Nigeria’s national football team, the Super Eagles, will travel to Liberia to face Sierra Leone in a crucial matchday 5 encounter of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers. A victory in this match will secure the Super Eagles’ place in the tournament, which would be their 20th AFCON appearance.
Meanwhile, Sierra Leone desperately needs a win to maintain their hopes of consecutive AFCON qualifications for the first time since 1996. The match will take place at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex in Liberia on Sunday.
Currently sitting in second place in their group, Nigeria aims to reclaim the top position after Guinea-Bissau’s recent 1-0 victory over Sao Tome and Principe. Guinea-Bissau now leads the group with 10 points, while Sierra Leone follows closely behind with five points from four matches.
In their previous encounter on June 9, 2022, the Super Eagles secured a 2-1 victory over Sierra Leone at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja.
Nigeria’s journey in the qualifiers has been a mix of highs and lows. After defeating Sierra Leone, they went on to achieve a resounding 10-0 victory over Sao Tome and Principe.
However, they suffered four consecutive defeats against Algeria, Costa Rica, Portugal, and Guinea-Bissau. Despite this setback, the team rebounded with a 1-0 win over Guinea-Bissau in their last qualifier. The Super Eagles are determined to secure a victory in this crucial match to secure their place in Ivory Coast, the host country for the upcoming AFCON.
Sierra Leone, on the other hand, has shown resilience in their qualifying campaign. After an initial defeat to Nigeria, they rallied back with a 2-2 draw against Guinea Bissau and subsequently secured a 2-0 win in their double-header against Sao Tome and Principe.
Currently third in the group, Sierra Leone is four points behind Nigeria. A win in this match would close the gap and set the stage for a thrilling final qualifier against Guinea Bissau.
Nigeria’s head coach, Jose Peseiro, has called upon an attacking trio consisting of Alex Iwobi, Ademola Lookman, and Kelechi Iheanacho.
However, all eyes will be on Victor Osimhen, who played a pivotal role in Napoli’s recent Serie A title win and aims to increase his tally of 15 international goals. Ahmed Musa, Nigeria’s most-capped player with 108 senior appearances, is expected to feature from the bench.