As Nigeria seek the win against Chipolopolo that’ll secure a World Cup ticket, we examine the strengths and weaknesses of both sides


Nigeria host Zambia at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo, and the stakes have never been higher!
The Super Eagles need a win to secure their place in next year’s FIFA World Cup in Russia and are up against a Chipolopolo side determined to rain on their parade.
With both sides set to face off, we examine how they match up against one another.
Barring the return of Alex Iwobi, Gernot Rohr is expected to go with more or less the 11 that wiped the floor with Cameroon in September. However, you have to doubt if that selection will be the right fit tactically against the Copper Bullets.

In goal, Ikechukwu Ezenwa is expected to keep his place for the West Africa giants.
Although at fault for the Indomitable Lions’ equalizer in the reverse fixture (when he conceded a late penalty), he also kept the score level by making a double save late in the encounter that made sure of the point.
Dropping him will be doing his level of assuredness and composure a disservice; and while his error may be fresh in the minds of critics, he remains the best candidate to fill in for Carl Ikeme – as Daniel Akpeyi isn’t trustworthy to man the sticks while Ayodele Ajiboye’s relative inexperience puts him out of contention.
By contrast, the Zambians can sleep easy with the vastly experienced Kennedy Mweene in goal.
The Mamelodi Sundowns guardsman has let in just four goals in qualifying; mainly due to his shot-stopping ability and command of his area. The Nigeria forwards will need to have their shooting boots on if they are to find a way past the athletic stopper.

Defensively, both sides are statistically the best in the group.
Ostensibly – having let in three and four goals respectively after four games – the Nigerian and Zambian defences give off an air of solidity.
For Nigeria, the backline is somewhat of a mixed bag. The duo of Leon Balogun and William Troost-Ekong are thick as thieves and their off-the-pitch relationship translates to solid performances on it.
They let nothing past them and it won’t be out of place to expect the pair to deal with whatever’s thrown at them with minimal fuss.

At full-back, it won’t be inappropriate to think both positions have given Rohr sleepless nights since he took charge.
Kenneth Omeruo and Elderson Echiejile have struggled with pacey, skilled and direct runners throughout qualifying; and while the former has been dropped completely, the latter remains a part of the side.
Abdullahi Shehu proved a solid replacement at right-back in the double-header with Cameroon and should retain his place for the visit of Zambia.
Echiejile struggled (yet again) against Cameroon and talk has been rife on Ola Aina replacing him in the side.
While it isn’t a moot point, it remains to be seen if Rohr elects to play an inverted full-back – something he hasn’t done since he took charge – in a game that has so much riding on it. Such a tweak will require a bit of tactical adjustments and it’ll wholly depend on the German’s willingness to make such a big change for an important game.
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For the Southern Africans, compactness is the major hallmark of how they are set up and in all likelihood are expected to play with a low defensive block as a means to suffocating the space offered to Nigeria’s forwards.

Don’t expect their full-backs to play high up the pitch nor the defence line pushing up to catch the Super Eagles offside. Instead, they will be sat deep, rarely breaking out of their defensive shape.
Expect the towering Stoppila Sunzu to marshal the Chipolopolo backline as they seek to give a supreme rearguard action.
Don’t envisage Wedson Nyirenda’s side to dominate proceedings in Uyo; the Copper Bullets are renowned for ceding possession to their opponents before catching them on the break. Heck, they won in Algiers with only 22% of the ball!

Look forward to them sitting off the Nigeria midfield for majority of proceedings, allowing them have the ball in less threatening areas, before picking their moments to counter.
The emerging Enock Mwepu is a technician who can hurt the Super Eagles with his skill and ability to spot a pass. Also a threat at set-pieces, the West African giants will need to stay touch tight to the teenager to reduce his effectiveness.

Will Rohr stick to the Onazi-Ndidi pivot that featured last time out against Cameroon?
The duo received rave reviews for their energetic displays in midfield, but against a side that’s expected to sit deep; their skillset may not be required.
In the double-header against Cameroon – and especially in Yaounde – the pair struggled with successfully transitioning the ball from deep and it often required the intervention of Balogun to bring the ball out from the back and pick out passes from deep. John Ogu is the perfect midfield instigator, but bizarrely the midfielder doesn’t seem to be trusted enough by Rohr.

The Super Eagles are top scorers in the African section of qualifying and this is clear evidence of where they do all their damage.
Expect a forward line of Odion Ighalo, flanked by Victor Moses and the returning Alex Iwobi. However, with Chipolopolo expected to limit the amount of space in their third, will the trio be at their vibrant best against a defensive side?
Zambia have scored six goals in qualifying, but four of those strikes came in their double-header against Algeria. They are not the most efficient of scorers, but their threat on the counter shouldn’t be underrated.
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