Team work will Give Eagles Edge - Lawal.

Super Eagles Ex-international Garba Lawal maintains teamwork will be key to the Super Eagles’ chances of beating Ethiopia to qualify for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Ethiopia host Nigeria in the first leg World Cup qualifying playoff in Addis Ababa on October 13 with the return match in Calabar on November 16. The aggregate winners qualify for the world showpiece. And Atlanta ’96 Olympic Games gold medallist Lawal fears the high altitude in Ethiopia could deny Nigeria a chance to beat the North-East Africans in Addis Ababa on Sunday to go into the return fixture with an advantage if the Eagles resort to individual play. The Ghana/Nigeria 2000 Africa Cup of Nations silver medallist insists the Eagles must play for 90 minutes if they are to leave Ethiopia with points. He warned the Eagles that the Walya Antelopes could adopt tactics that would suit their weather to pick up victory and opt for a defensive game in Calabar, urging them not to lose focus. “The Eagles must be very careful about the Ethiopians because the high altitude favours them,” the utility former Eagles midfielder said. “We must play as a team in Addis Ababa because the Ethiopians will attack us with power and pace in an attempt to score an early goal to disorganise us. “Our players must concentrate throughout the encounter. They mustn’t lose focus but fight for the ball because it’s the only way we can stop them from taking advantage of their weather. “The Ethiopians will do everything possible to win the first leg at home and frustrate us in the second leg. “We must play for 90 minutes and avoid mistakes in the defence. And we mustn’t underestimate them because in football anything is possible.” The well-travelled ex-Roda star backed Stephen Keshi’s squad for the two-legged playoff, saying he should not be put under pressure for not inviting the likes of Osaze Odemwingie, Obafemi Martins and Joseph Yobo. Lawal said, “Keshi is the coach and his decision should be respected. We don’t have to dictate to him because if anything goes wrong, he’s the one to blame. “If he believes that the players he has invited are good enough to give the country a ticket to the World Cup, we should respect his decision. “Keshi has been winning matches with the players he has invited and we shouldn’t criticise him for not inviting a particular player. “The players we are talking about could hit form and Keshi will have no choice but to invite them to the national team.” More Stories in Sports Play Ethiopia hard, Hamilton tells