‘Antelopes can’t stop Emenike, Moses’

Daniel Amokachi

Super Eagles assistant coach Daniel Amokachi is backing  Nigeria for victory against Ethiopia  in  their  first leg 2014 World Cup qualifying playoff in Addis Abba on Sunday.

Amokachi believes  the  Walya Antelopes can’t withstand the calibre of  players Stephen Keshi has  invited for the encounter.

The return match  takes place in Calabar   on November 16 and the aggregate winners  qualify for Brazil 2014.

Victor Moses converted from the spot twice to help Nigeria  beat plucky Ethiopia  2-0  in their group stage match at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations on January 29, but the Walya Antelopes  maintain  they  have learned from the defeat and are ready to deny the Eagles   a chance to play at the World Cup for the fifth time.

The North-East Africans  are also looking to take advantage of the high altitude of  their country  to pick up home victory  and travel to Calabar to defend in the return leg fixture.

But Tunisia ’94 Africa Cup of Nations winner Amokachi  on Wednesday dismissed the Walya Antelopes, saying the Eagles would show their class again.

“We have a lot of quality players in Nigeria,”  the former Everton  forward told reporters in Abuja.

“The likes of Emmanuel Emenike, Victor Moses, Ahmed Musa and Uche Nwofor are players that can make the difference.

“The good thing is that we work collectively as a team, because if the team is good the strikers will get more passes and score goals.”

Meanwhile, Keshi insists  the African champions are not  under pressure to win in Addis Ababa.

“We are still working with information from the Ethiopian side and we will not be discouraged. We will have to keep our calm, no matter how they try to provoke us.

“Attempts to frustrate the team must happen, because it is the African way of winning a game.

“Sometimes, they bother your life from the airport. We have come through that as a player and now as a coach, but we have to pretend as if it is not happening.”