The Nigeria Football Federation’s (NFF) Director of Communications, Ademola Olajire, announced in a statement that the Super Eagles and Guinea’s Syli Nationale would play a friendly match in Abu Dhabi on Monday.
The Super Eagles are preparing for the 34th Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals in Cote d’Ivoire, where they will play Guinea in the group stage, in part with this practice match.
Head Coach José Peseiro views this as a chance to try out different methods and tactics against strong opponents prior to the pivotal AFCON matches, according to a statement given to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
The friendly is strategically timed, occurring just seven days before the three-time champions’ inaugural match against Equatorial Guinea’s Nzalang National at Abidjan’s Stade Alassane Ouattara.
The Super Eagles find themselves in Group A of the 24-nation finals, alongside host nation Cote d’Ivoire, as well as the other two Guinean nations, Equatorial Guinea and Guinea-Bissau.
NAN reports that Syli Nationale, a formidable team in the 1970s and 1980s, secured silver medals at the 1976 AFCON in Ethiopia. Known for giving strong performances in both the Africa Cup and FIFA World Cup qualifying matches, they present a challenging opponent for the Eagles. The last encounter between the two teams in the 2019 AFCON group stage saw the Eagles narrowly win 1-0.
The upcoming friendly at the Bani Yas Stadium is expected to provide insights into Coach Peseiro’s tactical approach and lineup choices as the highly anticipated AFCON tournament kicks off next weekend.