Vanguard (Lagos)

Nigeria: Battle of Nairobi - Osaze Asks Teammates to Raise Game

As the zero hour approaches swiftly for the win or burst 2010 World Cup cracker against the Harambee Stars of Kenya tomorrow, CSKA of Moscow striker, Osaze Odemwingie, has asked his teammates to raise their game if they expect to win.

Osaze, the live-wire of the team, feared that they might have two battles to confront on Saturday - the high altitude in Kenya and the real match.

"It's really going to be difficult because I'm coming out from winter in Moscow. It might slow my game and others but the important thing is that we must raise our game and play as a team if we are to win the match", he said.

The Eagles must beat Kenya and expect Mozambique to beat Tunisia for them to qualify for the World Cup in South Africa. Majority of the Eagles are yet to come to terms with NFF's decision for them to fly straight from Nigeria to Kenya considering the altitude. But one source in the Glass House said that they were monitoring the weather in Kenya from Nigeria.

"I am happy that most of our players are around. It needs more than playing. It is going to be a psychological war and we must play together as a team", Osaze emphasised.

But reports from Kenya indicate that the Harambee Stars despite their reported misunderstanding with coach Antoine Hey have assembled a consortium of coaches and have been training together for weeks. Reports also have it that the Kenyans have vowed to beat the Eagles to also get a ticket to play in the African Cup of Nations in Angola next year.


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