Madagascar take on Nigeria in Alexandria on Sunday in the final round of matches in Group B.
Nigeria have already qualified for the round of sixteen and Madagascar are also in a very strong position to reach the knockout stage.
Marco Ilaimaharitra’s 76th minute goal against Burundi gave Madagascar their first ever Africa Cup of Nations victory in their last match
They opened their AFCON 2019 account with a 2-2 draw against Guinea and now have four points from their first two games.
Nigeria began their campaign with a 1-0 win against Burundi and then followed that up by beating Guinea by the same score line.
View this post on Instagram Best caption gets..... @omeruo X @m_simon27 #soarsupereagles #totalafcon2019 #team9jastrong A post shared by Nigeria Super Eagles (@ng_supereagles) on Jun 27, 2019 at 10:26am PDT
Best caption gets..... @omeruo X @m_simon27 #soarsupereagles #totalafcon2019 #team9jastrong
A post shared by Nigeria Super Eagles (@ng_supereagles) on Jun 27, 2019 at 10:26am PDT
They have been made to work hard for the win in both of their matches so far and will be hoping for a more comfortable game against one of the tournament outsiders.
The Super Eagles have won the Africa Cup of Nations on three occasions. Their most recent triumph came in 2013 and they undoubtedly have the squad to compete again this year.
On the other hand, this is Madagascar’s first ever appearance at an AFCON finals and they are certainly giving a good account of themselves.
Despite having less possession and less shots than their opposition in both matches so far, they find themselves in a promising position to advance into the last sixteen.
Madagascar do not have the household names that Nigeria possess in their squad. The majority of their players play for clubs in the first and second tier of French football.
On the other hand, Nigeria have a number of Premier League players in their ranks. They also have a Champions League winner, with captain John Obi Mikel claiming the title with Chelsea in 2012.
Mikel didn't feature against Guinea in their previous match; underlining the strength in depth of Nigeria’s squad.
Madagascar have not previously beaten Nigeria. In the four meetings between the two sides, Nigeria have come out on top three times, with the other match ending in a draw.
It is unlikely that Madagascar will register their first ever win over Nigeria when the teams meet on Sunday.
The Super Eagles should cruise to a comfortable victory against Madagascar.