Nigeria to fight to the end

Privately the players say they are struggling to motivate themselves

By Ben Williams BBC Sport Online in Kobe

Nigeria's Super Eagles have reiterated their promise to give England a tough final game in the "Group of Death", despite having no chance of making the second round themselves.

We are not working for England or Argentina or Sweden

Nigeria coach Adegboye Onigbinde

England are well placed to make it into the last 16, but could go out if Argentina and Sweden draw and they lose to Nigeria.

Nigeria warn England

Coach Onigbinde says there is no way his side is going to be a push-over.

"We have to fulfil our responsibility," Onigbinde confirmed.

"We are here to play the three matches in the first round, and we have the responsibility to field our best team in each game."

Responsibility

But he says he and the players are not thinking about trying to prevent England from making the next round.

"The fact that we might be able to stop England from qualifying is not our responsibility.

Nigeria downcast after defeat

"We are not after any particular team. I have said this all along. We do not have anything against any specific country.

"We are going to play our normal game and get whatever result we get out of it.

"We are not working for England or Argentina or Sweden. We are going to be ourselves".

New generation

But many of the players are saying privately that they are finding it difficult to motivate themselves for the game, with nothing at stake for Nigeria.

Captain Jay Jay Okocha says it will be his last game for Nigeria, and he will make way for the next generation of players.

Okocha's tale of woe

All the younger squad members can hope for is to put in a good individual performance so that they might get spotted by a big European club.

And for the coaching staff the next goal is the 2004 Nations Cup, with qualifying matches beginning in three months time.