By 6pm today, Nigeria will kick of their WAFU Cup campaign with a match against Togo at the Stade Lat-Dior, Thies in Senegal. The winner of the match will move on to the quarter finals of the Cup while the looser will drop down to the lesser Plate competition.

Last week, Nigeria lost the first leg of the 2020 CHAN qualifiers to Togo in Lome. It was a battering 4-1 defeat which the Super Eagles will hope to overturn by October 18 in Nigeria if they are to feature in the 2020 competition to be hosted by Cameroon in January.

In 2017, the Super Eagles were unbeaten in their run to the WAFU Cup final but lost 4-1 to hosts Ghana. Rabiu Ali could only get a consolation goal in added time. Can the home based Eagles go one step further? This is made even more difficult with the league over 4 months on break. The 2017 Silver medal came immediately after the 2017 NPFL season was completed. It is the other way round this time around.

While the 4-1 battering is still fresh from Lome, Nigeria will hope to get their pound of flesh from the Togolese side whose league is also on break for similar amount of time.

There are questions over the coach’s selection for the tournament but you can cut him some slack considering there have no league action since Enyimba lifted the Super Cup in June at Agege. The clubs activity have been restricted to friendly matches and a couple of continental games.

Imama Amapakabo listed the following players for the competition and would lead the team:

Goalkeepers: Adamu Abubakar (Wikki Tourists); Galadima Mohammed (Nasarawa United); Theophilus Afelokhai (Enyimba FC)

 Defenders: Olisa Ndah (Remo Stars); Stephen Manyo (Enyimba FC); Udochukwu Anumudu (Lobi Stars); Okon Nya (Akwa United); Ebube Duru (Lobi Stars); Etboy Akpan (Akwa United); John Lazarus (Lobi Stars);

 Midfielders: Sikiru Alimi (Lobi Stars); Fatai Gbadamosi (Shooting Stars); Williams Ukeme (Wikki Tourists); Ndifreke Effiong (Akwa United); Chisom Orji (Collin Edwin Academy); Olatunji Oluwadamilare (Enyimba FC); Samuel Matthias (Akwa United)

 Forwards: Sunusi Ibrahim (Nasarawa United); Seth Mayi (Remo Stars); Tosin Omoyele (Plateau United); Mfon Udoh (Akwa United)

Goalkeeper Theophilus Afelokhai will not be with Enyimba this evening as they hope to secure a group stage ticket after playing a goalless draw against Al-Hilal of Sudan in the first leg in Aba. He would hope they have victory in Senegal and in Sudan.

We wish the Super Eagles B the best in Senegal.

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