Former Super Eagles midfielder Mutiu Adepoju has opined that with a positive mindset towards achieving victory, the Eagles can defeat African champions Cameroon in the 2018 World Cup qualifiers in August and September.
Group B leaders Nigeria face Cameroon in a key qualifying clash on August 31 in Uyo and September 4 in Cameroon as the race for a place in Russia 2018 reaches a crucial stage.
“We all saw Cameroon at the Confederations Cup and it was not entirely a bad tournament for them because they needed that top level competition to prepare for the World qualifiers against the Super Eagles,” Adepoju, who represented Nigeria at the country’s first World Cup in 1994, said.
“I wasn’t expecting them to win it but we can see the Cameroonians have a strong team and that their Africa Cup of Nations success was not a fluke; the players are good.
“But that does not mean that our (Eagles) players should have a defeatist attitude. With the right mentality, we can win those matches, especially the one at home.”
Cameroon was knocked out of the 2017 Confederations Cup in the group stages after defeats to Chile and Germany and a draw with Australia.
Adepoju, who was in the Super Eagles squad to the 1995 King Fahd Cup in Saudi Arabia, which later became the Confederations Cup, added: “I will say that since FIFA took over the organization, the quality has tremendously improved. Countries now take their continental tournaments seriously.
“But it will be nice to see an African country reach the final and possibly win it. I can’t say who will win this year’s edition.”
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