Nigeria will take on familiar foes, Argentina, in the final Group D fixture at the on-going FIFA World Cup to decide who takes the exit door after 90 minutes on Tuesday.
Nigeria didn’t command much chances of qualification from the tough World Cup group after a dismal showing against Croatia in their opener as chances looked almost bleak.
It all changed after the second game against Iceland on Friday.
The Super Eagles were on the back foot for most of the first half against Iceland, but as the World Cup debutants wilted, Nigeria came out fighting in the second half. Eagles were far the better side, as Ahmed Musa’s pace terrorized the Icelandic defense. This eventually resulted in a 2-0 win for Nigeria, and it puts them in a fantastic position to qualify from this World Cup group.
Nigeria goes into the game second in the group, three points ahead of both Iceland and Argentina.
Croatia’s goal difference means that they are all but guaranteed the top spot, but second place is well up for grabs.
Nigeria needs to avoid defeat to move ahead, which doesn’t guarantee any chance should Iceland beat Croatia.
A win against Argentina, who has looked shambolic in its first two games despite boasting of some of the biggest names in the game, would guarantee a place in the second round.
A draw may also be enough even if Iceland beat already-qualified Croatia, depending on goal difference.
For Argentina, it’s been a catastrophe of a World Cup so far. They opened with a poor showing against Iceland as they played out a 1-1 draw, but things got even worse on Thursday.
They were dismantled in the second half by Croatia, losing 3-0 in the end to put them on the verge of a shock World Cup exit. Rumours that the players had asked for Jorge Sampaoli to be sacked mid-tournament only serve to weaken the Argentina camp more as well.
Defensively, the South American giants have looked very poor, and Nigeria will fancy their chances of finding the net after Musa’s masterclass on Friday last week. Their confidence will be further boosted by the 4-2 victory they claimed over Argentina in a friendly last November.
Nigeria’s Potential Starting X1: Uzoho, Balogun, Troost-Ekong, Omeruo, Moses, Idowu, Etebo, Obi, Ndidi, Iheanacho, Musa
Argentina potential starting XI: Caballero, Salvio, Otamendi, Rojo, Tagliafico, Mascherano, Banega, Messi, Dybala, Aguero.
Fact: Four of the eight games between Nigeria and Argentina have come at World Cup finals, Argentina winning all four contests.
Head to Head clash:
Nigeria won 2
Argentina won 5
Drawn Games 1
Coaches:
- Gernot Rohr (Nigeria)
- Jorge Sampaoli (Argentina)
Date, Time and Venue of the match:
June 26, 2018
7:00pm (Nigerian time)
Krestovskey stadium, Russia.