Nigeria will look to get their Africa Cup of Nations campaign off to a perfect start as they kick off their Group C fixtures against Tanzania on Tuesday at Fez Stadium.
The Super Eagles are determined to go one better after finishing as runners-up in the previous edition under Jose Peseiro, following defeat to host nation Ivory Coast.
It has now been 12 years since Nigeria last lifted the continental crown, having beaten Burkina Faso in the 2013 final to secure their third AFCON title.
This tournament in Morocco sees the Super Eagles led by head coach Eric Chelle, who previously guided Mali to the quarter-finals of the last AFCON.
Chelle assumed charge of Nigeria in January and oversaw a late resurgence in the World Cup qualifiers, though the team ultimately fell short, losing on penalties to DR Congo in the playoff finals.
The three-time African champions have now failed to reach the global tournament in consecutive cycles for the first time since their maiden appearance in 1994, meaning there are several wrongs to right, especially after their first outright defeat under Chelle in a friendly against Egypt last time out.
Despite entering Tuesday’s game without the best momentum, the Super Eagles — ranked 38th in the current FIFA World Rankings — remain clear favourites against Tanzania, who sit 74 places lower on the global scale.
The Taifa Stars, with a more modest AFCON history, have never progressed beyond the group stage in their previous four appearances and will hope to change that this time.
Kicking off on a positive note is crucial, but Tanzania enter the competition with poor momentum, having lost each of their last four matches across all competitions, including their last two World Cup qualifiers, where they finished third.
How the bookies view it: Eagles almost seven times as likely
The gulf in quality is reflected in the betting odds, with the Super Eagles strongly backed. Their 8/17 implied odds of victory on Betano make them almost seven times as likely to win as Tanzania, who are priced at 33/4 to claim an upset.
Recent head-to-head: Eagles have been dominant
Nigeria have won three of the last five meetings between the sides, drawing the other two. Their most recent encounter saw the Super Eagles edge a 1–0 win in the African Nations Championship.
Players to watch: Osimhen to rise to the occasion again
Victor Osimhen was prolific for Nigeria in the World Cup qualifiers, netting eight goals in seven matches, and will hope to continue his impressive scoring streak in Morocco.
Meanwhile, Charles M’Mombwa played a key role for Tanzania in their 4–3 friendly defeat to Kuwait, contributing two goals and one assist.
Probable lineups
Chelle was unable to include Benjamin Fredrick due to a knee injury sustained weeks before the tournament, while Ola Aina also missed out with a hamstring problem picked up in September.
Nigeria: Nwabali; Sanusi, Bassey, Ajayi, Osayi-Samuel; Ndidi, Iwobi, Chukwueze, Lookman; Osimhen, Adams
Tanzania: Suleiman; Kaponbe, Mwamnyeto, D. Job, M. Husseini; N. Miroshi, F. Salum; Msuva, M’Mombwa, Allarakhia; Samatta
Anything else that catches the eye?
Nigeria have won five of their last six AFCON group-stage games (D1), suggesting they are likely to secure victory here, especially with Tanzania having lost four consecutive matches heading into the tournament.
The Taifa Stars have also struggled to find the net, failing to score in five of their last seven outings across all competitions. They have drawn a blank in six of their last eight AFCON group-stage matches.
Beyond Osimhen’s impressive scoring run for Nigeria – he has 31 international goals and is six short of matching Rashidi Yekini’s all-time record – the Galatasaray striker also found the net in the opening fixture of the previous tournament and could get another here.
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