The president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Amaju Pinnick has announced the country will soon hire a coach for the Super Eagles while admitting Nigeria have been drawn in a tough qualifying group.
Nigeria are in Group B along with Algeria, Cameroon and Zambia.
“It is a tough draw, but then I have always said that you have to beat the best to get to the World Cup,” said Pinnick.
“Now we have the draw, we know how to prepare. The preparation has to start right now and we must make good use of every single day leading to the kick –off of the series.
“The other pools are tough as well, because for me, you can never afford to under–rate any team these days.
“Now we must quickly sort out the issue of the head coach and his assistants and put every other thing in place in good time.”
Algeria knocked Nigeria out of the race to the 1982 FIFA World Cup, but Nigeria also overpowered the North Africans to qualify for the 1994 finals in USA.
Nigeria beat Algeria 3-0 to lift her first–ever Africa Cup of Nations title, on home soil in 1980, but the Fennecs avenged by beating the Eagles 1-0 to also nick their first African title, on home soil, 10 years later.
Cameroon stopped Nigeria from reaching the 1990 FIFA World Cup finals, winning 1-0 in Yaounde in a group contest even though Nigeria won the home leg 2-0 in Ibadan.
In Yaounde, only weeks after the death of Samuel Okwaraji, Nigeria needed a draw to shove aside the Lions but lost 1-0.
In a friendly in Belgium in October last year, the Super Eagles steamrolled the Lions 3-0.