Super Eagles B head coach Salisu Yusuf has declared that his side are not driven by revenge as they get set to face Ghana in the qualifiers for the African Nations Championship (CHAN).
The home-based Nigeria national team travel to Cape Coast to battle their Ghanaian opponents in the first leg of the qualifiers on August 28, with the reverse fixture scheduled for Abuja on September 3.
Ghana’s Black Stars eliminated Nigeria from the Qatar 2022 World Cup race on the away goals rule after their playoffs tie ended 1-1 on aggregate in March: 0-0 in Kumasi and 1-1 in Abuja.
Yusuf, who took the Home Eagles to the CHAN final in 2018 in Morocco, insisted that his current team is more concerned about qualifying for the tournament in Algeria in 2023 rather than aim for vengeance.
“I won’t say we are seeking to get revenge against Ghana because of what happened with the last game on the road to the Qatar World Cup,” Yusuf, who was one of the Super Eagles coaches in the tie against the Black Stars, said in Abuja.
“We want to win and qualify for the final stage of the competition in Algeria next year. That is basically what we are pursuing.
“However, if we beat them to the ticket, which we definitely hope to achieve, then whatever description anyone gives it should be a matter of choice.”
The Eagles B have been preparing in the Nigerian capital for several days and played two friendly games against youth teams on Thursday as part of their build-up.
Remo Stars goalkeeper Kayode Bankole joined the team late on Tuesday to keep the number of players still in camp at 34. Bankole was called in as a substitute for injured Victor Sochima of Rivers United.
CHAN is a tournament designed solely for African national teams made up of only players featuring in their domestic leagues.
