Jose Peseiro will lead Nigeria’s Super Eagles against his former team, Saudi Arabia’s Falcons, in Friday’s clash at Portimao in Portugal, as the two teams meet for the second time ever.
For Nigeria, the Friday tie will prepare the Super Eagles for World Cup qualifiers, as well as the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals.
Interestingly, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia are three-time champions of their respective continents, Africa and Asia.
Notably, in their first meeting in May 2010 at Alpenstadion in Austria, Jose Peseiro was the coach of Saudi Arabia, plotting a defeat for the Super Eagles, but now his interest has shifted to Nigeria as he plots a defeat of Saudi Arabia. In that same year, the Super Eagles were rated 21st in the world while the Green Falcons were 66th.
Notwithstanding, today, the Super Eagles are 40th in the world while Saudi Arabia’s Falcons are 57th. Incidentally, Saudi Arabia’s best-ever ranking was 21st in July 2004, Sports Village Square reports.
The Eagles were ranked 5th in the world in April 1994, just after winning the Africa Cup of Nations in Tunisia.
For Friday’s encounter, Head Coach Jose Peseiro will have exciting talents Bright Osayi-Samuel, Jordan Torunarigha, Calvin Bassey, Bruno Onyemaechi, Raphael Onyedika, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, Terem Moffi, Victor Boniface, Samuel Chukwueze, Sadiq Umar and of course FIFA Ballon d’Or Dozen-Shortlist member, Victor Osimhen, at his disposal.
There are also experienced defenders Kenneth Omeruo (who was in the 2013 AFCON-winning squad and is happy to echo ‘Let’s Do It Again’), Semi Ajayi and Chidozie Awaziem, midfielders Wilfred Ndidi, Frank Onyeka, Joseph Ayodele-Aribo and Alex Iwobi, and forwards Moses Simon and Kelechi Iheanacho.
While Peseiro will surely miss in-form Nottingham Forest of England forward Taiwo Awoniyi, who is sidelined by injury, there is the opportunity to either start Victor Boniface or see what rave-making France-based Terem Moffi can truly offer. Moffi was in Peseiro’s first roll-of-the-dice with the Eagles in the friendlies against Mexico and Ecuador in the USA last year’s summer and scored as the Eagles marched on Sao Tome and Principe to set a record international score line in an AFCON 2023 qualifying match in Agadir, Morocco some days later.
With the recall of goalkeeper Maduka Okoye, the rivalry between him and Francis Uzoho for Nigeria’s number one jersey resumes, and both goal-tenders know that only the best will keep the gloves in next month’s World Cup qualifiers and at the AFCON early next year.
Friday’s game kicks off at 5pm Nigerian time.
