Nigeria coach, Stephen Keshi said he will take the two-legged tie against Ethiopia in the playoffs of the 2014 World Cup qualifier as seriously as a cup final.
Both sides last met at the African Cup of Nations early this year and it was a Victor Moses brace that ensured Nigeria won by 2-0.
Keshi said irrespective of the fact that Ethiopia are the lowest-ranked side in the final round on the road to Brazil, the Super Eagles would not underrate the North Africans.
“They didn’t get to this stage by mistake, that says a lot about Ethiopia as a team,” Keshi told BBC Sport.
“Ethiopia have an unpredictable style, which makes it difficult for any opponent. We are going to play both legs like a cup final.
“You don’t talk about the past when it comes to African football, January is a long time ago,” explained Keshi, who played at the 1994 World Cup. “They almost stopped us from progressing to the quarter-final stage, so you cannot underrate them.
“In African football, we don’t have underdogs. They have the same opportunity to play at the World Cup, so we are both starting on a clean slate. We have to fight hard to get the ticket to Brazil, it won’t be easy and my players clearly understand that.
“Ethiopia can boast of a massive number of supporters that can intimidate any team in the world,” said Keshi.
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