Both sides face off in their group opener and the Croat believes there is nothing to be bothered about as regards the Super Eagles.
Ante Rebic
Ante Rebic believes Croatia are a better side with superior players compared to Nigeria.
Also paired with Argentina and Iceland in Group D, both sides face off in their opening encounter at the 2018 World Cup, on June 16 at Kaliningrad Stadium.
And contrary to the opinion of coach Zlatko Dalic, the Eintracht Frankfurt forward is unfazed by threats posed by the three-time African champions, stating the Croats have the resources to deal with Gernot Rohr’s side.
"I would not be too distracted by Nigeria, we are a better team with better individuals, and now it's on the menu to fit into one whole,” Rebic was quoted as saying by Sportnet.
“We did not think too much about Brazil because we are focused on everyday work, but [friendlies with] Brazil and Senegal will get us two good reviews ahead of the World Cup.”
The Fiery Ones’ best outing at the quadrennial tournament was at the 1998 edition in France where they finished third, with a certain Davor Suker inspiring them to the feat.
Rebic, coming off a fantastic 2017-18 season, scoring nine goals - including a brace in the DFB Cup final against Bayern Munich that won Frankfurt a first piece of silverware in 30 years - and provided two assists, said Croatia’s aim for Russia 2018 is to ‘go through the group and then take it step by step’.
However, for Nigeria, second round exits at USA 1994 and Brazil 2014 stands out as their best performance at the Fifa World Cup.