Vedran Corluka believes that defeating Nigeria in their opening match would boost their chances of progressing to the next round
Croatian defender Vedran Corluka has stated that he wants his side to pay attention to the Super Eagles of Nigeria ahead of their 2018 FIFA World Cup opening Group D game.
Nigeria and Croatia will meet in the opening game of group D, and Corluka who is now plays with Locomotive Moscow in Russia has set his sights, on advancing to the next round.
Croatia have lost their opening games and failed to qualify for the second round in their last three outings at the World Cup, Corluka however believes that winning their first match against Nigeria is key to progressing.
In an interview with Sports.ru the former Manchester City and Tottenham defender said, “I would like to see the Croatian team pay attention to Nigeria because they are the first opponent in Russia, and it will be tough against the tricky team from Africa.”
He admitted that defeating the Super Eagles would be a tough task however it give the team a boost for Subsequent matches,
“Getting past Nigeria will be the toughest, but a win over Nigeria can give us a big boost before other games against Argentina and Iceland". he said
The 31-year-old praised the qualities of his team and even though he is a doubt for the tournament he hopes the team progresses.
“Hopefully, Argentina can start well with a win and we can take it from there.
“We (Croatia) have a good and strong team for sure, and there are talents. We always say this before every major tournament, but in fact it does not always work out, so I hope that we will fulfil the task in Russia.” he said.
The Super Eagles of Nigeria are drawn in group D alongside Croatia, Argentina and Iceland for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.