Nigeria face Madagascar on Sunday
evening in a crucial game which will decide who comes out on top in 2019 Africa
Cup of Nations (AFCON) Group B.
With two wins, Nigeria start the
game on six points. Gernot Rohr’s side only need a draw to seal top spot.
Madagascar have one win, and a draw, keeping them at four points. They need a
win today to top the group.
Sealing first place is crucial as
it will probably see Nigeria avoid a meeting with Ghana or Cameroon in the next
round, and face either Kenya or South Africa for a place in the quarter finals.
The three-time AFCON winners
started the 2019 tourney with a 1-0 win over Burundi thanks to Odion Ighalo’s
second half effort.
Rohr’s side failed to find the
back of the net in the opening forty-five minutes and had to wait twenty
minutes after the restart to finally break the deadlock against Guinea.
Kenneth Omeruo soared the highest
to meet Moses Simon’s delivery from the corner and guided the ball into the net
with his head, to beat Ibrahima Kone at his far post.
The squad finished the match with
ten attempts at goal and restricted their opponents from taking more than eight
shots of their own.
Possible Nigeria XI: Akpeyi,
Awaziem, Aina, Ekong, Omeruo, Mikel, Ogu, Etebo, Onyekuru, Ighalo, Chukwueze
Madagascar have been a joy to
watch so far this AFCON with their quick counter attacking style proving very
effective against Guinea and Burundi.
They line up in a 4-2-3-1 like
Nigeria, with Marco Ilaimaharitra, Anicet Andrianantenaina and Charles Carolus
Andriamahitsinoro the danger men up front.
The Barea, making their first
appearance in the tournament finals, drew their opening match 2-2 against
Guinea and pipped Madagascar 1-0 thanks to Ilaomaharita’s stunning free kick.
Coach Nicolas Dupuis’s side are
second on the table and are trailing behind their counterparts by two points
Possible Madagascar XI: Adrien;
Metanire, Razakanantenaina, Fontaine, Mombris; Andriamahitsinoro;
Nomenjanahary, Ilaimaharitra; Andrianantenaina, Amada; Andriatsima
With Nigeria so focused on
attacking, Madagascar will potentially sit back and soak up the pressure before
looking to Ilaimaharitra to make runs behind the Super Eagles defence, and
punish them on the counter. This plan worked against Burundi, and Dupuis will
hope it has the same effect with Nigeria.
Nigeria have played well in the
tournament so far, and they will hope to give themselves the best chance of
progressing as far as the quarter-finals by beating Madagascar on Sunday.
The South Africans may prove to
be the toughest opponent the Eagles have faced so far, but if the defence is
tight, and if Moses Simon can get a run at the Madagascar goal, then Nigeria
can come out with a win.
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