Nigeria are the only African team returning to the World Cup finals after playing in Brazil four years ago and must get past a familiar foe if they want to reach the second round again.
Nigeria have been paired with Argentina for the fifth time in six World Cup appearances, having finished second to Lionel Messi and his team in their group at the 2014 finals and advancing to the last 16, where they lost to France. Getting past the group stage is the minimum target for Nigeria but they will also have to get the better of tough European pair Croatia and Iceland if they are to advance.
The Super Eagles are not short on confidence going into the tournament after defeating Argentina 4-2 in a friendly in Krasnodar last November and beating Poland away in March. They also had to come through a World Cup qualifying group that included Algeria, who also got to the last 16 in Brazil, Zambia, and reigning African champions Cameroon. “We have some exceptional players. We’ve found the right cocktail, the good mix between youth and experience,” said Coach Gernot Rohr after Nigeria finished five points clear at the top of their qualifying group. Reuters
