Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi says he is not worried over the prospect of facing either the Ivory coast or Ghana in the final round of qualifying for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa.
Nigeria’s 2-0 aggregate victory over Rwanda in the previous round of qualifying means the Super Eagles must now face one of the countries that participated at the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea to book a ticket for the 2013 Afcon.
The draw for the final round of qualifying will be held in South Africa on 5 July.
With an open draw on the cards, there is a real chance that Nigeria could draw either of the African giants but Keshi is not losing sleep over any of the teams.
“I want any team. Any team would be welcome by me,†Keshi told SuperSport.com.
The gaffer revealed that while several dangerous sides lurk in the draws, the Super Eagles could more than hold their own against any side.
“Yeah, there are a lot of big names and big countries in the draws but don’t forget that our target is not just to qualify for the Nations Cup but also to do well at the finals of the competition.
“If we must achieve that, we must be ready to face any team that comes our way and that journey begins with the next round of qualification games for the Nations Cup,†he said.
Keshi will be in Johannesburg, South Africa for the draws on July 5.
He will be accompanied to the ceremony by the technical committee chairman of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Christopher Green.
Nigeria will avoid Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana in the final rounds as they are also drawn in Pot One for the Afcon draws.