Profiles of Nigeria's opponents at the 2018 Russia world cup


http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/teams/team=43951/topstories.html

Argentina (pot 1)

Pedigree: Argentina have won the World Cup twice - in 1978 and 1986 - and been runners-up on three occasions, in 1930, 1990 and in Brazil in 2014, when they lost 1-0 to Germany in the final.


Key player: Lionel Messi. Messi, who has been voted the best player in the world on five occasions, scored the hat-trick in the last round of South American Qualifying against Ecuador to take Argentina to the finals.

Premier League players: Sergio Aguero and Nicolas Otamendi (both Manchester City), Sergio Romero (Manchester United), Manuel Lanzini (West Ham).

Who's the boss: Former Chile boss Jorge Sampaoli, who guided Chile to the Copa America in 2015, became Argentina boss in May 2017. He succeeded in his first task - to ensure Argentina qualified for the World Cup.

http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/42199504

Robosky sarkin kwallon Nairaland.

Iceland (pot 3)

Pedigree: Iceland are heading to their first World Cup after victory over Kosovo on 9 October secured their place in Russia. This is clearly a golden era for the Icelanders after they reached Euro 2016, where they memorably defeated England in their second-round tie before losing 5-2 against hosts France in the quarter-finals.

Key player: It is difficult to look beyond Everton's Gylfi Sigurdsson. The 28-year-old midfielder scored the opening goal against Kosovo and is a superb striker of the ball from long range.



Sigurdsson was on the scoresheet as Iceland reached the World Cup for the first time

Premier League players: Gylfi Sigurdsson (Everton), Johann Berg Gudmundsson (Burnley).

Championship: Aron Gunnarsson (Cardiff City), Birkir Bjarnason (Aston Villa), Horour Bjorgvin Magnusson (Bristol City), Jon Dadi Bodvarsson (Reading).

Scottish Premiership player: Kari Arnason (Aberdeen).

Who's the boss? Keep smiling. Heimir Hallgrimsson, 50, is a dentist who was in joint charge of the team in France alongside Swedish veteran Lars Lagerback. Hallgrimsson took sole charge after Euro 2016 and has presided over a successful qualification campaign.

Croatia (pot 2)

Pedigree: Croatia gained admission to Fifa in June 1993, meaning they were too late to compete for a place at the finals in the United States in 1994. However, they qualified for a finals at the first time of asking at France 98 and have reached all but one of the five summer tournaments since. Their best performance to date remains their first, when Davor Suker, Zvonimir Boban et al helped them to a third place finish after losing to hosts and eventual winners France in the semis.

Key player: Luka Modric - once of Tottenham, now at Real Madrid - is the creative force at the heart of the Croatia side. Blessed with superb touch and vision, the 32-year-old has won the Champions League three times with his current club. He recently clocked up a century for his country, for whom he has scored 12 times.

Luke Modric moved to Real Madrid from Tottenham for £30m in August 2012

Premier League players: Dejan Lovren (Liverpool), Nikola Vlasic (Everton)

Who's the boss? Zlatko Dalic's reign as Croatia national team boss has been short and sweet thus far. He only took over in October 2017, replacing Ante Cacic, who left with one qualifying game left and the country at serious risk of failing to make the play-offs. Dalic led Croatia to a 2-0 win in Ukraine in his first game in charge to seal a play-off spot, where they dispatched Greece 4-1 on aggregate. A midfielder in his playing days, he spent the first seven years of this decade coaching in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Our group is a very tricky one... But with determination and some luck, the eagles shall soar!!

Nigeria own nko?

Nigeria (pot 4)

Pedigree: This will be Nigeria's sixth appearance at a World Cup - and their third in a row. They have reached the last 16 three times - 1994, 1998 and 2014 - but have never advanced beyond that stage.

Key player: Captain John Mikel Obi, the most experienced member of the squad with 80 caps, will be a key figure for the Super Eagles in Russia. This will be the former Chelsea midfielder's second World Cup - the 30-year-old helped the team reach the knockout stages in 2014 for the first time since 1998. He now plays in China with Tianjin Teda.


John Mikel Obi helped Nigeria win the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations

Premier League players: Alex Iwobi (Arsenal), Victor Moses (Chelsea), Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City), Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City), Ahmed Musa (Leicester City) and Ola Aina (on loan at Hull City from Chelsea).



Who is the boss? Gernot Rohr has managed all over the world. From Nice to Gabon, Burkina Faso to Nigeria, the 64-year-old German has extensive knowledge. Rohr played at Bayern Munich and Bordeaux. He then coached Bordeaux when they lost to Bayern in the 1996 Uefa Cup final. Previous managerial jobs also include French club Nantes, Young Boys Berne in Switzerland, Tunisian side Etoile du Sahel and the Niger national team.


cc: lalasticlala ,mynd44
http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/42199504

Thus group is the most fair nd even of the WC groups. every team stands a chance.
I hope Nigeria will do enough to scale through

Go super eagles, Go!

the match schedule for group D


Saturday 16th June

Argentina
14:00
Iceland
Otkrytie Arena, Moscow



Saturday 16th June

Croatia
20:00
Nigeria
Kaliningrad Stadium, Kaliningrad



Thursday 21st June

Argentina
19:00
Croatia
Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, Nizhny Novgorod



Friday 22nd June

Nigeria
16:00
Iceland
Volgograd Arena, Volgograd



Tuesday 26th June

Iceland
19:00
Croatia
Rostov Arena, Rostov-on-Don



Tuesday 26th June

Nigeria
19:00
Argentina
Krestovsky Stadium, Saint Petersburg

http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/world-cup/schedule/group-stage

Seen

B

Without an atom of doubt in my mind, I strongly believe that Nigeria will top this group with 7 points...

Quote me on this day

Krestovsky Stadium, Saint Petersburg

;Dhy not share the money for the world cup to Npower than to go there and waste time because I know that we coming back at stage knock out ...

Chai this is trap.....
Argentina purposely allow nigeria to win them so we can come and mess up.

Somebody's should search for NwamAikpe comment‎

Super eagles, Wetin dey shele, we won know. #singing. I wanna gyrate o

Thank God I was the first to comment I want to use this opportunity to thank my family I love you guys, my friends and well wishers, this is for you guys I couldn't have done this without your help.. Finally I will like to thank my village people for doing this to me.

K

Go Go Super Eagles. No shaking. If we can avoid distractions, we will definitely make it through this group

If it's possible we should borrow these boys from their clubs and start their training now...

chojoike2067:
believe and become rich call or whatsapp the number below

Mynd44, Dominique

Only one to fear is Argentina


Wey my footie niqqas food is ready o


Oya lets do this bet (victor) ... super Eagles no go fail me this time around ... we dey your back !

An average Nigerian mindset is to pass the group stage, but why do we limit our mindset, why can have the mindset to win the world cup just like Germany, France, Spain are?

or we cannot pick 11 players from a population of 189million to conquer the world?

All I have to say here is that we need faith, even if it is as little as the grain of mustard, this reminds me the story in the bible where youths were sent to spy the promised land, we should not be like people who said we are tiny before them, but we must be like caleb and joshua who says, we will defeat them. #I can see Nigeria celebrating