‘I think it will be a great game, we are looking forward to it, we are confident,’ Troost-Ekong told reporters.
Nigeria captain William Troost-Ekong has praised Bafana Bafana but says Nigeria are confident they can get all three points when the two sides meet in a Fifa World Cup Group C qualifier at the Free State Stadium today.
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“I think it will be a great game, we are looking forward to it, we are confident,” Troost-Ekong told reporters as Nigeria landed at Bloemfontein Airport on Sunday.
Nigeria’s Troost-Ekong – ‘Bafana are a very good team’
“Bafana Bafana are a very good team,” he added.
The Super Eagles do have a Betway Premiership player in their starting line-up. Chippa United goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali has been a mainstay in goal for Nigeria ever since he excelled for them at the last Africa Cup of Nations finals in the Ivory Coast.
“He’s our number one, we can’t do without him,” added Troost-Ekong.
Nwabali is lucky not to be suspended for this game after he got in a spat with Rwanda midfielder Innocent Nshuti in Saturday’s 1-0 Group C win in Uyo. He was only shown a yellow card but it could easily have been a red.
The Super Eagles have had a poor qualification campaign up to now. They currently sit six points behind Bafana in third place in Group C.
Eric Chelle’s side will also be without star striker Victor Osimhen against Bafana. He went off injured in the Rwanda game. Osimhen has not travelled to Bloemfontein and has instead gone back to Istanbul and his Turkish side Galatasaray.
Troost-Ekong’s own position in the side has to be in doubt. He was dropped for the Rwanda clash in favour of 20 year-old Belgium-based Benjamin Frederick.
The 32-year-old, now playing in the Saudi Pro League, does have previous in breaking Bafana hearts. It was Troost-Ekong who netted a last minute winner as Nigeria beat Bafana in the quarterfinals of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations finals in Cairo.
Troost-Ekong also scored a penalty in normal time and in the penalty shootout as Nigeria edged out Hugo Broos’ Bafana in the semifinals of the last Africa Cup of Nations finals in the Ivory Coast.
Super Eagles’ pool of talent
Even without Osimhen, Nigeria have a host of talented players who could cause problems for Bafana today.
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Lazio’s Fisayo Dele-Bashiru netted the equaliser for Nigeria against Bafana in Uyo in June 2024. Ademola Lookman will provide a threat just behind the main striker. And it was Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Tolu Arokodare who came off the bench to net the winner against Rwanda.