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Nigeria’s Tremendous Eagles and their South African counterparts, Bafana Bafana will lock horns in matchday3 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers at Godswill Akpabio Worldwide Stadium in Uyo on Friday evening.
The hosts enter this match languishing within the third spot in Group C of the 2026 FIFA World Cup African Qualifiers and should win tonight’s recreation to get their marketing campaign again on monitor. South Africa are second in Group C standing with three factors, trailing group leaders Rwanda by one level.
Decided to mark his reign on a optimistic be aware, Finidi George, within the absence of the star striker Victor Osimhen, will put his finest foot ahead to salvage Nigeria’s World Cup qualifying marketing campaign by grabbing all three factors at stake on this encounter on the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo.
The Tremendous Eagles know nothing however victory will assuage the emotions of football-passionate Nigerians, who’re nonetheless sad at their sluggish begin to the marketing campaign with simply two factors from a doable six of their opening two video games.
The absence of Victor Osimhen as a consequence of damage, and accidents to defenders William Ekong, Kenneth Omeruo, Jamilu Collins and Zaidu Sanusi means Coach Finidi George will scratch the underside of the barrel for rearguard service towards the Bafana Bafana who’re nonetheless harm for shedding the 2023 AFCON semifinal to Nigeria on penatites.
It’s precisely 4 months that these continental rivals confronted off within the semi-final of the Africa Cup of Nations, and on that day, there was nothing to separate the 2 groups after 120 minutes, however Nigeria in the end emerged victorious within the penalty shootout.
The Eagles went on to lose the ultimate to the host nation Ivory Coast, which was solely their second defeat in a aggressive fixture since a 1-0 residence loss to Guinea-Bissau again in March 2023.
George, in his aggressive match answerable for Nigeria, is almost definitely to throw the skilled Kelechi Iheanacho and kids Victor Boniface and Ademola Lookman into the fore with the target of getting the targets early sufficient on.
Talking forward of tonight’s recreation, Wilfred Ndidi assured that the three-time African champions will give their absolute best, saying they don’t want anybody to remind them what’s at stake.
“No person wants to inform us that we didn’t begin the marketing campaign effectively sufficient. The chance has arisen to take our destiny in our fingers and rise to sturdy rivalry in our pool. We’ll strategy Friday’s encounter with the appropriate psychological perspective.”
Lookman, who turned solely the sixth man in historical past to attain a hat-trick in a European Cup ultimate when he led Atalanta of Italy to victory in Dublin on twenty second Might, is in an awesome kind to proceed the place he left off after the Africa Cup of Nations, the place he netted three essential targets to steer Nigeria to a second-place end.
He additionally netted an necessary winner for the Eagles towards Ghana in a pleasant in Morocco three months in the past, which helped Nigeria to a primary conquer Ghana in 18 years.
Boniface additionally had a wonderful season, profitable the German League and Cup double with Bayer Leverkusen and reaching the Europa Cup ultimate, the place Lookman was the large impediment.
Iheanacho, and midfield enforcer Wilfred Ndidi, are pumped up after serving to their English membership Leicester Metropolis again to the Premiership after one season within the Championship.
The Eagles will enter the pitch on Friday evening recalling that South Africa has largely been second finest towards them, and that their final encounter, within the semi-final of the AFCON in Cote d’Ivoire, resulted in a penalty shootout victory for Nigeria.