Nigeria's Super Eagles will officially kick off their Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON 2023) campaign on Sunday, 14 January, against Nzalang Nacional of Equatorial Guinea.
As three-time AFCON champions, the Super Eagles are one of the favourites to win the tournament.
Here's how we think José Peseiro's men will line up on Sunday.
Super Eagles predicted XI vs Equatorial Guinea
Francis Uzoho: The Omonia Nicosia shot-stopper has not particularly impressed behind the sticks. He has no clean sheets in his last four appearances for the Super Eagles, conceding six times.
However, it's worth mentioning that Stanley Nwabali did not fare any better when he was called to start a few days ago, as the Chippa United goalkeeper conceded twice. On that note, Uzoho will likely make the starting XI on Sunday.
Bright Osayi-Samuel: The 26-year-old was rock-solid in the Istanbul derby between Fenerbahce and Galatasaray, with three interceptions and two clearances. He completed 21 of 21 passes in his last game before joining the Super Eagles for AFCON.
Calvin Bassey: The Fulham defender did not participate in Nigeria's loss to Guinea earlier this week. He last played in Fulham's 2-1 victory over Arsenal, where he completed 59 of 62 (95%) passes, with an impressive five clearances and two interceptions.
William Troost-Ekong: PAOK have had one of the best defences in the Greek Super League this season, partly because of William Troost-Ekong. With over 60 caps for the Super Eagles, the 30-year-old has consistently been one of the team's top performers.
Zaidu Sanusi: The Porto player started four of the Super AFCON 2023 qualifying games. He kept two clean sheets in those matches, registering two assists.
Raphael Onyedika: To be fair, Raphael Onyedika has less than five caps for Nigeria's national team. However, he has been a vital part of a Club Brugge side that's currently on a 12-match unbeaten run.
Alhassan Yusuf: Another player who plies his trade in the Belgian First Division A, Yusuf has put up some impressive performances lately, registering three assists in his last five appearances for club and country. The Royal Antwerp player was called to replace an injured Wilfred Ndidi in the Super Eagles squad.
Alex Iwobi: The former Arsenal player was a part of the Super Eagles squad that won bronze at AFCON 2019. He has over 65 appearances for Nigeria, scoring 10 times.
Samuel Chukwueze: The AC Milan player hasn't had much playing time this season, as he's averaging 39 minutes per game in the Serie A this season. However, Chukwueze has been a regular with the national team, he played in six of the Super Eagles' nine matches since January last year.
Victor Osimhen: The Napoli striker is the reigning African footballer of the year. He was the joint top scorer amongst all African players in 2023.
Ademola Lookman: The Atalanta player has been in sensational form over the past five weeks. In his last five matches, Lookman scored three times with one assist.
