Libya national team coach Omar Al-Marimi is expecting a tough game when his side face Nigeria in a CHAN 2018 Group C match at the in Tangier on Friday.
The Red Knights made a terrific start on their return to the tournament on Monday, dispatching Equatorial Guinea with relative ease in a 3-0 victory.
Al-Marimi who took charge of the Libyan team last October is however under no illusions as to the different type of challenge the Super Eagles pose to his side ahead of Friday’s clash.
“It was great to start with a win against (Equatorial) Guinea. It was an important start for the tournament for us,” began Al-Marimi to the press on Thursday.
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“Nigeria will play in a different way because they have one point and will be coming to win so we will be prepared to take the initiative when they come. They have better individual players than (Equatorial) Guinea and we know this,” he added.
Nigeria drew 0-0 in their first game with Rwanda but the West Africans were on top for most periods of the game as they made countless forays into their opposition’s penalty box. The Libyan coach knows exactly what to expect on Friday.
“Their players are quick and fast with good physical strength,” he said about the Super Eagles.
“They also have Anthony Okootu who once played in Libya and we know how good they are but we know we have a good team as well and we must be ready to face them.”
Libya won the tournament in their last participation in 2014 and scored twice within the opening fifteen minutes against Equatorial Guinea on Monday. Al-Marimi knows the enormity of the task against Nigeria and hopes they can start well again on Friday.
“Our game against Nigeria will not be easy. Nigeria is a big team in Africa and we hope to start the match in a good way. In any way, we are highly focused on the game because we know (the game against) Nigeria can decide our progress from the group.
The Group C game will come up at 4:30pm local time (5:30pm Nigerian time) at the Stade Ibn Batouta in Tangier on Friday.
