The African champions will face off against Mexico on Wednesday in Atlanta in the third instalment of a trilogy.
Act One and Act Two ended in 2-2 stalemates, but what will Act Three bring?For both teams, this game is significant. The Super Eagles, having survived a mini-scare in the play-offs to book a place in Brazil, have problem areas to address.
Chronic loss of form and consistent underperformance has left what seemed a stable first eleven with gaps to plug.Arguably, it will be even more pivotal for Mexico.
El Trimanager Miguel Herrera was parachuted in to salvage the tatters of a wretched Hexagonal, in which Mexico needed late drama in Panama to snag a play-off spot. He wisely went with the familiar, contesting the play-off against New Zealand with a base of his former players at Club America, lining up in a 3-5-2.
Herrera will have the peculiar task of integrating the European-based contingent into the team of local lads who powered past the Kiwis. How well he does this will determine how Mexico perform in Brazil. On both sides, there will presumably be some experimentation.
Standard Liege forward Ezekiel Imoh should earn his first cap, probably from the start in the absence of Brown Ideye, with Michael Uchebo likely to start on the bench. Victor Moses’s Kop nightmare persists, and rumblings in the camp suggest he may be axed for his lack of playing time. This may well be his last chance to prove his relevance to the team.
Mexico have a few injury concerns of their own: Giovani dos Santos is out, as is Club America’s Miguel Layun, whose three assists in the play-offs mark him out as one to watch at the World Cup.
Chivas’ Miguel Ponce, on loan at Toluca, should get a chance at left wing back. Manchester United’s Javier Hernandez, being short on match fitness, will feature at some point.
ANALYSIS: By Solace Chukwu
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