West African football giant Nigeria are afraid of the form of their World Cup rivals Cameroon ahead of their clash in the qualifiers.
Both sides are set to meet in August and September. Nigeria are afraid that the confidence in the team following their African Cup of Nations (AFCON) win might give them the edge. Cameroon are also reputed to have the best defence on the continent.
The defensive unit Cameroon employs are strong, fast and are goalscorers. Most of the goals they scored in Gabon 2017 were from the defenders or defensive midfielders. They are unarguably the biggest threat for Nigeria and they could really stop the Super Eagles from playing in the forthcoming World Cup.
Cameroon are closely behind Nigeria after two rounds of matches in the qualifiers. They forced a draw against Algeria and Zambia but were impressive at AFCON, topping Group B. On the other hand, Nigeria have six points from two games and have +3 goal advantage. Zambia are third with a point.
After the draws for the World Cup, many though Algeria and Cameroon would be the ones slugging it out. However, the games showed something different. Nigeria have the advantage but the two legged affair with Nigeria could change things, particularly if Algeria lose hope of making it.
Coach Gernot Rohr has promised to deliver the ticket as Nigeria missed recent editions of the World Cup. He would have a huge task ahead of him especially as Cameroon, without an individual star, is filled with fighters who are gunning for glory.
Nigerian senior team football has taken continuous hits in recent years. Cameroon pose another threat.