Nigeria and Bosnia-Herzegovina meet Saturday in what should be considered a must win for both sides in a 2014 World Cup Group F matchup. Nigeria is coming off a 0-0 draw against Iran while Bosnia played a tough opening match against powerhouse Argentina, losing 2-1.
Nigeria Head Coach Stephen Keshi is going to have to muster up some muscle from his troops as his squad looked very flat in its opener versus Iran but did have a little more zest in its game versus its final friendly versus the United States just prior to the World Cup kicking off, where it was beat 2-0 by the U.S. in Florida.
Keshi commented on his teams opener versus Iran, “The boys were nervous and unsettled; you don't do that at this stage. It happens in football. We really didn't perform as expected, but we have to move on.”
Nigeria was expected to play faster with a more fluid pace with its game, but this year, the squad has looked very unsure of itself and is not moving the ball with any flow and or authority.
Bosnia-Herzegovina on the other hand, kept pace with one of the best teams in the world in Argentina, including its super star, Lionel Messi. Had it not been for a own goal in the 3’ minute of play in the match, the game could have been a different result for the Dragons.
Bosnia-Herzegovina Coach Safet Susic is not underestimating Nigeria and commented, “Nigeria knows how to play, and they can play much better. I think I may change our squad, but it depends on the situation. Our players will train in different formations and combinations.”
On a sad note, a suicide bomber attacked a large crowd in Nigeria watching the opening match for the Super Eagles as many people were killed and or injured as the numbers have not been confirmed yet. The Nigerian squad will play with this close to their hearts.
The game is set to kick off at 6:00 PM EST at the Arena Pantanal in Cuiabá, Brazil. It can be seen on ESPN and in Spanish on Univision. If you want to live stream the match, simply go to WatchESPN here and here for a live stream in Spanish.
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