Head Coach Augustine
Eguavoen has set as objective, the maximum six points from this month’s double
header between the Super Eagles and Libya’s Mediterranean Knights in the teams’
group D attrition as the race to next year’s Africa Cup of Nations finals hots
up.
Nigeria host the first
game at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo on Friday evening, with the return at
the Martyrs of Benina Stadium in Benina, 19 kilometres from Libya’s second city
Benghazi, on Tuesday night.
“We have to be
practical about it: our best and surest route to the finals will be to pick up
the six points in the matches with Libya, and be somewhat guaranteed of a place
in Morocco even before Matchday 5. We don’t want to be in any anxiety in the
run-in in this qualifying campaign.
“I admit we will miss
Victor (Osimhen), but I believe in the other strikers available to get us the
goals that will give us the three points in Uyo, and the three points in
Libya.”
Twenty of the 23
invited players trained in Uyo on Tuesday evening, with defender Bright
Osayi-Samuel and forwards Kelechi Iheanacho and Chidera Ejuke arriving on
Wednesday morning.
Leaders Nigeria have
four points from their two matches so far, one point ahead of Benin Republic
and two ahead of Rwanda. The Eagles will go to 10 points with a double win over
Libya, while both teams on Nigeria’s heels are in attrition and are bound to
chop at each other’s advantage one way or the other.
Wins for Benin
Republic in both matches will take them to nine points, still short of
Nigeria’s probable tally of 10, but Rwanda will remain stuck at two and Libya
one, with only two matches left in the campaign. Wins for Rwanda will leave
Benin Republic stuck at three points and Rwanda at eight.
“There are
possibilities and opportunities for us to sail home at the end of these two
matches, and we will do our best to take our chances and have the ticket in
hand before the final round of games,” Eguavoen reiterated.
The delegation of
Libya’s Mediterranean Knights landed at the Port Harcourt International Airport
around noon on Tuesday, before moving to Uyo by road.
Malawian referee
Godfrey Philip Nkhakananga, who will be at the centre during Friday’s
encounter, alongside the other match officials, are already in the Akwa Ibom
State capital.
The Confederation of
African Football has also appointed Nkhakananga’s compatriots, Clemence Kanduku
and Joseph Nyauti as assistant referees 1 ad 2 respectively, while Botswanan
Keabetswe Dintwa will serve as fourth official.
Cape Verdean, Delgado
Rocha, to take charge of Libya, Nigeria battle in Benina
The Confederation of
African Football has appointed Delgado Santos Rocha Lenine, from Cape Verde, as
referee for Tuesday’s 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match between the
Super Eagles and the Mediterranean Knights of Libya at the Martyrs of Benina
Stadium in Benina, close to Benghazi.
He will be assisted by
compatriots Djêry Gomes Lopes (assistant referee 1) and Jorge Santos Fonseca
Aritson (assistant referee 2), with Hamidou Diero from Burkina Faso as fourth
official.
Amir Abdi Hassan from
Somalia will be in the role of commissioner, with Malian Dramane Dante as
referee assessor and Rachid Medjiba from Algeria as security officer.
Tuesday’s encounter,
which is at the back-end of a double header between both nations, will kick off
at 9pm Libya time (8pm Nigeria time).
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