The Super Eagles of Nigeria will take on Les Bleus of France in one of the Round of 16 matches billed for Monday, June 30, at the Estadio Nacional in Brasilia.
This will be the first time both teams will be meeting at the World Cup.
While France topped Group E with seven points and unbeaten in the three group matches, Nigeria managed to place second in Group F with four points behind Argentina.
The free scoring Les Bleus defeated Honduras 3-0 in its first Group E match before walloping Switzerland 5-2 but played a barren draw with Ecuador in its last match. The Super Eagles, on the other hand, played a goalless draw with Iran in their first Group F match, managed to beat Bosnia 1-0 in the second, and lost 2-3 to Argentina in the third and final group match.
Just like the previous game, Nigeria played well without solving its biggest problem. Qualification has been achieved, and Stephen Keshi becomes the first indigenous African coach to take an African team to the World Cup last 16.
If the performances of the two teams are anything to go by, then the match promises to be a tough and dicey one.
Les Bleus is in rude health at the moment, for once devoid of rancour and in-fighting. Surely Nigeria cannot have a repeat of the gaping spaces between the defence and midfield.
And Keshi has work to do. The French side has a more functional, cohesive unit, and that is much harder to stop than what Argentina has in Lionel Messi.
France coach, Didier Deschamps, will be banking on the defensive play of his side that only let in two goals in the group stage with the experience of goalkeeper, Hugo Lloris, who plays for English club, Tottenham Hotspur, and Manchester United defence ace, Patrice Evra.
Keshi will be relying on the team’s new talisman, Ahmed Musa, as well as Osaze Odemwingie to deliver the needed goals to see Nigeria through to the quarterfinal stage of the competition.
There is no doubt that both sides are blessed with good and experienced players that have paid their dues in the round leather game for their clubs and countries.
An Emmanuel Emenike is as good as Oliver Giroud and a Mikel Obi can be as good as Karim Benzema just as Vincent Enyeama can do as well as Lloris, if not better.
France, the 1998 winners, will be boosted with the return of Yohan Cabaye, who missed the match against Ecuador due to suspension. And with the combination of Moussa Sissoko and Paul Pogba upfront, the Super Eagles might be in for a tough duel.
However, Keshi will be relying on the current form of Musa whose combination with Emenike and Osaze changed the gameplan of the Super Eagles against Argentina in last Wednesday’s match.
However, Musa has said that hard work is the surest bet if the team must go farther at the competition in Brazil.
The CSKA Moscow player said his side needs to work very hard to overcome Les Bleus in Monday’s encounter.
“We have to work harder. It will not be easy playing the French side, but with hard work, determination and team work, we can achieve our aim of scaling through to the next round of the competition,” he said.
