From the fall out of the activities of Friday afternoon at the Hive Stadium, 25 Super Eagles are now left in the Nigeria squad to take on England at Wembley on Saturday, we take a look at five things that could be on show in few hours time.
1) Victor Moses to prove the key in unlocking the Three Lions defense
Victor Moses has always looked Nigeria's likeliest source of goals going forward and we are envisaging it would remain so on Saturday.
Having joined the team in their base after the exhaustion of the FA Cup final which culminated in him missing out in the DR Congo game in his homeland, the Chelsea dazzler will be looking to show his peers what he can do in the ranks with his country.
Should he come out top (which he are convinced he will), it will more than massage his ego.
However, we are not in any way underestimating the effervescence of his England-based teammates the likes of Alex Iwobi, Ahmed Musa and Kelechi Iheanacho!
2) Troost-Ekong and Balogun will have a whole lot on their hands stifling England's talisman, Kane
The message the sub-heading bears would not be more starker. The Three Lions boast an enviable attacking group of quality players and while Southgate is spoiled her choice in who starts upfront for his team, we can surely note it would be none other than Tottenham's Harry Kane.
The 24-year old is the man-to-go to when his side are in need of a goal and few would really bet against him finding one at Wembley tomorrow.
Leon Balogun and William Troost-Ekong who could be the team's defensive pairing yet again will have to be at their best to stem the flow of his efficacy.
3) Dele Alli to reunite with his country of descent
English-born Nigeria midfielder, Dele Alli is one player that could be on parade for the hosts tomorrow — his quality is, after all, never in doubt.
Having turned down a chance to represent the country of his parentage, the 22-year old has shown mettle and is every inch worth his salt with England after series of sensational displays with Tottenham in the English Premier League.
Today, he would be coming up against the country whom he jilted for the other.
4) Nigeria to score their first goal against the European nation at the third time of asking
Nigeria has met with England twice before this upcoming game and on each occasion, failed to manage a goal.
In a game such like this in 1994, a solitary goal from David Platt was all that separated both sides after ninety minutes while in a 2002 world cup group game, honours remained even throughout.
The hosts are unbeaten in their last six games overall, have not scored more than once in each of them but here, we are banking on the Super Eagles to at least find a way of breaching them this third time.
5) Gareth Southgate and Gernot Rohr to flex their managerial tactics ahead of World Cup
These two sides are bound for Russia and this presents a perfect opportunity for the two presiding managers to show what they can come up with against their fellow world cup participants.
Both Rohr and Southgate are seasoned handlers, but we are primed to be in for a treat of managerial masterclass!
As such, the game could be viewed as a case of which manger has be best tactics and managerial know-how to outdo the other.
Emmanuel Chinaza
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