The Leone Stars captain, Steven Caulker, has stated that they are not afraid of the star-studded Super Eagles team ahead of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier between the two countries.
The Super Eagles were held to a 4-4 draw by John Keister’s charges the last time the two teams met two years ago.
At the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City, the Leone Stars came back from a four-goal deficit to earn a share of the spoils.
With a valiant performance at the 2021 AFCON finals in Cameroon, the West Africans also proved they can compete against the continent’s best teams.
In their first game, they conceded a late winner to eventual winners, the Teranga Lions of Senegal, and held defending champions Algeria to a 0-0 draw.
Following their impressive performance in recent outings, Caulker is confident they can hold their own against the Super Eagles.
“We want to make a good start. We are going to play in the right way to compete with Nigeria,” Caulker told reporters.
“It’s all about the three points. We are aware they (Super Eagles) have a lot of big names in their team.
“We know they have quality players in their team, but it’s all about the three points and we are ready for the challenge.
“We are one of the smallest countries in Africa, but we have good team spirit. We are here to get three points and hopefully qualify from the group.”