On Friday, Russia vs Nigeria will be front of mind for Super Eagles fans all over the globe.
After winning the Unity Cup, Eric Chelle has yet another proving ground for his pool of players and will be keen to see how they stack up against European opposition in hostile territory.
The meeting with Russia will provide a showcase for a number of players, some of whom have to make strong cases for their continued involvement with the Super Eagles. Here are three such individuals.
Tolu Arokodare: Is he good enough for the Super Eagles?
The Luzhniki Stadium will provide the backdrop for what may well be a make-or-break moment for Tolu Arokodare.
The Genk striker has turned heads in Belgium, winning both the Golden Boot and Ebony Shoe, but doubts remain over his ability to translate those performances to international football. The true level of strikers in the Jupiler League is notoriously difficult to judge.
On the face of it, his stature and style of play seem an uncomfortable fit within Chelle’s tactical system. He can still be a useful Super Eagles Plan B, though, and excelling against Russia would go a long way toward suggesting that.
Christantus Uche: What is his profile and how committed is he?
From the lower reaches in Spain to starring in LaLiga – it has been a whirlwind debut season for Christantus Uche at Getafe.
The midfielder’s invitation to the Super Eagles has been months in the making, but he did not help matters by arriving late to camp for the Unity Cup. Chelle was not impressed, but the 22-year-old came on against Jamaica and even scored the winning kick in the penalty shoot-out.
On thin ice already, he must make an impression against Russia. Where exactly is another matter: at club level, he has played both as a striker and as a central midfielder, but has weirdly shone more as the former. Fish or fowl?
Fisayo Dele-Bashiru: Will hope match expectation?
In many ways, it seems as though Chelle’s preferred shape is tailormade for a player of Fisayo Dele-Bashiru’s profile.
His movement in the final third and ability to score goals are in line with the Malian’s expectations from the no.10, but injuries have prevented the Lazio midfielder from making an impression since the 47-year-old took charge.
They have also slowed down his momentum on the international scene, where he started off with a bang, scoring crucial goals against South Africa and Libya.
His chance has finally come, and even though he is coming in off the back of less-than-stellar form, he needs to bring his best to win Chelle over, especially following Samuel Chukwueze’s decent showing against Jamaica.
