Eric Chelle’s men begin their Group L campaign against Madagascar in Uyo on September 25 before facing Guinea-Bissau four days later.
The AFCON winner warned against underestimating opponents that contributed to Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
“We didn’t go to the 2026 World Cup because we didn’t take the qualifiers seriously from the beginning and we paid dearly for it,” Egwuekwe told Completesports.
“And again, perhaps we felt that our group opponents then were not up to scratch, so we assumed it was going to be a walk in the park for us.
“By the time reality began to dawn on us, the usual fire brigade approach set in and, eventually, we lost out.
“One hopes the team, this time, isn’t going to toe that path again. We must not begin to assume that Madagascar, Guinea-Bissau and Tanzania, who are in our group (L), would lie down for us to stroll over.”
“Events have shown there are no minnows in the game of football these days. Take the case of Cape Verde during the 2026 World Cup qualifiers as an example,” he added.
“So, to me, I think approaching each game with our best and with all seriousness, as though that was the only game standing between us and a ticket, should be the best approach.
“We cannot afford the mistakes of the past while hoping for success. Yes, in terms of talent, Nigeria has it, much more in abundance than any other country in Africa and beyond.”