Di Super Eagles don land for London ready to defend dia Unity Cup title, but Zimbabwe don talk say dem no go make am easy for di semi-final clash for The Valley stadium on Tuesday night.
Nigeria go face Zimbabwe for di first semi-final of di Unity Cup, a tournament wey dey celebrate AfroCentric and global diaspora communities. Di winner go then take on either Jamaica or India for di final dis weekend.
Eric Chelle side miss out on World Cup ticket after dem lose to DR Congo for di play-off final, so dem go wan channel all dat frustration into dis competition. Zimbabwe too dey come with dia own pain, as dem finish bottom of dia World Cup qualifying group.
But Zimbabwe midfielder Marshall Munetsi don warn say dem no dey come to just make up numbers. For interview with Zimbabwe FA, di 29-year-old say: “We have some big games coming up, di first one is against Nigeria which everyone dey look forward to. We have some new guys coming in, some fresh faces. E be good opportunity for us to know each other.”
Munetsi add: “We know how much these matches mean to di fans, especially Zimbabweans here for UK. We appreciate dia support and we want to give dem something to be proud of.”
Zimbabwe coach Kaitano Tembo also talk about di team spirit for London camp. “We dey happy with how camp don start. Di players wey report dey for good spirits and eager to get to work. Di focus now na to prepare well, build cohesion and ensure we dey ready to represent Zimbabwe positively for Unity Cup.”
Nigeria go miss some prominent stars for dis match, but Chelle don still call up 27 players wey include new faces like Femi Azeez, Arthur Okonkwo and Owen Oseni. Di expected lineup get Francis Uzoho for goal, wit Bruno Onyemaechi, Jordan Fernandez, Ifeanyi Ogbu and Bright Osayi-Samuel for defence. Wilfred Ndidi go anchor midfield wit Al Hassan Yusuf and Raphael Onyedika, while Moses Simon, Terem Moffi and Taiwo Adams go lead attack.
Zimbabwe expected lineup get Talbert Chipezeze for goal, wit Tawanda Fusire, Godknows Takwara, Munashe Garananga and Divine Zemura for back. Marshall Munetsi go partner Marvelous Nakamba for midfield, wit Tawanda Chirewa, Tino Maswanhise and Farai Msendami for support, and Tinashe Dube for striker.
Recent history between di two sides show say dem dey hard to separate. Di last five head-to-heads all end with fewer than three goals, and dia World Cup qualifier matches both end 1-1. Nigeria don draw three of dia last four internationals inside 90 minutes, while Zimbabwe dey on a three-game friendly winning streak.
Both teams get ability to score, but di match no go be free-scoring affair. Nigeria don score exactly twice for dia last two friendlies, and both games see both teams find net. Zimbabwe, on dia part, don score for each of dia last seven outings, including all dia AFCON matches. Five of those games see both teams score.
Di Warriors get captain Marvelous Nakamba wey dey lead a blend of youth and experience, and dem no be pushover. Di Super Eagles go need to be sharp for defence, especially as dem dey field a makeshift backline.
With a place for di final at stake, both sides go tread carefully. Di last three head-to-heads all end all square, so penalty shootout fit be wey go decide di winner.
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