The Super Eagles of Nigeria will look to book a ticket for the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations billed for Cameroon when they trade tackles with the Squirrels of Benin pitch of Stade Charles de Gaulle in Porto-Novo.
The three-time African Champions played out two draws against Sierra Leone during the last qualifiers, results that see them needing just a point to make it into the Continental showpiece.
The team has been in full training since Wednesday at Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos with all the 24 invited players involved. They later travelled via the waterways to Porto-Novo on Friday’
Coach of the team, Gernot Rohr has had to make some raft of changes to his initial call-ups with the likes of Samuel Kalu, Sadiq Umar, and Moses Simon pulling out of the squad due to travel restrictions and injuries.
It offers the likes of Enyimba winger Anayo Iwuala and Abia Warrior’s Adekule Adeleke a chance to make a stake for themselves in the team, while players like Paul Onuachu and Henry Onyekuru get a bit of respite to redeem their images in the Green and White of the Super Eagles.
We meeeuuuvveee!#soarsupereagles #Team9jaStrong pic.twitter.com/10DteI7ayR
— 🇳🇬 Super Eagles (@NGSuperEagles) March 26, 2021
In the earlier fixture between both teams, in November 2019, the Squirrels shocked the Eagles with a goal inside the first five minutes at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo, before goals by Victor Osimhen (from six yards after defender Olaoluwa Aina was upended in the box) and Kalu (after a solo run) earned the Eagles all the points at stake.
Nigeria followed up with a 4-2 defeat of Lesotho in Maseru four days later to fly to the top of the pool, but draws in their home-and-away duels with Sierra Leone a year later (the long interlude as a result of the coronavirus pandemic) prolonged celebrations of qualification and drew the sharp angle of fans’ tongues.
Nigeria lead Group L of the qualifiers with eight points from four games and victory over the Benin Republic will seal their place at the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.
Date, Time, and Venue of the match:
- March 27th, 2021
- 17:00 (West African Time)
- Stade Charles de Gaulle,Porto-Novo
