Preview of the Nigeria vs. Guinea match as Olympic Eagles compete with Elephants for an AFCON U23 ticket

 

The Olympic Eagles won the continental title in 2015 and have never missed an event since.

Game Preview

The national U23 team of Nigeria will square off against Guinean rivals today, Wednesday, at the Moshood Abiola International Stadium in Abuja, with the winner earning a spot in the 2023 CAF Africa Cup of Nations.

With their history, the Olympic Eagles will be favorites to win the first leg of these two-legged play-offs on home soil.

The Dream Team VII, one of the most successful teams on the continent, earned the first Olympic football gold for Africa in 1996, the silver medal in Beijing in 2008, and the bronze medal in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.

But, the team's preparation for this important match against the Guineans has been anything than perfect.

After it was determined that 16 of the thirty players he invited for the playoff were far older than the required age, head coach Salisu Yusuf courted controversy.

Only a few days ago, the former Enugu Rangers tactician was compelled to decamp them and welcome new, foreign-based players to bolster the squad. Nonetheless, a few of the players coach Yusuf selected are from less prestigious foreign leagues.

Gift Orban, a prodigy for KAA Gent, will sadly not be able to contribute to the coaching staff because his club forbade him from leaving.

Coach Yusuf and his staff, however, will take heart from the fact that the Olympic Eagles were able to defeat Tanzania 3-1 on aggregate in the previous round because to their superior tactical skills.

Head-to-head

Nigeria and Guinea will play each other for the first time in the CAF U23 AFCON on Wednesday because the Baby Elephants have never made the competition.

The Olympic Eagles, however, won the title in 2015 after Nigeria defeated their rivals in Senegal thanks to five goals from Etebo Oghenekaro and an outstanding performance by Azubuike Okechukwu, the competition's best player.

For the first edition in 2011 and in 2019, even though they had the talents of Taiwo Awoniyi and Kelechi Nwakali, Nigeria failed to go past the group stage.

Match details

Competition: AFCON U23 qualifying playoff, first leg

Match: Nigeria U23 vs. Guinea U23

Venue: Moshood Abiola Stadium

Date: 22.03.2023,

Time: 4:00 pm (Nigerian time)

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