Croatia coach, Zlatko Dalić has said that 2018 World Cup group opponent Nigeria is not a typical African national team.
Dalic believes that their opening game against the three times African champion is the most important match for them in Group D.
”Nigeria is not a typical African national team. They have Mikel as a captain and a young, powerful player,” according to Sportske Novosti.
”They are fast, agile, will not be easy, but if we plan to go through we have to beat them.”
Dalic was appointed Croatia coach following the sacking of Ante Cacic ahead of their crunch World Cup qualifier against Ukraine in October.
When told that assuming Croatia or Nigeria finish second in Group D, there is a huge probability that they will face one of the pre-tournament favourites in the form of France in the round of sixteen, the 51-year-old responded:
”I said already, it’s not easy, but it could be harder. However, I say that the priority is to go to the second round, the knockout competition. If we do not get it, it would be a failure.”
