It may be more than a renewal of rivalry between Nigeria and Argentina when both sides clash in their final Group F game on Wednesday in Porto Alegre, Brazil in the ongoing World Cup.
The match at the Estadio Beira-Rio is the latest encounter in an exciting rivalry between the two sides.
The rivalry is perhaps personified by Lionel Messi, arguably the world’s best player, and Mikel Obi, just a step behind the Argentine in the world under-20 players’ ratings in 2005.
They have faced off three times in major competitions, including the final of the 2005 FIFA U-20 World Cup in The Netherlands.
The gold medal match at the Men’s Olympic Football Tournament of Beijing 2008 and the group phase match at South Africa 2010 were the other meetings.
On all three occasions, the South Americans won and have also won at other big stages to underline their superiority.
But beyond the Messi/Mikel rivalry, memories of the 1-2 defeat at the 1994 World Cup in the US and the 0-1 loss at the 2002 World Cup in South Korea/Japan still linger.
These combine to make the side coached by Alejandro Sabella favourites to now lead their present group and go on to top the group.
But Nigeria, the reigning African champions, will be aiming to make the experience they have acquired from their four previous World Cup appearances count.
This final group match is a game in which both sides will be seeking the maximum points to finish top of Group F.
But Stephen Keshi’s men will be more hard-pressed for a result, having drawn 0-0 against Iran and won 1-0 against Bosnia-Herzegovina in their first and second Group F games respectively.
Argentina currently top Group F with six points after two scrappy wins.
A point from a draw is enough for them to maintain leadership and they may just be willing to do what is sufficient for that.
This is because considerations for their second round opponents matter a lot at this stage.
As for the Nigerian side, a draw would also suit them for second place in the group and their first appearance in the knockout stages since 1998.
They can also lose and still progress if Iran fails to beat Bosnia-Herzegovina in a match being played at the same time.
However, two-times champions, Argentina, should be looking for a better team performance in front of thousands of their fans, who have had little to cheer about so far, apart from Messi.
The 26-year-old FC Barcelona star scored a second-half goal against Bosnia-Herzegovina in an opening 2-1 victory.
He has also popped up in added time to curl in a left-foot shot from outside the penalty area against Iran, showing that he is still a major threat.
Nigeria, unimpressive at last year’s Confederations Cup, where it lost to Uruguay and Spain after an easy win over Tahiti, were not tested much while qualifying for the World Cup.
But with Mikel and Liverpool’s Victor Moses in the squad, Nigeria are where most people expected them to be in Group F, in second place behind Argentina.
After a 0-0 draw with Iran, Nigeria played better in a 1-0 victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina, courtesy of a first half goal by Stoke City FC striker, Peter Odemwingie.
The group remains tight and one set of results on Wednesday could see second place decided by the drawing of lots by the FIFA Organising Committee.
If Nigeria loses 0-1 and Iran wins 1-0, both teams would have the same goals difference and number of goals scored and would not be separated by their head-to-head result.
Argentina often field a bold 4-3-3 formation, which allows Lionel Messi to find space between the lines.
Manchester City FC’s Sergio Aguero and Napoli’s Gonzalo Higuain would also look to stretch Nigeria’s defence.
But with Angel Di Maria often deployed as part of a midfield three, the formation offers little defensive protection against the Nigerian side.
The Super Eagles are boosted by strikers like Emmanuel Emenike and Osaze Odemwingie, to mention a few.
However, the Super Eagles defence is sure to get its first real test at the tournament, having not conceded a goal so far.
The likes of captain Joseph Yobo, Godfrey Oboabona, Efe Ambrose and Juwon Oshaniwa could be having their hands full as they try to contain the Argentines’ firepower.
For sure, the game promises to be a match full of drama and excitement.
Trending
- Re-examining Patriarchy, Faith: Domestic violence, faith integration in Nigeria, by Michael Olatunbosun
- BAL 2024: Hoopers can match any team — Kelvin Amayo
- Speaker lauds Tinubu for takeoff of Consumer Credit Scheme
- Tinubu to Judiciary: You need to embark on reforms
- Mbappe leads PSG to brink of title with victory over Lorient
- Everton deal Liverpool big blow with shock 2-0 derby victory
- Economic Diversification: LCCI expresses worry over decline in solid minerals sector
- Udensi to Otti: Don’t mix your good works with falsehood