The senior national team of Nigeria will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation when they take on Egypt in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in their opening game of the tournament.

Interim Coach Austine Eguavoen lined the players up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in what is his first game as coach of the team and Owngoalnigeria.com has obtained details on how the formation will work.

Eguavoen in his bid to pin the dangerman of the Egyptian team has told Nantes wing forward Moses Simon to help left full back Zaidu Sanusi in tracking the forward who will operate from the right of the Egyptian attack.

Simon’s primary aim is to ensure that at no time is Zaidu isolated against Salah. The coach also expects him to use his energy to help in transiting defence into attack when in possession.

With the back four expected to be protected by the duo of Wilfred Ndidi and Joe Aribo, the coach has instructed Kelechi Iheanacho to play close to them but to also work off the shoulder of Taiwo Awoniyi who is leading the line.

Samuel Chukwueze has the license to attack the left full back of the Egyptian team cutting in with his ability to dribble and always on his strong foot which will enable him to aim for goal or pick a pass with ease.

Starting XI

Maduka Okoye

Kenneth Omeruo

William Troost-Ekong

Ola Aina

Zaidu Sanusi

Wilfred Ndidi

Joe Aribo

Kelechi Iheanacho

Samuel Chukwueze

Moses Simon

Taiwo Awoniyi

The senior national team of Nigeria will later today begin their campaign at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations when they take on Egypt in their first group game.

Interim coach of the Nigerian team Austine Eguavoen will be in charge of the team for the first time in a competitive game as he aim to steady the ship for incoming substantive coach Jose Peseiro.

Eguavoen picked Union Berlin striker Taiwo Awoniyi to lead the attack with Moses Simon and Samuel Chukwueze playing on the left and right flank respectively.

Starting XI

Maduka Okoye

Kenneth Omeruo

William Troost-Ekong

Ola Aina

Zaidu Sanusi

Wilfred Ndidi

Joe Aribo

Kelechi Iheanacho

Samuel Chukwueze

Moses Simon

Taiwo Awoniyi

Former captain and coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Austine Eguavoen has criticised the decision of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to hire Portuguese coach Jose Peseiro as the substantive coach of the Nigerian team.

Peseiro will take over from interim manager Austin Eguavoen after the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations and will be tasked with ensuring that Nigeria qualify for the 2022 World Cup, where they are through to the playoff.

Oliseh while speaking to Bunmi Blair of Nigeria Info said the decision to appoint the coach is part of the fanatical craze to always appoint a foreign coach by the NFF.

“Why the fanatical craze to always want to appoint a foreign coach for the Super Eagles? That is the thing I still can’t get my head around. Is he telling all Nigerian coaches and Nigerian people they are not capable of coaching the Super Eagles? Why is this craze, I’m almost tempted to call it loss of ideas to always take a foreign coach and we always take coaches nobody knows before they come to Nigeria, why?, he lamented.

The former Ajax midfielder said he will support Austin Eguavoen for the Super Eagles job, even as a permanent manager and he expressed optimism that Eguavoen would deliver.

“I’m looking forward to seeing Eguavoen perform. I’m very optimistic for the man. I’m in total support of his being there. In fact, I hope he can do well and continue with the job after the tournament no matter what has been said before.”

Oliseh said that African coaches should be allowed to coach African national teams since most of them do not get coaching jobs outside Africa.

“The thing there is that there is very little room for African coaches to coach abroad anywhere, so the only avenue where African coaches can express themselves is back home. If you take that away from them, you’re practically just killing the profession for African coaches back home.”

The senior national team of Nigeria will later today begin their campaign at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations when they take on Egypt in their first group game.

Interim coach of the Nigerian team Austine Eguavoen will be in charge of the team for the first time in a competitive game as he aim to steady the ship for incoming substantive coach Jose Peseiro.

OwnGoalNigeria.com.has tracked the team’s training session as well as the test game they had in Cameroon against Coton Sport and from what we observe the team will play in a 4-2-3-1 formation.

However we believe that a decision on who will play in central defence isn’t known yet per what we have witnessed same as in attack where the duo of Sadiq Umar and Taiwo Awoniyi are battling for a starting spot.

Below is how we think they will line up later today with captain Ahmed Musa set to start on the right, while Moses Simon will operate from the left with a specific instruction to help Zaidu Sanusi against the dangerman in the Egyptian team Mohammed Salah.

Starting XI

Maduka Okoye

Kenneth Omeruo (Chidozie Awaziem)

William Troost-Ekong

Ola Aina

Zaidu Sanusi

Wilfred Ndidi

Joe Aribo

Kelechi Iheanacho

Ahmed Musa

Moses Simon

Sadiq Umar/Awoniyi

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Leon McKenzie moved on to become a professional boxer after leaving football. You may always alter your work and choose another sport if you want.

Vinnie Jones started working as an actor after their previous football careers ended. It’s not like that in this case. In contrast to many other football players who have been in the film at various points, these three have opted to build a name for themselves in the film. In the instance of Vinnie Jones, he became a famous actor that is in the same league as top actors. 

George Weah was one of the most professional football players in the world. This renowned Milan player is now actively involved in politics. As of today, Weah serves as the president of Liberia, his home nation. 

Arjan de Zeeuw was a former football player who went on to work as a police officer. Yes, absolutely. Not just any officer, but a detective as well. A number of investigations into shady dealings are now underway in the Netherlands under his lead.

Lee Crooks. Footballers, especially those who have played for Manchester City and other elite English teams, have the ability to surprise even after their professional careers have ended. He works as an elite soldier.

Fabien Barthez. The global football champion decided that racing would be the most effective demonstration of his value. Barthez won the French championship in the GT Motorsport of France 2013 and is still competing on the track today. A pretty good way to end a football career.

Brian Deane. Many individuals do not know what type of man this is. We will inform you that this player was the one who scored the first goal in the history of the Premier League as a player for Sheffield Wednesday. Dean is now employed as a lawyer at one of the legal companies. It is simply the way things are.

Christian Vieri and Paolo Maldini, after their retirement, decided to start their own fashion firm. What lessons can we take away from the Italians? They are the number one fashionistas in the world.

Ilie Dumitrescu. A new art gallery has opened its doors by this player. It is devoted to the pursuit of beauty and art. Ilie has adopted a new way of life.

Kevin Campbell. Former Arsenal and Everton striker has founded a firm to protect the safety of high-profile individuals and celebrities. 

FC Porto Nigerian defender Zaidu Sanusi says he is not in anyway losing sleep over the threat of Liverpool star forward Mohammed Salah ahead of today’s game between Nigeria and Egypt at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.

Zaidu will be up against the tricky winger who operates from the right where he has been almost unstoppable for Liverpool this season with 23 goals this season from 26 games in all competitions.

Reacting to the threat of the 29 year old, Zaidu said he has respect and not fear for Salah citing that he has faced his twice this year when both teams clashed in the group stages of the UEFA Champions League.

” I have respect for him but I am not scared of him. In the UEFA Champions League I played against him twice hence I know a thing or two on how to approach the game. He is deadly but can be caged”, he told OwnGoalNigeria.com.

Despite his statement, Nigeria will be wary of a better result than when Zaidu went up against Salah twice as he scored three goals with a brace in the reverse played in Portugal. A game which the Nigerian was substituted in the second half.

Coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Austine Eguavoen voiced his unhappiness with Samuel Chukwueze over his excessive showboating as Super Eagles round up their training ahead of today’s game against Egypt.

The team will open their AFCON campaign by 5pm today hence had their last training session which was opened to the media for 15 minutes before having a one hour plus session behind closed doors.

Interim coach of the team Austine Eguavoen put the players through their paces with serious tactical session which involved all of the players bar the goalkeppers who had a different drill with goalkepper coach Alloy Agu.

Eguavoen per what we gathered was unhappy with Villarreal winger Samuel Chukwueze and yelled at him to cut down his dribbling especially when they are on the attack with more numbers.

He admonished the 22 year old to always know when to release the ball and when to hold on to it as the Egyptian team is one that can be feared when it comes to making the most out of loose balls.

Chukwueze will definitely play some part in today’s game but it’s still unclear if he will be starting or coming on as a substitute as at the time of filing in this report.

The general manager of the senior national team of Sudan Mohsen Sayed says the Pharaohs of Egypt will defeat the senior national team of Nigeria when both teams clash tomorrow in their first game of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.

Sudan are in the same group with both teams and will open their campaign against the other team in the group in Guinea-Bissau but he is keen on an Egyptian win over Nigeria.

He said the Egyptian name have what it takes on paper to beat Nigeria ranking their star player Mohammed Salah as the best player in the world.

“Egypt has the best player (Salah) in the world. On paper, the Egyptian national team is better than Nigeria and is the closest to winning, but football is full of surprises. I definitely hope that Egypt win”, he told Mega FM.

On tomorrow’s opponent , he said they are familiar with threat they posses as they played against them twice in a space of one month during the qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup.

“We know the Guinea-Bissau national team very well. We met twice in the qualifiers for the World Cup a month ago. We are building a strong generation for the future and all the players will participate in their first major international tournament,” he said.

Interim coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Austine Eguavoen says Watford forward Emmanuel Dennis didn’t show enough commitment to play for Nigeria at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.

Dennis as reported by OwnGoalNigeria.com turned down the invitation to be a part of the Super Eagles squad to the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations on the account of Watford’s refusal to release him.

Watford claimed the player wasn’t sent the pre tournament invitation at the right time with coach Claudio Ranieri also confirming that the striker decided to stay behind and help Watford in their quest to beat the drop.

Eguavoen was asked about the situation behind the striker’s absence at the tournament and the coach mince no word in saying that it was down to Dennis to push Watford to be released for the tournament.

He faulted the committment of the 24 year old to playing for Nigeria at the tournament as even during his playing days they had to fight to be released by their respective teams in order to honour national team call up.

“We have to respect people opinions, but there are regulations to release players. It boils down to the individual players, you have to fight for it. We also battle such when we were playing and we fought it because it’s a privilege & honour to play for your country.”

Coach of the senior national team of Egypt Carlos Queiroz says his team won’t be going all out to attack against the senior national team of Nigeria when they clash tomorrow at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations.

The clash is seen as very important to the dreams of both teams finishing as winners of the group which also has Sudan and Guinea Bissau and Queiroz isn’t taking any chance with tomorrow’s game.

Asked during the pre match conference on if his team will be going all out to attack against the Nigerian team, he hinted at showing respect to the Nigerian team which he termed a very strong team.

“It’s a great pleasure to face Nigeria in the opening game. We want to face the strongest teams in the tournament,” Queiroz said at the pre-match press conference.

“Nigeria is a very strong team, but we have no objections. It’s always good to compete against football giants.

“We have a lot of players that are competing among themselves for a starting position, and that’s great because we came here to play seven games.

“Our ambition is very simple. Win all the matches,” the Portuguese coach concluded.