A new qualification journey starts for Nigeria Super Eagles as they take to the pitch to face the Barea of Madagascar in a 2027 AFCON qualifying game billed for the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo, on Friday.
Two days after the host state – Akwa Ibom – clocked 39, the Super Eagles will return to the ground where they soundly dispatched Benin Republic thanks to a hat-trick from talisman Victor Osimhen and an important fourth goal from the boots of Frank Onyeka.
While Osimhen, who has not played for the Super Eagles since the AFCON in January, remains out of the game on Friday, Onyeka is among the midfielders called up for this qualification opener. Striker Paul Onuachu is also out of the contest, but head coach Eric Chelle has enough firepower in his attack for this game.
Head coach Eric Chelle will begin a qualification series with the Super Eagles for the first time, and he will be keen to continue his fine run of form in competitive games with the three-time African champions.
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NO MARGIN FOR ERROR
The Super Eagles have reached the semi-finals of the last two AFCON tournaments, and the minimum expectation is to advance to next year’s finals in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
With the Super Eagles placed in the same group with the likes of Tanzania, Guinea-Bissau, and Friday’s opposition, Madagascar, it is expected that the 2013 winners will seal the ticket with ease. Meanwhile, Eric Chelle and his Super Eagles players will be keen to pacify disgruntled fans who are frustrated after missing out on consecutive World Cup finals.
Tanzania, being co-hosts, have taken one of the two available tickets, meaning the Super Eagles and the other two nations are fighting for just one ticket to the continental showpiece in East Africa. In clear terms, there is basically no margin for error on this journey.
FORM AND HISTORY ON NIGERIA’S SIDE
Every past meeting between Nigeria and Madagascar has been competitive games with the Super Eagles taking three wins to just one for the Barea and a draw between them.
It is the first time that the two nations will be meeting since the 2019 AFCON, where Madagascar shocked Nigeria 2-0. Barea, debutants at that time, defeated Gernot Rohr’s Super Eagles en route to reaching the quarterfinals of the tournament.
However, they have struggled to reclaim their place among Africa’s elite since then, winning just two of their 18 AFCON qualifying matches.
Heading into Friday’s clash, Corentin Martins (Madagascar) will look to exploit the hosts’ impatience and secure a positive result after failing to earn maximum qualification points ahead of the 2023 and 2025 finals. As for Chelle, he is yet to lose a competitive game with the Super Eagles (excluding the CHAN tournament), and his side has enjoyed some fine results since the AFCON in Morocco.
WHAT THEY SAY:
Eric Chelle (Nigeria head coach)
This is our job, and we will manage the pressure. We have to be ready. So, it’s a big game, and after the last training session. We will think about the game. We have a lot of injuries [Dele Bashiru, Yusuf Alhassan, Zaidu, Azeez]. This is a lot of a problem for us, but we have to be ready for tomorrow’s game.
Corentin Martins (Madagascar head coach)
We know Nigeria have a good team, with players playing in big leagues around the world. But we are not afraid. We played against Nigeria in 2019, but this is a different Madagascar team altogether. Our mission is to win and qualify. We have travelled for many hours, but mentally we are in a good state. We are ready to play and give our best.
MATCH DETAILS:
Match: Nigeria vs Madagascar
Venue: Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo
Time: 5:00pm West African time (GMT+1)
Referee: Alhadji Allaou Mahamat (Chad)
HOW TO WATCH:
Nigeria vs Madagascar will be available to watch on multiple platforms. For Cable TV subscribers in Nigeria, the game is LIVE on SuperSport Channel 204 (La Liga), and for online subscribers, AfroSport TV on Facebook and free-to-air could also broadcast the game.
