Ethiopia have confirmed they will host the Super Eagles of Nigeria in a 2014 World Cup play-off on Sunday, October 13, in Addis Ababa.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) had earlier raised alarm that Ethiopia are yet to confirm the match day.
General Secretary of the Ethiopia Football Federation (EFF) Yigsaw Bezuayehu disclosed that the match will be played on October 13.
“We have played our home games on Sundays and the match against Nigeria will not be an exception,” said the EFF top official.
This then means that Nigeria will fly out of Abuja on a chartered flight on Saturday, October 12, so as to beat the effects of the high altitude in Addis Ababa.
Nigeria have picked Saturday, November 16 as the date for the return leg match at the UJ Esuene Stadium in Calabar.
The overall winners of this playoff matches will qualify for next year’s World Cup in Brazil.
Ethiopia defender Alula Girma has boasted that they plan to beat the Super Eagles of Nigeria at home before taking the fight to Calabar to qualify for the 2014 World Cup finals in Brazil.
The Walya Antelopes host the Eagles on October 13 in Addis Ababa with the return leg in Calabar on November 16.
“We must make sure that we get a good win in Addis Ababa and go for a fight in Nigeria,” Girma said.
The last time Nigeria faced Ethiopia was in the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations which the Super Eagles won 2-0 but the defender feels that his side has improved lots since that loss.
“We have been together for a while now and have played so many games both in the World Cup qualifiers and Africa Nations Championship qualifiers and have improved lots,” the defender added.
