Coach Gernot Rohr has personally phoned up the players to check up on them ahead of next month’s World Cup qualifier in Zambia.
Zambia will welcome Nigeria to Ndola on October 9 to kick off the mini-league qualifying series for Russia 2018.
“Rohr has been in touch with the players, checking up on them and encouraging them ahead of the World Cup showdown in Zambia next month,” a top official informed.
“He wishes to raise their confidence and self-esteem by this personal contact.”
Rohr will announce his squad for the Zambia showdown this week.
The Franco-German coach won his first match in charge of the Super Eagles earlier this month when they defeated the Taifa Stars of Tanzania 1-0 in Uyo.
The former Burkina Faso trainer has harped on the need for the players to have self-belief after the failure of the country to qualify for two straight AFCONs.
“The confidence has not been there because the team failed to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations, but when results start to come, the confidence will return,” Rohr had declared on assumption of duty in Nigeria.
“It is a difficult challenge (to qualify for the World Cup). Nigeria are not the favourites after we did not qualify for the last two AFCONs, but we hope to be at the World Cup.”
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