A former coach of Croatia and West Ham United, Slaven Bilic has stated that Nigeria is the strongest and most difficult team in the Group D of the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Bilic, a Croatian, admitted that the fixtures in the group stage of the World Cup have not been kind to his country.

Croatia will face Nigeria in their first group game before tackling Argentina and Iceland.

Bilic told Sportske Novosti, “It seems to me that it is not sufficiently recognized the weight of our group and especially the negativity of the schedule. We have a difficult group and the worst possible match schedule.

“Nigeria at the start when it is, by tradition, the strongest and most difficult. Argentina have a decisive squad, and it would be better if it was in the third when we might have already settled the placement.

“The Icelanders are the third rival, but they have a mentality that even if they have already crashed out, and perhaps just because of that, playing as if their life depends on that encounter.”