Nigeria will be looking to open up a four-point lead in Group D of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers when they visit the Martyrs of February Stadium to face Libya on Tuesday.
Having suffered a narrow defeat in the first of their October double-header at the weekend, the Mediterranean Knights will aim to get one over the visitors and snap their five-game losing streak in this fixture.
Match preview
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Libya were left empty handed once again in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers as they fell to a 1-0 loss against Nigeria when the two nations squared off at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium on Friday.
Despite being on the back foot and seeing less than 40% of the ball, the visitors did well to repel Nigeria for most of the game until Fisayo Dele-Bashiru struck in the 86th minute to hand the hosts a deserved victory.
Having kicked off their quest for a place in Morocco with a 1-1 draw against Rwanda at the 11 June Stadium on September 4, Libya have managed just one point from a possible nine to sit rock-bottom in Group D, five points behind second-placed Benin.
With the result against Nigeria at the weekend, Milutin Sredojevic's men have now failed to win four of their five competitive matches in 2024, losing three and claiming one draw while conceding six goals and scoring four so far.
Libya's only competitive win since the turn of the year came on June 6, when they edged out Mauritius 2-1 in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers l, where they currently sit second in Group D with seven points from four games.
Nigeria, on the other hand, head into Tuesday's return fixture as one of 16 sides yet to suffer defeat in the 2025 AFCON qualifiers, having picked up two wins and one draw from their opening three matches.
The Super Eagles kicked off the qualifying campaign with a resounding 3-0 victory over Benin on September 7, when a brace from Ademola Lookman and Victor Osimhen's 78th-minute strike saw the end a run of three consecutive games without a win across all competitions.
However, Nigeria were sent back down to earth three days later as they were held to a somewhat disappointing goalless draw by Rwanda when the two nations squared off at the Amahoro National Stadium.
Following Dele-Bashiru's late strike at the weekend, the three-time African champions have picked up seven points from a possible nine to sit top of the Group D standings, one point above Benin.
Having managed just one win from five matches preceding this run, this turnaround has coincided with the appointment of head coach Augustine Eguavoen, whose goal in his second stint in charge will be to deliver the continental prize in 2025.
Nigeria will be backing themselves to continue from where they left off on Friday and open up a four-point lead in Group D as they are on a run of five straight wins over Libya, scoring nine goals and keeping four clean sheets since a 2-1 loss in October 2004.
Team News
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Libya turned in a solid defensive display to repel Nigeria for most of the game in Uyo and we expect to see an unchanged back five of Sobhi Al Mabrouk, Majdi Erteiba, Ali Yusuf, Mohammed Eshtewi and Sanad Elkouri once again.
Muhannad Eto'o and Al Nasr Benghazi man Bader Hasan will be tasked with winning the midfield battle once again, while we expect veteran striker Ahmed Krawaa to lead the attack.
Off the back of a third clean sheet on the bounce, we expect Eguavoen to stick with the back four of Ola Aina, William Troost-Ekong, Calvin Bassey and Bruno Onyemaechi for the fourth straight game on Tuesday, with 28-year-old Stanley Nwabali starting between the sticks.
In the absence of Osimhen, Victor Boniface had a quiet game at the weekend, but the Bayer Leverkusen man should lead the Nigeria attack once again, alongside Moses Simon and Atalanta ace Lookman.
Wilfried Ndidi, who has enjoyed an impressive start to the new Premier League campaign with newly-promoted Leicester City, should form the three-man midfield with Frank Onyeka and Fulham man Alex Iwobi.
AC Milan forward Samuel Chukwueze picked up a muscle problem against Libya at the weekend and the 25-year-old has returned to Italy after withdrawing from the Super Eagles camp.
Libya possible starting lineup:
Al Wuhayshi; Al Mabrouk, Erteiba, Yusuf, Eshtewi, Elkouri; Al Gleib, Eto'o, Hasan, Suleiman; Krawaa
Nigeria possible starting lineup:
Nwabali; Aina, Troost-Ekong, Bassey, Onyemaechi; Ndidi, Onyeka; Iwobi; Simon, Lookman, Boniface
We say: Libya 0-2 Nigeria
Nigeria have enjoyed a solid start to the AFCON qualifiers and will fancy their chances against Libya who have lost each of their previous five encounters.
The Super Eagles are soaring under Eguavoen and given the gulf in quality and class between the two nations, we are tipping them to secure all three points on Tuesday.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Joshua Ojele
