A win or draw might fly the eagles to the knock-out stage sixteen years after.
The Super Eagles of Nigeria will today clash against the White and Sky Blue of Argentina in their last group F encounter. After two matches and four points registered, the Eagles need just a draw to fly to the round of sixteen for the first time since 1998.
For this to happen, they will have to go through ninety-minutes of total football and suspense against a South American side that might be eager to make three wins out of three matches. In case of defeat for Nigeria and the Persian Stars of Iran (with one point) beat Bosnia Herzegovina, the West African team will journey homewards.
However, if Nigeria loses against Argentina and Iran fails to defeat Bosnia Herzegovina, the Eagles would sail to the knock-out stage. Also, if Nigeria loses 1-0 and Bosnia Herzegovina wins 1-0, both teams would have the same goal difference and number of goals scored. Since they can’t be separated by head-to-head, the second place might be decided by the drawing of lots by members of the FIFA organizing committee.
The decisive encounter to take place at Porto Alegre, close to the Argentina border, promises to be electrifying as the Argentineans would have a twelve player behind them following the massive cross of the border by supporters to cheer their squad to victory.
If one was to go by history, then Nigeria needs not go into the pitch because after meeting four times in a FIFA organized competition and twice in a friendly, the White and Sky Blue of Argentina have won four times (1994, 2002, 2010 and 2011), drew and lost once in 1995 and 2011 respectively. Fourteen goals were scored with Nigeria finding the net six times and Argentina scoring eight goals. But since history is just a psychological ingredient in soccer, anything can happen in Porto Alegre today.
The encounter to begin at 17 local time will be handled by 33-year-old Nicola Rizzoli, who oversaw Spain versus Netherlands on June 13. Players to watch in the Nigerian squad are Peter Odemwingie and Victor Moses, while Lionel Messi and Sergio Romero are the men the Eagles have to put under lock and key if they must grab a knock-out ticket.
