Côte d’Ivoire head coach Jean Louis Gasset regards the Nigeria’s Super Eagles as a formidable team with exceptional players, emphasizing the difficulty of judging them based on their first game against Equatorial Guinea, Nigeriasoccernet.com reports.
Nigeria, to the surprise of football fans came from behind to play a 1-1 draw against Equitorial Guinea on Sunday.
In a press conference in Abidjan, Gasset attributes Nigeria's challenges in the match to the demanding weather conditions, highlighting the complexities of playing at in the afternoon.
Despite anticipating a tough game against Nigeria, Gasset remains respectful of their opponent's prowess.
“Nigeria is a top team, they have good players, some of the best in Africa. You can’t judge them with the first game against Equatorial Guinea,” Gasset said.
“I think they struggled with the weather a bit in their first game. It’s not easy to play at 2pm here. Teams struggled even when they play in the evening, so you can imagine how difficult it was for them.”
“So, we are not going to judge them with the performance against Equatorial Guinea.
“It’s not going to be an easy game for us. They are a tough opponent and will make things difficult for us.”
The Elephants of Côte d’Ivoire will face Nigeria in one what is West Africa derby at the Alassanne Quattara Stadium on Thursday 6pm.
By Olujimi Dare Ogun