By Eniola Olatunji
Rabat Morocco, the fast growing citadel for hosting football in the world from Africa will be on fire on Sunday at 8pm when top rated Super Eagles of Nigeria takes on the Leopards of DR Congo in an acid test for superiority and who goes to represent Africa at the world stage of football playoffs for the next world cup finals.
Their bitter rivalry has been in the four matches played between the two countries in recent times for which each won two matches. They have not met in any world cup fixture but had two AFCON and two international friendlies from where Nigeria scored 10 goals and DR Congo scored 6.
Highest win for Nigeria was the friendly of 3rd March 2010 played in Nigeria which ended 5-2; two AFCON matches were 6th September 2014 which Nigeria lost 2-3 on home grounds but won the away encounter 2-0 only for the friendly tackles of 28th May 2018 also in Nigeria to end 1-1.
It is common for any African country even the ones counted as winnowers in African football to play Nigeria as if their lives depend on it but this is a different ball game for Congo whose hopes for a second ever appearance in the world cup may die in the brilliance of the star studded Nigerians. The only time the country was at the world cup finals was in 1974 when they still bore the name Zaire.
Nigeria has been to the world cup finals 6 times stopped at the round of 16 matches three times in 1994, 1998 and 2014. She has been to AFCON finals 21 times lifting the title thrice in 1980, 1994 and 2013.
Nigeria’s talisman, Victor Osimhen, sprinter who has great football skills, good ball dribbler, and immense football sense with insatiable desires for scoring goals that made him probably the best striker in the world, who FIFA is eyeing to show case in the Americas, will be the man to mark on Sunday. He has played 6 matches in this qualifier scoring 8 goals, the highest by any African player. He may attract a penalty kick and a red card for intense rough play against him which Gabon escaped after hacking him down.
Leopard’s Captain Cedric Bakambu is equally dangerous playing 8 matches scoring 4 and rendering 2 assists. Eagles have to watch out for Cedric who lurks in opponents vital areas like a green snake in a green grass exactly what he did to the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon from a corner kick by another dangerous Congo player Brian Cipenga. Cedric beat ace goalkeeper, Andre Onana silly making Andre eye his defenders with red eye for lack of coverage.
Congo has another dangerous player in Yoane Wissa who has played 8 matches scoring 3 goals and supplying 3 assistances for he loves to spray passes like a Nigerian Mobile Police officer with a rifle.
Nigeria’s Captain Ekong-Troost may continue to captain from the bench because of the brilliance of Bright Osayi in central defence. Akor Adams is a rising star who has played 3 matches and scored 2 goals. Ndidi will be missing in the lineup for the yellow he bagged against Gabon leaving much load on Calvin Bassey and Amobi. There is Lookman Ademola who when he is in his elements can single handedly wreck a team so imagine him with Chukwueze and Tolu Arokodare supplying Osimhen at the proper time, there will be no famine or kwashiorkor of goals.
That Osimhen missed a goal everybody thought his caliber of player should not miss against Gabon, he apologized and promised to make amends at extra time and compensated Nigeria with a brace is another sign of extreme danger to Congo.
One Nigerian Singer said: “if you ask me, na who I go ask?” If you ask me who will win I will tell you straight on NIGERIA. The match will end within regular time because the Nigerian players see this as a last hurdle to their ambition and will not throw it away for more than 80% of the players will not be selectable at the next world cup.
Winner of the Nigeria versus DR Congo match at 8pm on Sunday, 16th October is for CAF to know which country joins other continental play off qualifiers for another shot to be at the world cup finals next year in the Americas.
Eniola Olatunji reporting for Patmos Media Line.
#FIFA #CAF #NFF #FEGAFOOT
#RMFF #CFF #CFF.
