Nigeria believe that their mix of youth and experience in their squad selected to meet Bafana Bafana in Saturday's 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Uyo can help them put past disappointments in the tournament behind them.
German Gernot Rohr‚ officially Nigeria's technical adviser‚ but who acts as the team's coach‚ is without injured stars Victor Moses and John Obi Mikel‚ and has also chosen to exclude other big names such as China-based striker Brown Ideye.
Bafana's new coach Stuart Baxter has said in Nigeria that he believes Rohr has got his balance right between cutting out players with oversized egos‚ while retaining European-based talent‚ and introducing young players.
Certainly‚ in Nigeria‚ there is much optimism that a team with an average age under 23 can rectify the mistakes made failing to qualify for the 2015 and 2017 Nations Cups‚ having been champions in South Africa in 2013.
And Nigeria also have a score to settle against Bafana‚ whose 2-2 draw here in Uyo in 2014 in the Afcon 2015 qualifiers‚ where Tokelo Rantie's brace saw the South Africans hold a 2-0 lead‚ is still very much fresh in the memory.
"We know the capability of the team‚ and the young players have done very well in their various club sides‚" Super Eagles captain Ogenyi Onazi told a packed pre-match press conference in a tiny room at the match venue‚ Godswill Akpabio International Stadium‚ on Friday.
"They are eager to make Nigerians aware that they are ready to represent their country.
"The coach has said that they have given him a very difficult time selecting the starting XI.
"There is nothing like pressure‚ or no pressure. What has happened in the past has passed. This is a new era.
"This is an opportunity to show that it was a mistake‚ what happened before.
"We don't want to boast and say we are going to win the game. But it's all about the work we have done. And as players we will put our heads together and make sure we give 100 percent."
Nigerians believe their danger man will be 20-year-old Manchester City striker Kelechi Iheanacho‚ who may not be getting much game time for his club‚ but has scored eight goals in nine games for Nigeria.
Some stars of Afcon 2013 who remain include Trabzonspor defensive midfielder Onazi and Leicester City forward Musa Ahmed.
Arsenal's Alex Iwobi is another dangerous forward for a Nigerian team who do not possess the physical presence of previous generations‚ but certainly have enough pace in a potent attack.
Rohr has not lost in his eight games in charge‚ and Nigeria seem confident that they can gain revenge on Bafana for the draw in Uyo that denied the Eagles a place at Equatorial-Guinea 2015.
Perhaps a little too confident‚ South Africa will be hoping.
- TMG Digital/TMG Sport
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