Finidi Unleashes Lookman, Boniface, Iheanacho on South Africa

*Benin Rep. beat Rwanda to further push Super Eagles to fourth on the log

Duro Ikhazuagbe

Thunder does not strike twice in the same place we are made to believe. Super Eagles missed last World Cup in Qatar in very unusual circumstances. They were beaten by an away goal rule right in front of home fans in Abuja by Ghana in the lead up to the 2022 World Cup. Today in Uyo, new Head Coach, Finidi George, knows any wrong result against the Bafana Bafana will be leading to another thunderstorm in Nigerian football.

After two match-days of the race to the 2026 World Cup to be hosted by Canada, USA and Mexico, Super Eagles have just two points to show for the draws against Zimbabwe and Lesotho to stay fourth on the log. Rwanda were surprise leaders on four points until they lost Match-day three 0-1 to Benin Republic last night. Benin are now tied on same four points as Rwanda at the top while South Africa are third on three points. Super Eagles are now fourth in standing ahead of tonight’s match.

It is this scenario that Finidi George will have at the back of his mind when selecting the starting squad that he believes will deliver the right dividend from the encounter inside the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo at 8pm tonight.

Expectedly, reigning Africa’s Player of the Year, Victor Osimhen is a Major absentee due to injury. Is Finidi going to miss him? Definitely. However, in Osimhen’s absence, three players in his shadow have proved their worths in Europe to be considered capable enough to bridge the gap.

First on the line is Atalanta man-of-the-moment, Ademola Lookman who did what no man has done in a European championship final before, scoring three goals in one night. Lookman is in a great form to continue where he left off after the Africa Cup of Nations, where he netted three crucial goals to steer Nigeria to a second-place finish. He also netted an important winner for the Eagles against Ghana in a friendly in Morocco three months ago, which helped Nigeria to a first triumph over Ghana in 18 years.

Victor Boniface on the other hand partly led Bayer Leverkusen to their first ever German Bundesliga title this just ended league season. And of course, Kelechi Iheanacho, despite injuries was part of the squad that returned Leicester City to the English topflight after just a season in the second tier league.

The chances of Nigeria picking all three points rests squarely on the shoulders of these three men as Finidi searches for his first competitive win as coach of the Super Eagles.

If there is however any area of the senior Nigerian team to give Finidi cause for concern, it is in the rear where defence lynchpin, William Troost-Ekong (this year’s AFCON’s Man of the Competition), is unavoidably absent due to injury. Same is Kenneth Omeruo, and Zaidu Sanusi. However, Calvin Bassey, Wilfred

Ndidi, Bright Osayi-Samuel, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru and Others have the opportunities to prove that they can be relied upon in situations like this crucial encounter.

Nigeria has lost only one competitive game since it was opened 10 years ago.

Incidentally, that one competitive loss was to the Bafana (0-2 defeat at the start of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations incidentally in same Uyo) on 10th June 2017, but the Eagles rallied in the campaign and eventually finished ahead of the Bafana to qualify for the finals in Egypt, where they also defeated the Bafana in the quarter-finals on the way to a third-place finish.

The Bafana may also count as triumph their 2-2 with the Eagles draw at the same venue on 19th November 2014, which prevented Nigeria from qualifying for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.

However, the Super Eagles are always one to rise above monsters of the past and do their thing, and Vice Captain Ndidi insisted yesterday that the three-time African champions will give their very best this evening.

“Nobody needs to tell us that we did not start the campaign well enough. The opportunity has arisen to take our fate in our hands and rise to strong contention in our pool. We will approach Friday’s encounter with the right mental attitude,” the Leicester midfield enforcer assured Nigerians.

RESULTS

Malawi 3-1 São Tomé

Congo – Niger (PP)

G’Bissau 0-0 Ethiopia

Libya 2-1 Mauritius

Mauritania 0-2 Sudan

Algeria 1-2 Guinea

Benin 1-0 Rwanda

Egypt 2-1 B’Faso

Mali 1-2 Ghana

Senegal 1-1 DR Congo

TODAY