The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) appears to be ticking the right boxes as far as the 2018 FIFA World Cup is concerned.
Barely three weeks after masterminding the Super Eagles’ qualification for the Mundial, the Glass House surprised many by sealing a grade A friendly game against Argentina on November 14.
Now, the NFF mustn’t rest on its laurels by securing more top-notch test games for Gernot Rohr’s team.
Here are four countries they should consider.
- Panama
Panama will be at the world cup for the first time in their history. The Central Americans finished third behind Mexico and Costa Rica in the CONCACAF Hexagonal. Playing the Panamanians will be a good test for Nigeria, considering their rising stock, hunger and surprise factor.
- Iceland
Another debutant in Russia, Iceland are gradually becoming renowned as “giant slayers”. The tiny island nation shook the odds at the European Championship and continued that trend during the World Cup qualifiers. Iceland, ranked 21, are one of the best sides at the moment which will certainly be a colossal test for Nigeria.
- Iran
In the event that the NFF will look for serious competition from Asia, then three-time champions, Iran, should be their pick. Apart from host Russia, Team Melli as they’re fondly called, were the first country to qualify for the global showpiece. Both teams know each other very well having faced off at the last edition in Brazil.
- Germany
Reigning world champions, Germany, remain the best team three years after clinching the title. The Die Mannschaft have grown from strength to strength boasting some of the best players in the world. This will be big test for Nigeria, who were beaten the only time both nations faced off in 1998.
