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AFCON QUALIFIER: GOLIATH GO FOR VICTORY OVER DAVID

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BY MUYIWA AKINTUNDE.

 

What will go down in Roche Caiman, outskirts of Victoria, Seychelles this Saturday afternoon may be the equivalent of the David versus Goliath mismatch, as told in the scriptures.

Goliath had everything going for him – his massive frame, his fierce kits and weaponry, his undefeated pedigree and all. Goliath had nothing except courage and the grace of God. But in the battle at Sokoh in Judah, David, despite his overwhelming disadvantage, fell Goliath with the stones shot from his sling.

This afternoon, in the battle of Roche Caiman, located in the outskirts of Victoria, the capital of Seychelles, the home side have every feature of David.

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As the Seychelles team file out inside the 10,000-capacity Stade Linité stadium, they will carry the weight of the smallest nation in the continent upon themselves.

As against an estimated 186 million people (as at 2016 World Bank statistics) for Nigeria, Seychelles’ total population is 94,228! That is about the size of Ijebu North Local Government Area of Ogun State (95,700 a projected in 2016).

Ranked 188th in the world and 51st in Africa as against Nigeria’s 49th and seventh respectively for the Super Eagles, Seychelles’ only hurrah was hosting and winning the seven-team Indian Ocean Island Game in 2011, a tournament that featured lightweights like Réunion, Mayotte and Maldives, among others.

While Nigeria have been crowned African champions on three occasions and only recently returned from their sixth FIFA World Cup participation, Seychelles have never qualified for the continental fiesta and the Pirates have never won any of their 14 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches, posting only two draws, scoring six times and conceding 36 goals in 14 fixtures.

Despite all the odds stacked against the host team however, Nigeria cannot afford to underrate this David. Football is played by same number of players on each side, even if what we will have today are part-timers up against professionals with pedigree.

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Going into this match, Nigeria have a precarious situation. In the opening fixture of this qualification series, the team disappointed their fans by conceding two un-replied goals in the second half against South Africa in Uyo.

That left Nigeria in third place in Group E and battling to win any of the two spots to confirm their place in the 24-team finals next year in Cameroon. Like South Africa, Libya also won on Matchday 1, thrashing Seychelles 5-1.

Not only will the Super Eagles be fighting to bring their campaign back on track, they also have to appease their teeming fans who felt disappointed with their outing in Russia 2018 FIFA World Cup, this being their first outing since then.

Apart from the heroics of Ahmed Musa in the second match against Iceland, there was very little to cheer about the Nigeria team in the other two games they lost to Croatia and Argentina to crash out at the group stage for the third time in six finals.

Ahead of this match, Nigeria suffered setback as Arsenal’s attacking midfielder Alex Iwobi, central defender William Troost-Ekong of Udinese, defender Shehu Abdullahi of Turkish side Bursaspor and Torino’s wing back Ola Aina are all out injured. And coach Gernot Rohr did not seek replacement.

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In addition, Victor Moses, a senior member of the squad, sensationally called it quit on his international career shortly before the resumption of this series.

But Rohr has assured that his squad understand what is at stake. “Everyone realises the importance of this match,” he said after a training match in Victoria.

“We are currently number three in our group and that position does not befit Super Eagles of Nigeria. The players know that they have to show character to put our campaign back on track with a good result.”

To demonstrate how focused his men are on the task, Rohr assured that they are not distracted by the charming ambience of the tourist destination in the archipelago of 115 islands.

“We are not here on vacation. We are here for serious business,” he reminded. “We have a young, ambitious team and Nigeria has a better pedigree in the game of football than Seychelles. But we must not underrate them in any way or take things for granted.”

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In goal for Nigeria may be Francis Uzoho, who will be 20 next month and has already had nine caps for his country.

Now on loan from Spanish second tier side Deportivo La Coruña to Elche, he gave a fair performance in Russia 2018 to bench previous No 1 Ikechukwu Ezenwa.

With Troost-Ekong, Abdullahi and Aina out at the back, FC Porto’s Chidozie Awaziem may be fielded to support Leon Balogun (recently acquired by English Premier League side Brighton and Hove Albion), Lokomotiv Moscow’s Brian Idowu and Kenneth Omeruo, who is again out on loan from Chelsea to Spanish LaLiga team CD Leganés.

In the middle, Nigerians will count on Wilfred Ndidi of Leicester City, Stoke City’s new player Oghenekaro Etebo, John Ogu of Israel’s Hapoel and perhaps teenager Kelechi Nwakali, on loan from Arsenal to FC Porto B, who may have his first cap for the senior squad.

Upfront, Ahmed Musa, now playing for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, may play from the flank as Nigerians expect him to re-enact his sensational performance against Iceland in Russia 2018.

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Unpredictable Odion Ighalo of China’s Changchun Yatai, Galatasaray’s Henry Onyekuru and Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City) will be in contention.

Seychelles last won a match over two years ago when they beat Lesotho 2-0 in a qualifying match for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations on March 26, 2016.

It turned out to be their only victory in six matches as they crashed out in Group J, won by Algeria. Since then, the Pirates have played 16 competitive matches pulling only four draws.

In the other Group E match, the two teams on top of Nigeria – Libya and South Africa – will battle it out at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban.

The Bafana Bafana could only finish fifth when they hosted the 2018 Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA) Cup in June, their last competitive engagement, while Libya last played in February when their home-based squad exited in the quarterfinals of the African Cup of Nations Championship in Morocco.

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Both sides failed to make it as African qualifiers to Russia 2018 and will be determined to make their number count in Cameroon next year.

In other AFCON qualifying matches today, Cameroon, who will be in the finals irrespective of their final standing in Group B, will seek a second successive win as they file out in Comoros Islands, while Malawi, who also won their opening fixture, are away to Morocco.

Equatorial Guinea welcome Sudan in Group A, both sides with no point going into this fixture. Senegal and Madagascar, the other teams in the group, will have their turn tomorrow with the latter at home.

Group C will see Gabon seeking their first points in front of their faces against Burundi, who won their first match of the group stage, while South Sudan host Mali tomorrow. The Malians are on three points.

Gambia square up against Algeria in Group D, leaving Togo to play Benin Republic in Lome tomorrow. Algeria and Benin Republic won their opening matches by a lone goal.

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Group F have Kenya hosting log leaders Ghana with Ethiopia facing Sierra Leone in Addis Ababa tomorrow. Ghana and Sierra have three points each.

Group I have Burkina Faso travelling to Mauritania as both teams chase their second victories with Angola and Botswana desperate for redemption tomorrow in Luanda after their opening day defeat.

Egypt, who were beaten by Tunisia on Matchday 1, host Niger Republic in Group J, while Swaziland will play log leaders Tunisia at home tomorrow. Niger Republic and Swaziland have one point each.

Group L features only one today with log leaders Uganda hosting Tanzania, while Cape Verde Islands away to Lesotho tomorrow. Uganda beat Cape Verde Islands on Matchday 1, while Lesotho and Tanzania shared honours.

In Group K, Mozambique are at home to Guinea Bissau, while Zambia will be away to Namibia. Mozambique and Guinea Bissau have three points each.

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Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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