Courtesy of Super Sports: African champions, Nigeria will be put under test when they face
minnows, Namibia in a Fifa 2014 World Cup qualifier in Windhoek this
Wednesday.
But the Namibians come into this tie with an under-strength team.
The Brave Warriors are without the quartet of Henrico Botes,
Heinrich Isaacks, Ronald Ketjijere and Rudolf Bester coupled with the
shock resignation of their Swede-born head coach, Roger Palmgren.
Aldershot Town midfielder, Oliver Risser, has been recalled into the squad for Wednesday's clash at the Sam Nujoma Stadium.
Just as African Stars defender, Freedom Puriza, could get a starting place in the absence of key players.
But the Super Eagles know that the Brave Warriors could trump their
ambition of a smooth-run into the final round of the World Cup
qualification for the African zone.
Nigeria head coach, Stephen Keshi, could stick to the same starting
line-up of Vincent Enyeama, Efe Ambrose, Godfrey Oboboana, Kenneth
Omeruo, Elderson Echiejile, Ogenyi Onazi, John Obi Mikel, Sunday Mba,
Nnamdi Oduamadi, Brown Ideye and Ahmed Musa that won 1-0 at Kenya.
The African champions, who have not lost in their last 16 games,
have put up late shows in their last two games against the Kenyans.
In March, a late Oduamadi goal saved the African champions the
blushes of losing their first competitive game to Kenya in Calabar.
Last week, Ahmed Musa got the winner against the Harambee Stars in
Nairobi to announce themselves as the team for the late shows.
When both teams met in June last year, Ikechukwu Uche, who has been
excluded from this match and the Fifa Confederations Cup, scored the
winner and that also came in the last 10 minutes of that game in
Calabar.
By the time, this World Cup qualifier kicks off from 8pm in wintry
conditions of Windhoek, Namibia and Nigeria would have had prior
knowledge of the outcome between the other two group, opponents, Malawi
and Kenya.
The Super Eagles lead Group F of the African qualifiers for Brazil 2014 on eight points while the Brave Warriors are on four.