Jordan vs Nigeria: Preview, h2h, team news as Super Eagles target second title in 10 months

Jordan and Nigeria meet for the third time in senior international football on Tuesday, with both nations using this four-nation tournament in Antalya as preparation for very different futures, Afrik-Foot reports.

For Jordan, who qualified for their maiden FIFA World Cup earlier this year, every minute of game time matters ahead of a brutal Group J draw that pits them against Argentina, Austria and Algeria.

Nigeria, on the other hand, will not be at the World Cup this summer after their agonising playoff defeat to DR Congo on penalties in November. However, they have found renewed purpose under Eric Chelle, who has gone unbeaten in 19 official matches since his appointment in January 2025. (The Super Eagles’ 2-1 loss to Egypt on the eve of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations was classified as a practice match).

The Super Eagles warmed up for this fixture with a 2-1 win over Iran on Friday, goals from Moses Simon and Akor Adams doing the damage before Mehdi Taremi pulled one back late on.

Jordan drew 2-2 with Costa Rica in their opening game of the tournament, leading twice through a Baha’ Faisal penalty and an Ibrahim goal before conceding a late equaliser in the 91st minute.

A win for Nigeria will see the Super Eagles win the tournament regardless of the result of the other match between Costa Rica and Iran. The Super Eagles have not won a major title since their AFCON triumph in 2013 but this would represent their second silverware in 10 months after lifting the Unity Cup in London last May.

Match preview

Nigeria are the clear favourites here, ranked 26th in the world compared to Jordan’s 64th position, and the gap in squad quality is obvious.

Chelle’s side have been on a remarkable run since his arrival, going unbeaten in 19 official games while scoring 37 goals and conceding just 14. That run includes a record-breaking AFCON 2025 campaign in Morocco where they scored 14 goals across seven matches, setting a new tournament record for a Nigerian side, before eventually finishing with bronze after a penalty shootout win over Egypt.

The attacking football has been particularly impressive, with wins over Algeria (2-0), Mozambique (4-0) and Uganda (3-1) highlighting a team that plays on the front foot.

Their only stumbles at AFCON came against Morocco and Egypt in the semi-final and third-place match, with both of those encounters ending goalless inside 90 minutes.

Jordan’s form since qualifying for the World Cup has been patchy.

They have won six of their last 13 outings, with defeats to Albania (4-2) and Tunisia (3-2) exposing defensive frailties that Jamal Sellami will want to iron out before the summer.

The draw against Russia (0-0), win over Dominican Republic (3-0) and the 2-2 against Costa Rica on Friday also point to a team still searching for consistency.

What Jordan do have, however, is the motivation of World Cup preparation, and they reached the FIFA Arab Cup final in December, beating UAE, Kuwait, Egypt, Iraq and Saudi Arabia before losing 3-2 to Morocco in the final.

That run showed what this group is capable of when fully focused and organised.

For Nigeria, these friendlies are about maintaining momentum and integrating new players after missing out on the World Cup.

Chelle used the Iran game to test a strong starting XI but made changes at half-time, introducing debutant Emmanuel Fernandez among others, and a similar approach is expected on Tuesday.

Head-to-head

Tuesday’s clash will be just the third senior meeting between these two nations, with the overall record level at one win apiece.

The first encounter came on 28 April 2004, when a home-based Nigerian squad beat Jordan 2-0 at the National Stadium in Lagos during the LG Cup Four Nations Tournament semifinal.

Emeka Akueme opened the scoring in the 16th minute before Chukwudi Nworgu wrapped it up in the 82nd, with Christian Chukwu’s side going on to lose the final to Senegal two days later.

Jordan got their revenge nine years later, though, winning 1-0 in a friendly in Amman on 28 October 2013.

Captain Hatem Aqel scored the only goal that day against a home-based Super Eagles squad managed by Stephen Keshi, and it remains Nigeria’s only defeat to a Middle Eastern nation in senior men’s football.

Both previous meetings featured Nigeria fielding domestic-based players rather than their full-strength European contingent, which makes Tuesday’s game a very different proposition.

This will be the first time a full-strength Nigerian squad has faced Jordan, and the quality gap in personnel should be obvious even if Chelle rotates.

Jordan, meanwhile, will take confidence from the fact that they have already beaten Nigeria once and that the overall series is square heading into this third meeting.

Team news

Jordan

Sellami is dealing with a significant injury headache heading into the World Cup, and this match will be affected by those absences too.

Star striker Ali Olwan, who scored a hat-trick in the famous 3-0 World Cup qualifying win over Oman and finished as the FIFA Arab Cup top scorer with six goals, is sidelined after surgery on torn ankle ligaments suffered at his club Al-Sailiya in Qatar.

Forward Yazan Al-Naimat is also out with a thigh injury, while defender Tammer Bany required surgery on a similar problem in late December.

Those three absences strip Jordan of serious firepower and defensive know-how ahead of the summer.

Mousa Al-Tamari is fit and available, having played against Costa Rica on Friday, and he remains the most dangerous player in the squad by some distance.

Baha’ Faisal scored from the spot in that game and will be expected to lead the line again.

Sellami used a 3-4-3 formation against Costa Rica, with Yazeed Abulaila in goal behind a back three of Abdallah Nasib, Yazan Al-Arab and Husam Abu Dahab.

Changes are likely after the late collapse against Costa Rica, with fresher legs coming in across midfield and attack.

