Key Info and Odds: How Nigeria look ahead of the World Cup
Can Rohr’s men make a splash in Russia?
Nigeria are heading to yet another World Cup – having now qualified for six of the last seven.
Having reached the Round of 16 in Brazil four years ago, can the Super Eagles match that feat again – or even surpass it?
The Coral News Team have the lowdown on Gernot Rohr’s side, who head into the tournament on the back of mixed results…
Recent Form
Nigeria pulled off an impressive 1-0 friendly win in Poland back in March, but followed it up with a 2-0 defeat to Serbia at The Hive.
Last weekend saw a solid 1-1 draw with upwardly-mobile DR Congo, who sit 38th in the world rankings – nine spots above the Super Eagles.
As for last year’s Africa Cup of Nations, Nigeria were notable by their absence, following a poor qualification campaign.
Who’s in the squad
There’s a strong Leicester City presence in their ranks. Wilfred Ndidi, Kelechi Iheanacho and Ahmed Musa have all made the preliminary 25-man squad.
The Super Eagles’ captain is another big name with Premier League pedigree. 31-year-old Jon Obi Mikel won the Prem and Champions League at Chelsea, and the tough-tackling midfielder was arguably their top performer in qualifying.
In terms of potential breakout stars, Porto centre-back Chidozie Awaziem could boost his reputation, following an impressive loan stint at Nantes last season.
The Boss
Head Coach Rohr has become the go-to man for a host of African national sides in recent years. The veteran German has previously managed Gabon, Niger and Burkina Faso.
However, the 64-year-old has never managed in a World Cup before. How well he adapts to the pressures of a major tournament remains to be seen.
World Cup Group
The West African side are in Group D this summer, alongside Argentina, Croatia and Iceland.
This will be their ninth meeting with La Albiceleste. The last competitive clash saw a 3-2 win for Argentina at the World Cup in 2014. However, the Super Eagles won a friendly meeting 4-2 in November last year.
However, they’ve never faced Croatia or World Cup first-timers Iceland before.
Tournament Odds
Ahead of the tournament, Nigeria are 5/2 to qualify from Group D. Meanwhile, there’s a sizeable 9/1 for them to win the group.
Coral’s trading team also make it 9/1 for the Super Eagles to reach the quarter-finals.
Their tournament kicks-off against Croatia on 16 June, with 7/2 for a Nigerian win.
Before all that, though, they head to Wembley for a friendly clash with England on Saturday evening. Rohr’s men are 33/20 in the Double Chance.
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All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing
