Nigeria is set to face Saudi Arabia in an international friendly at Portugal's Estádio Municipal de Portimão on Friday evening, with kick-off scheduled for 5 pm. Following the Saudi Arabia clash, Nigeria will then engage in another friendly against Mozambique next week.
These friendlies are crucial preparations for the Super Eagles as they gear up for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Lesotho in November. The last encounter between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia took place in 2010 in Austria, resulting in a 0-0 draw.
FIFA has appointed Portuguese official Luis Godinho as the referee for the upcoming match. He will be supported by Bruno Jesus, Tiago Costa, and Miguel Noguera as assistant referees, while Helder Carvalho and Bruno Vieira will be in charge of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) room.
In terms of Nigeria's team news, head coach Jose Peseiro has called up 25 players for the upcoming friendlies, including Terem Moffi, who replaces Gift Orban, and the absence of Taiwo Awoniyi due to injury. Fisayo Dele-Bashiru has received his first invitation to the team.
However, Ola Aina and Taiwo Awoniyi, both from Nottingham Forest, will miss the friendlies due to injury. Despite these setbacks, the team is optimistic, with Peseiro opening the camp in Faro, Portugal, on Tuesday.
Saudi Arabia, led by new coach Roberto Mancini, heads into the match after a series of losses in their last six games. They aim to secure their first victory under Mancini's leadership. The squad comprises 31 players, with Al-Hilal contributing the most players.
The probable starting XI for Nigeria includes Francis Uzoho, Bright Osayi-Samuel, Oluwasemilogo Ajayi, Kenneth Omeruo, Calvin Bassey, Wilfred Ndidi, Frank Onyeka, Alex Iwobi, Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, and Victor Boniface. On the other hand, Saudi Arabia's likely starting XI features Mohammed Al-Owais, Yasser Al-Shahrani, Hassan Al-Tambakti, Saud Abulhamid, Salem Al-Dawsari, Abdulrahman Ghareeb, Mohamed Kanno, Eid Al-Muwallad, Firas Al-Buraikan, and Abdullah Al-Hamdan.
Experts predict a closely contested match, with a potential outcome favoring Nigeria at 2-1. Football scout Isa Saleh Sadiq emphasizes the challenge for both teams, noting Saudi Arabia's previous World Cup participation and their potential to pose a formidable opposition. Sadiq applauds the selection of in-form players for Nigeria but expresses a desire to see more local players in future call-ups. Ultimately, he anticipates a tough and close game, predicting a 1-0 victory for Nigeria or a 1-1 draw.