It is definitely time to do it again. Its match day 1 of the 10 games to be played as the road to the 2026 FIFA World Cup begin.
Nigeria’s Super Eagles will face Crocodiles of Lesotho at Godswill Akpabio stadium, Uyo – Akwa Ibom state capital. This is the stadium the Super Eagles last qualified for the FIFA World Cup in 2017; a qualification to the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
Then it was Gernot Rohr. Now, It is Jose Peseiro and the mandate is clear enough – Let’s Do It Again.
The Crocodiles are familiar foes after having being perched on twice by the Super Eagles. A 3-0 win in Lagos and 4-2 win in Lesotho for the Nigerians shows the hosts are comfortable in the head to head.
With no Victor Osimhen and no Wilfred Ndidi but Jose Peseiro has declared that his team are “distinct” and full of “quality.”
The Portuguese will now put faith in his young team and the special talents in the squad like Victor Boniface, who is ruling the Bundesliga, Terem Moffi who is banging in the Ligue 1 and Taiwo Awoniyi who is prolific for Nottingham Forest.
Between sticks, Francis Uzoho seems like the preferred choice and Peseiro said “I have faith in all our goalkeepers.” Okoye had out due to “passport issues,” and the two NPFL goalkeepers – Olorunleke Ojo and Amas Obasogie are only to be replacements for Uzoho if need be.
“Come Ojo, Come Amas, they are all our goalkeepers”
Alex Iwobi will be the leader in the midfield as Ndidi is absent. Kelechi and Lookman wil be on the wings as well.
Fans will be expecting nothing short of the performance they saw in September when Sao Tome and Principe were thrashed 6-0 at the same venue.
A big win will also send a serious minded signal to the other countries in Group C – South Africa, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Benin Republic.
Nigeria’s predicted starting XI – Uzoho, Aina, Collins, Ajayi, Bassey, Iwobi, Onyeka, Iheanacho, Lookman, Awoniyi, Boniface
Kick off time is 5pm Nigerian time.
