The Super Eagles will face Liberia in a two-legged tie for a place in next year’s South Africa finals. The first leg will be played in Monrovia next September while the second leg will take place in October in Nigeria.
Keshi stressed that Nigeria’s 2-0 victory over Liberia in a friendly game earlier this year is not an indication that his side will enjoy a smooth ride against Liberia.
"That game is in the past; it was a friendly but we're not dwelling on it. It is a different game, and every game has its own unique outcome," the 43-year-old told Kick Off.
"This next game in September is totally different and we need to prepare, plan and organise our team. We can't wait for Liberia to surprise us.”
Keshi admitted that Nigeria is not at playing at its best, having scored only five goals in four games against Rwanda, Malawi and Namibia.
"We're working on that and we don't want to think about failure, even if failure is part of life because we learn from it," he added.
"This is a group of players that we just started with. It's true we're not scoring goals but we're creating chances. We just need to convert the chances to get the goals. Once the goals start coming, trust me, they will not stop.
"We just have to be patient; we're working on it. We know the department that we have problems; success doesn't come overnight."
(For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports)
Short link: