Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi has said he is open to play against any team at the World Cup, but a cross section of fans says they would wish the Eagles avoid hosts Brazil.
Nigeria have clashed once with Brazil at full international level with the South Americans outclassing the Super Eagles 3-0 in a friendly in Abuja in June 2003.
Brazil are now aiming for a fifth World Cup and as hosts they have a lot going for them, and so it would be tough going coming face-to-face with them in the first round of the tournament.
“The only team I don’t want Nigeria to meet at the group stage is Brazil. It is always difficult to face the host team because they have all the home backing and sympathy. But the rest of the seeded teams, we can handle them. I trust the Eagles,” Lagos-based fan Tunde Odu told MTNFootball.com
Top club official Steve Oruruo said he dreads a first-round clash with the Samba Boys also.
“We should avoid Brazil if we could. They are playing at home and have a lot of youthful players and easily won the Confederations Cup,” said the Enugu Rangers secretary.
“By the later stages of the competition, when we would have found our rhythm, it would then be okay to face the host country.”
“Brazil will be the team to avoid. Let us rather tackle the likes of Switzerland and Colombia in the first round,” said football enthusiast Phil Uchegbu.
“Brazil will be hosting to win and we cannot afford to meet them so early in the tournament.”
Lanre Famakinwa said he believes the Eagles should avoid Brazil, Germany and Argentina in the group stage of the World Cup.
“It is not that we fear them, but we just need to avoid teams like Brazil, Germany and Argentina at the early stage. We need to gain in confidence by winning say two matches before we meet such teams,” Famakinwa told MTNFootball.com
But Leonard Amire said Germany should be the most dreaded of the seeded teams.
“Nigeria should avoid Germany because they will again be the most tactical team at the World Cup and they will give us a tougher time than Brazil would,” he argued.
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