Head coach Eric Chelle remains confident that the Super Eagles players can step up their performance in the absence of striker Victor Osimhen.
Nigeria face South Africa on Tuesday at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein, with their talisman ruled out of the encounter with an injury.
The Galatasaray striker was unable to travel with the squad for the crucial fixture against Bafana Bafana and has traveled back to Turkey to undergo further scans.
Osimhen clashed with a Rwanda defender and was unable to participate further, before he was replaced by Cyriel Dessers in the 35th minute of the encounter at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium last Saturday.
The 26-year-old’s absence is a huge blow for the three-time African champions, as they face a difficult trip in a match they must secure all three points.
Eric Chelle, however, has revealed that the team will maintain their focus and put in their best performance on Tuesday.
“Osimhen is a big star, a very good player. Like I said, I have a strong squad too, with great players on my side. They are enough for me,” Eric Chelle told reporters.
“I will tell you something, they want to play a great game here once again, so we don’t have the time to say Victor is not here or maybe we cried in our rooms after his injury.
“We are together. We think about our brother, but we have a game, and we are united for tomorrow.”
Nigeria face must-win clash to keep World Cup hopes alive
The Super Eagles recorded an important 1-0 win over Rwanda last weekend to revive their hopes of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a poor start.
However, they are still six points behind South Africa and even though Bafana Bafana face a possible point deduction for fielding an ineligible player in one of their qualifying matches, Nigeria must win all of their three remaining games to stand any chance of qualifying.
The three-time African champions must prove their quality and secure a first competitive away win in South Africa since 2008, to avoid missing out on consecutive World Cup tournaments.
