Nigeria and Sao Tome and Principe will bring their 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification journey to a close as they go head-to-head this Sunday.
In the first match, Nigeria won 10-0, securing their spot in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations with a game to spare. Nigeria is currently leading Group A, and a victory on Sunday will secure their top position ahead of Guinea-Bissau, both of whom already qualified for the AFCON.
Nigeria secured their AFCON ticket by defeating Sierra Leone over two matches, creating a seven-point gap with the third-placed team in Group A. This success also led to the renewal of Coach Jose Peseiro’s contract.
On the other hand, Sao Tome and Principe have struggled, conceding 20 goals in five matches, with Nigeria responsible for ten of those in the first leg. They haven’t won a game in 17 matches across all competitions since March 2016 when they defeated Libya 2-1 in the AFCON qualifiers.
Sao Tome’s Head Coach Eusebio has selected a 21-man squad for the match against Nigeria, featuring key players like goalkeeper Pedro Mateus, midfielder Denilson Silva, and top scorer Luis Leal. Leal will lead the attack alongside Ebanilson Viegas and Marcos Barbeiro from Amora FC.
Nigeria has selected 23 players for the upcoming match this weekend. Star players like Osimhen, Kelechi Iheanacho, Wilfred Ndidi, and captain William Troost-Ekong are leading the team.
Taiwo Awoniyi has been in excellent form, contributing to goals in each of his last eight Premier League games, and has earned a place in the squad. However, Ahmed Musa, the most-capped player for Nigeria, has not been included in the lineup.
Coach Peseiro has decided to exclude several well-known players, Zaidu Sanusi, and Alex Iwobi, who recently joined Fulham and is currently recovering from an injury.
Some fresh talents have joined the Super Eagles squad, center-back Jordan Torunarigha, and forwards Victor Boniface and Gift Orban, who are all set to play their first matches for the team.
On the other side, Eusebio has named a 21-man squad for the upcoming match against the Super Eagles. This includes goalkeeper Pedro Mateus, midfielder Denilson Silva, and the experienced striker Luis Leal.
Luis Leal, who holds the record for the most goals scored for Selecao, is expected to lead the attack once again, forming the front trio alongside Ebanilson Viegas from Amora FC and Marcos Barbeiro.
Group A Table
Content created and supplied by: Osho123 (via Opera
News )
