Wia dis foto come from, Getty Images
“Sometimes God takes & sometimes god gives. Let’s hope God gives for the next match.”
Dis na di words of Nigeria coach Jose Paseiro afta di Super Eagles draw 1-1 wit Equatorial Guinea for dia first group match of di ongoing Africa Cup of Nations.
Dat draw mean say Nigeria don fail to win for dia last three competitive matches and dem go hope to turn dat stat around wen dem face hosts Ivory Coast on Thursday by 17:00 GMT on matchday two.
Nigeria go hope to up dia game against di Elephants becos di hosts bin defeat Guinea-Bissau 2-0 for di opening night of di tournament and dem already sit top of di group wit three points.
Dis two teams last meet for 2013 for Afcon, dat day Nigeria beat Ivory Coast 2-1 to di surprise of many.
If di Elephants win dis game dem go automatically qualify to di knockout rounds of di competition wit maximum points afta two matches.
Nigeria gatz avoid defeat against di hosts as dem only get one point so far and risk exiting di competition dis early in di tournament, sometin wey never happun to dem since 1982.
Team News
Wia dis foto come from, Getty Images
Ivory Coast go likely still dey without Simon Adingra (hamstring) and Sebastian Haller (ankle) due to injuries. Both players miss dia group opener against Guinea-Bissau.
Nigeria on di oda hand go dey boosted wit di arrival of OGC Nice striker Tarem Moffi wey receive late call-up as replacement for di injure Victor Boniface.
Coach Paseiro meanwhile go dey sweat over di fitness of Alhassan Yusuf. Di midfielder exit di match against Equatorial Guinea on a stretcher just aft di hour mark.
Di fitness of Kelechi Iheanacho na anoda tin wey go be di concern of Paseiro, di Leicester City player also miss Nigeria opening match due to injury wey im suffer for im club before di tournament.
Head to head
Dis go be di seventh time wey both teams go play each oda for Afcon. On di six previous occasions both countries don win two games each and dem draw di oda two.
Na three times dem don play each oda during di group stage of Afcon and no side don score more dan one goal during those meetings
For 1980 dem play goalless draw. Nigeria win 1-0 for 1990 and for 2008, Ivory Coast also win 1-0.
Ivory Coast vs Nigeria squads
Ivory Coast: Charles Folly, Yahia Fofana, Badra Ali Sangaré, Evan Ndicka, Wilfried Singo, Ousmane Diomande, Ismaël Diallo, Sèrge Aurier, Odilon Kossounou, Ghislain Konan, Willy-Arnaud Boly, Seko Fofana, Jean Seri, Franck Kessié, Idrissa Doumbia, Ibrahim Sangaré, Lazare Amani, Max Gradel, Jérémie Boga, Simon Adingra, Oumar Diakité, Jean-Philippe Krasso, Sébastien Haller, Jonathan Bamba, Christian Kouamé, Nicolas Pépé, Karim Konaté.
Nigeria: Olorunleke Ojo, Stanley Nwabali, Francis Uzoho, Kenneth Omeruo, William Troost-Ekong, Semi Ajayi, Chidozie Awaziem, Calvin Bassey, Bruno Onyemaechi, Bright Osayi-Samuel, Ola Aina, Zaidu Sanusi, Alhassan Yusuf, Raphael Onyedika, Joe Aribo, Frank Onyeka, Moses Simon, Ahmed Musa, Alex Iwobi, Victor Osimhen, Kelechi Iheanacho, Samuel Chukwueze, Terem Moffi, Ademola Lookman, Paul Onuachu.
