The Super Eagles of Nigeria are overwhelmingly favoured to fly past the Djurtus of Guinea-Bissau when the two teams meet in the last Group A game of the ongoing African Cup of Nations, AFCON, but coach Jose Peseiro has warned his wards that in football, nothing is cast in stone and they must work hard to beat their opponents and fly into the round of 16 in style.
The Eagles secured four points from their first two games. They played a 1-1 draw against Equatorial Guinea on matchday one and then masterminded a masterclass against hosts Cote d’Ivoire, which ended in a 1-0 win for them.
They sit behind Equatorial Guinea, who have the same points but lead by a superior goal difference. Though the Eagles could still advance as one of the four best third-placed teams even if they lose against Guinea-Bissau, they are heavily favoured to secure a win and top Group A.
This will be the fourth encounter between Nigeria and Guinea-Bissau. The Super Eagles secured a 2-0 win in their first meeting at the 2021 AFCON. The two nations were also drawn in the same qualifying group for the 2023 AFCON, where they exchanged lone-goal victories.
The Djurtus are technically out of the competition, but Peseiro has warned the players against underrating their opponents or dwelling on their last victory against the hosts.
He said AFCON has thrown up many upsets already, and his team must work hard to avoid being a casualty.
“We beat Cote d’Ivoire; it’s good for us, our confidence, and what we want to achieve in this competition,” Peseiro said during his interaction with the media on Sunday.
“It also improves our confidence, but we also need to show more commitment. We have to respect the opponent.
“Guinea-Bissau have good players; they can beat any team. We have seen so many shocking results in this competition already.
“It is important for us to take it game by game and not think too far. We want to show better performance, quality, and capacity. If we do that, no team can beat us.”
Peseiro may rest vice-captain William Troost-Ekong, who has been training alone since Friday, and Keneth Omeruo is expected to take his place.
Enterprising midfielder Alhassan Yusuf is still a major doubt, as is Zaidu Sanusi, who got a knock during the 1-0 win over the Elephants. Either Bruno Onyemaechi or Calvin Bassey can replace him in the left-back position.
Leicester City striker Kelechi Iheanacho is set to play for the first time in the tournament, as the coach plans to partner him with Victor Osimhen in the attack. This could mean that Samuel Chukwueze may return to the bench.
