President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Mr. Amaju Melvin Pinnick, has asked the Super Eagles to be calm but clinical in Saturday’s 2018 FIFA World Cup showdown with the Zambians.
“The tendency is for teams to get uptight and tensed for this kind of match. I have spoken to them and the approach should be to take full control from the beginning and take the chances that come without being too anxious.
"We defeated the African champions, Cameroon, by maintaining focus and with the team imposing its game and taking the chances that came their way. That should be the approach for Saturday.”
Zambia last tasted victory against Nigeria in a competitive football match at senior level 32 years ago.
There have been 18 matches in all, with the Eagles winning seven, Zambia winning five and six draws. But this is only the second FIFA World Cup qualifying match between the two teams, the first won by the Eagles in Ndola last year.
“The tendency is for teams to get uptight and tensed for this kind of match. I have spoken to them and the approach should be to take full control from the beginning and take the chances that come without being too anxious.
"We defeated the African champions, Cameroon, by maintaining focus and with the team imposing its game and taking the chances that came their way. That should be the approach for Saturday.”
Zambia last tasted victory against Nigeria in a competitive football match at senior level 32 years ago.
There have been 18 matches in all, with the Eagles winning seven, Zambia winning five and six draws. But this is only the second FIFA World Cup qualifying match between the two teams, the first won by the Eagles in Ndola last year.
NIGERIA & ZAMBIA AT SENIOR LEVEL
15 July 1973: Zambia 5 Nigeria 1 – Lusaka (AFCON Qualifier)
29 July 1973: Nigeria 3 Zambia 2 – Lagos (AFCON Qualifier)
14 Feb 1976: Zambia 1 Nigeria 3 – Lusaka (Friendly)
10 Mar 1978: Zambia 0 Nigeria 0 – Accra (AFCON)
25 July 1981: Zambia 3 Nigeria 0 – Lusaka (Friendly)
13 Mar 1982: Zambia 3 Nigeria 0 – Benghazi (AFCON)
10 Aug 1985: Nigeria 0 Zambia 0 – Lagos (AFCON Qualifier)
18 Aug 1985: Zambia 1 Nigeria 0 – Lusaka (AFCON Qualifier)
12 Mar 1990: Zambia 0 Nigeria 2 – Annaba (AFCON S-F)
10 Apr 1994: Zambia 1 Nigeria 2 – Tunis (AFCON Final)
15 Dec 1997: Zambia 2 Nigeria 0 – Lusaka (Friendly)
18 Dec 1997: Zambia 0 Nigeria 0 – Kitwe (Friendly)
13 Jan 2001: Nigeria 1 Zambia 0 – Lagos (AFCON Qualifier)
24 Mar 2001: Zambia 1 Nigeria 1 – Chingola (AFCON Qualifier)
6 Jan 2010: Zambia 0 Nigeria 0 – Durban (Friendly)
25 Jan 2010: Zambia 0 Nigeria 0 (4-5 penalties) – Lubango (AFCON)
25 Jan 2013: Nigeria 1 Zambia 1 – Nelspruit (AFCON)
9 Oct 2016: Zambia 1 Nigeria 2 – Ndola (World Cup Qualifier)
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