An interesting fixture is on the cards as Nigeria's Super Eagles take on the Syli National of Guinea on Monday, 8 January in a tune-up encounter ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations. Both outfits will look to get some momentum going just before the showpiece, which kicks off in just under a week.
Players to watch in Nigeria vs Guinea
Serhou Guirassy
Serhou Guirassy has been an absolute terror for defences in the Bundesliga. The Stuttgart player has been one of the top performers in Germany's top flight. He has 18 goal involvements in 14 league matches this season, scoring 17 times with one assist. Although this is just a friendly match, Guirassy is expected to see some action on Monday and keep the Super Eagles defence on its toes.
Victor Osimhen
Of course, it wouldn't be a valid list without Africa's best player. Among all African players across the World, Victor Osimhen was the joint top-scorer in 2023.
The former Wolfsburg player is coming off the best year of his career, where he won the Serie A golden boot, as well as the Scudetto. However, the reigning African footballer of the year hasn't scored for the Super Eagles since September, when he scored a hat-trick in a 6-0 rout of Sao Tome and Principe and the Guinea warmup presents an opportunity to get going just in time for AFCON.
Victor Boniface
Bayer Leverkusen's Victor Boniface is another player that's worth keeping an eye on. The 23-year-old has put up some impressive performances in the Bundesliga. He was directly involved in at least one goal in his last six matches in all competitions. Interestingly, while Boniface has five caps under his belt, he is yet to score for the Super Eagles.
Francis Uzoho
It's important to note that the Super Eagles have struggled to keep the goals out as they've seen their defense breached in nine of their last 11 games across all competitions. As a result, Francis Uzoho has come under a lot of scrutiny.
His recent performances have been littered with blunders and there are concerns he might be the biggest drawback for Nigeria in their quest for a fourth continental title. Chippa United goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali has been brought in to provide competition but if Peseiro sticks to Uzoho for Monday's game, he'll try to convince Super Eagles fans that he's the man for the job.
Naby Keita
Naby Keita has represented the Syli National on 54 occasions, scoring 12 times. The 28-year-old made the switch from Liverpool to Werder Bremen on a free transfer at the end of last season, and has struggled to find his stride.
Keita has played just three games since September last year, with no goal involvements. He'll have a chance to prove his worth at this year's Africa Cup of Nations and the Super Eagles friendly will provide him with a stage to find his feet.