Predicted Jordan XI (3-4-3): Abulaila; Nasib, Al-Arab, Abu Dahab; Assaf, Al-Rawabdeh, Abu Taha, Hasheesh; Al-Tamari, Faisal, Fakhoury

Nigeria’s Super Eagles

Victor Osimhen’s absence hangs over the squad, the Galatasaray striker sidelined with a fractured forearm that has kept him out of this window entirely.

Calvin Bassey withdrew before the tournament with a back problem and has been replaced in the squad by Trabzonspor’s Chibuike Nwaiwu.

First-choice goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali was not selected after being without a club following his contract termination, while Ola Aina is also unavailable.

On the positive side, the Iran win provided a boost, with Moses Simon’s early goal and Akor Adams’ composed second-half finish showing Nigeria have goals in them even without Osimhen.

Debutant Emmanuel Fernandez, the Rangers centre-back, came off the bench at half-time against Iran and could push for a start here. Semi Ajayi and Igoh Ogbu, who were the starting centre-backs against Iran, are both struggling with knocks but at least one of them should be able to shake it off.

Chelle may rotate his squad given this is the second game in four days, with the likes of Paul Onuachu, Chidera Ejuke, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru and Raphael Onyedika all pushing for minutes.

Genk’s Yira Sor Collins and Hamburger winger Philip Otele are still waiting for their first caps and could feature from the bench or even the start.

Predicted Nigeria XI (4-2-2-2 diamond): Uzoho; Osayi-Samuel, Fernandez, Ogbu, Sanusi; Onyedika, Dele-Bashiru; Sor, Ejuke; Lookman, Onuachu

Both players are 28 and operating at the peak of their careers, but the gulf in market value tells the story of where they sit in the club game.

Lookman moved to Atletico Madrid from Atalanta after winning the 2024 African Footballer of the Year award, while Al-Tamari made a similar step up by joining Rennes from Montpellier for around 9 million euros.

Al-Tamari has more assists this season (five to Lookman’s three), but Lookman has doubled his goal output with six compared to Al-Tamari’s three.

For their national teams, Al-Tamari is the more prolific scorer with 21 goals in 70 caps, earning the nickname “the Jordanian Messi” for his dribbling and ability to cut inside off the right flank onto his favoured left foot.

Lookman’s influence for Nigeria extends beyond goals, with his movement and ability to link play between midfield and attack making him the team’s creative heartbeat, especially in Osimhen’s absence.

The managers

Jamal Sellami (Jordan)

The 55-year-old Moroccan has had a transformative effect since taking charge in June 2024.

He replaced fellow countryman Hussein Ammouta and immediately set about building a side capable of reaching the World Cup, a goal he achieved within 12 months of his appointment.

Sellami played for Morocco at the 1998 World Cup in France before carving out a coaching career that included winning the 2018 African Nations Championship with Morocco’s domestic-based squad and the Botola Pro title with Raja Casablanca.

His connection with Jordan runs deep enough that King Abdullah II granted him Jordanian citizenship after the team’s run to the Arab Cup final in December.

He prefers a 3-4-3 system built on quick transitions and the pace of Al-Tamari on the flanks.

Eric Chelle (Nigeria)

The 48-year-old Franco-Malian was a left-field appointment when named in January 2025, having previously managed Mali and MC Oran in Algeria’s top flight.

His results since arriving have been staggering, with that unbeaten run of 19 official matches including 12 wins, seven draws, 37 goals scored and just 14 conceded.

At AFCON 2025, he coaxed attacking football out of the Super Eagles that earned comparisons to Nigeria’s 1980 Nations Cup winners, with former captain Segun Odegbami describing the side as having “awakened my once-waning spirit”.

Chelle has built strong personal bonds with his players, with captain Wilfred Ndidi describing him as “a lovely guy” who is deceptively demanding behind the warmth.

His preferred system is a 4-2-2-2 diamond that relies on pace on the flanks and a high press, though he has shown willingness to rotate and experiment in friendlies.

Tactical preview

Sellami’s 3-4-3 against Chelle’s 4-2-2-2 creates an interesting tactical matchup.

Jordan’s back three gives them numerical superiority in central defence, which could be useful if Nigeria deploy a lone striker as they did against Iran with Akor Adams.

The wing-backs for Jordan, however, could find themselves stretched if Nigeria get their wingers into one-on-one situations, something Simon and Chukwueze did effectively against Iran.

Al-Tamari’s tendency to drift across the front line from his right-wing starting position could cause problems if Nigeria’s full-backs push forward, leaving gaps in behind.

Jordan’s vulnerability was clear against Costa Rica, where they conceded twice in the final 10 minutes after leading 2-0, suggesting a fragility when holding onto leads that Nigeria’s bench could exploit with fresh attackers in the second half.

Nigeria’s midfield axis of Ndidi and Iwobi has been one of the most effective partnerships in African football over the past 12 months, combining defensive solidity with progressive passing that feeds the wide attackers.

If Chelle rotates, the balance of that midfield may shift, but options like Raphael Onyedika and Dele-Bashiru offer quality alternatives.

The key battleground could be the wide areas, where Nigeria’s pace advantage should tell against Jordan’s wing-backs, who lack the defensive recovery speed to deal with the likes of Simon, Chukwueze, Otele or Sor at full tilt.

Betting tips

Score prediction

Nigeria should have too much quality for a Jordan side still working out how to cope without key attackers.

Chelle will rotate, but even his second-string options are individually stronger than most of what Jordan can put out.

The friendly nature of the contest and the likelihood of heavy changes on both sides should keep the scoreline modest.

Jordan’s motivation ahead of the World Cup could help them stay competitive, but Nigeria’s defensive record and attacking depth should be enough to get the job done.