The 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers continue this
weekend with match day 3 as Nigeria's Super Eagles travel to Khartoum to face
the Sudanese national team in what is a must win game for both sides in Group
A.
Nigeria, the reigning African champions have just a point
from two matches while Sudan have no point. Both countries take up the rear
spots in the group and will need to get points on the board if they are to make
their qualification dreams come true.
Embattled Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi has a herculean task
in Khartoum as he tries to ginger up his team to get back to winning ways,
after going winless in the Super Eagles' last four internationals.
Match background
Nigeria have one point from two matches after losing 3-2 to
Congo in Calabar and eking out a goalless draw against South Africa in Cape
Town.
Both teams have lost their home games and Sudan will look to
turn the tide against the Super Eagles.
Stephen Keshi has handed out debut call-ups to four new
players in a bid to freshen up the squad. Midfielders Ugonna Anyora and Hope
Akpan and strikers Emmanuel Sunday and China-based Aaron Samuel are the new
boys the coach will hope can add some much needed spice to his team.
Sudan coach Abdallah Mazda has stuck with the same squad
which prosecuted the first batch of matches with players drawn primarily from
the two big clubs in Sudan - Al Hilal and El- Merriekh.
The 3-0 pounding the Falcons of Jediane received at the
hands of Bafana Bafana of South Africa in Omdurman in September will surely
play on the minds of the Sudanese players as they will try to avoid another
home defeat which will automatically put paid to their qualification campaign.
Head to head
Nigeria and Sudan have met a total of 13 times at full
international level with Nigeria edging out the Falcons of Jediane with seven
wins, four draws and two losses.
Games in numbers:
Sudan 4 Nigeria 0 - November 1963
Sudan 2 Nigeria 1 - November 1967
Nigeria 1 Sudan 0- November 1967
Nigeria 2 Sudan 2 - September 1969
Sudan 3 Nigeria 3 - October 1969
Sudan 1 Nigeria 1 - April 1973
Nigeria 2 Sudan 1 - April 1973
Nigeria 1 Sudan 0 - March 1976
Sudan 0 Nigeria 0 - August 1992
Nigeria 4 Sudan 0 - April 1993
Nigeria 3 Sudan 0 - January 2001
Sudan 0 Nigeria 4 -July 2001
Nigeria 2 Sudan 0 - January 2008
Squad news:
Nigeria will be without injured Victor Moses and Michael
Babatunde and while Moses is likely to be out for up to three weeks, Babatunde
is facing a race against time to be fit for the home game next Wednesday.
The Super Eagles will also welcome back team captain and
first choice goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama after he missed out the first two
matches of the series.
Sudan have no injury worries as coach Mazda has stuck with
the same squad that lost both games in Omdurman and Pointe Noire.
Form coming into the game:
Nigeria:
W L L L D
Sudan:
W D L L L
Players to watch
Sudan
Mudathir ElTayeb 'Kareka':
The 26-year-old will be the main man in attack for the
Falcons of Jediane. He has scored 54 times in 85 matches for Al Hilal in the
Sudanese Premier League.
He also scored twice as Sudan made the quarterfinals of the
2012 Africa Cup of Nations hosted by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.
Bakri AbdelGadir:
Plays alongside Kareka at Al Hilal and he will be the other
main attacking threat for Sudan. He is expected to partner with Kareka upfront
against the Super Eagles.
He is very fast, very good at exploiting spaces and playing
between the lines; the two strikers are regulars with club side Al Hilal and
have created a good strike partnership over the years.
Nigeria:
Vincent Enyeama:
The OSC Lille goalkeeper has been a loyal servant to the
Super Eagles for more than a decade and, like a good wine, keeps improving with
age.
He missed the first two group games against Congo and South
Africa, but will once again be relied upon to keep the Sudanese attackers at
bay and help Nigeria come out unscathed in Khartoum
Ahmed Musa:
One of the Super Eagles' unheralded players. Blessed with
pace and trickery, the CSKA Moscow man can hurt any team on his day.
Nigeria will rely on his pace in the game and hopefully Musa
will improve one aspect of his game that needs polishing - his crosses and
delivery.
Teams
Nigeria
Goalkeepers:
Vincent Enyeama (Lille OSC, France); Austin Ejide (Hapoel
Be'er Sheva, Israel); Chigozie Agbim (Gombe United)
Defenders:
Elderson Echiejile (Monaco FC, France); Juwon Oshaniwa
(Ashdod FC, Israel); Efe Ambrose (Celtic FC, Scotland); Godfrey Oboabona
(Rizespor FC, Turkey); Azubuike Egwuekwe (Warri Wolves, Nigeria); Kenneth
Omeruo (Middlesbrough, England)
Midfielders:
John Mikel Obi (Chelsea FC, England); Ogenyi Onazi (SS
Lazio, Italy); Nosa Igiebor (Maccabi Haifa FC, Israel); Omatsone Aluko (Hull
City, England); Hope Akpan (Reading FC, England); Raheem Lawal (Eskisehirspor
FC, Turkey); Anyora Ugonna (Haugesund FC, Norway): Emem Udouk (Dolphins FC,
Nigeria)
Forwards:
Ahmed Musa (CSKA Moscow, Russia); Emmanuel Emenike
(Fenerbahce FC, Turkey); Gbolahan Salami (Warri Wolves, Nigeria); Osaguona
Ighodaro (Enugu Rangers, Nigeria); Victor Moses (Stoke City, England); Aaron Samuel
(Guangzhou R & F, China); Emmanuel Sunday (SV Scholz Grodig, Austria);
Sudan
Goalkeepers:
Moez Mahjoub (Al Hilal), A. Al Dayea (Ahly Shandy), Akram
Hadi Saleem (Ahli Khartoum)
Defenders:
Amir Kamal, M. Abdallah, A. Gaafar, Khamis (Al Merriekh) Salah
Nimr (Khartoum) Faris Abdullah, Jalal (Al Ahly Shandy, Al Rayah Ali (Ahli
Khartoum) Tahir El Hadj (Rabta Kosti)
Midfielders:
Nazar Hamid, Muhand, Besha, Shigail (Al Hilal) Ramadan Agab
(Al Merriekh) Mojahid Faroug, Amr (Ahly Shandy) Badr Aldin (Khartoum)
Forwards:
Mudahir Kareka, Bakri Madena, Salah Jizoli (Al Hilal) Hossam
Naseldin (Rabta Kosti) Mohsen Hassan (Ahly Shandy)
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