Super Eagles head coach Gernot Rohr expects a tough battle against the Swallows of Burundi in his side’s first Group B match at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt, Completesports.com reports.
The three-time African will be looking to open their campaign on winning note when they face the debutants inside the 20,000 capacity Alexandria Stadium this Saturday, June 22.
And despite Burundi’s status as one of the underdogs who are making their first appearance in the AFCON finals, Rohr has warned his players they must be wary of the threat of their opponents.
“I think we can come out of the group. From there, we can then take it match by match, but the most important thing now is the first game against Burundi,” Rohr stated in an a video interview on the official Twitter handle of the Super Eagles.
“The first game is always important. It is always difficult. Everyone is always fresh, the small countries don’t have anything to lose.
“Burundi have good players in England and Europe. They have players in South Africa which makes them a dangerous opponent.
“But we are Nigeria. We played at the World Cup in Russia as one of the five African countries which is good for us . We also have 15 players from the World Cup in this team which is quite remarkable. ”
The Super Eagles are expected to leave for Alexandria on Monday after today’s friendly encounter against the Teranga Lions of Senegal at the Ismaila Stadium.
Rohr charges will also face Guinea and Madagascar on June 26 and June 30 respectively in other Group B matches.
