After beating Japan in an enthralling first game, Nigeria’s U-23 Dream team will now take on Sweden in their second match at the ongoing Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
Having won their first game, Nigeria will be hoping to progress to the quarterfinals if they can secure all three points against Sweden later on Sunday.
A victory in this match will guarantee the Dream Team qualification to the knockout stages with a game to spare, which afford them the luxury of resting key players in the last group game against Colombia.
Match Details
Date: Sunday, 7 August – 11pm Nigerian Time
Venue: Amazônia Arena
City: Manaus
Preview
The Dream Team VI claimed a 5-4 victory against Japan on Friday despite arriving in Manaus only six hours prior to kickoff and the win catapulted them to the top of Group B, two points clear of both Sweden and Colombia.
While Nigeria was excellent in attack, they were very vulnerable at the back which allowed Japan back into the game on two occasions and even gave them some hope of equalizing again towards the end of the match.
Coach Siasia will be hoping his boys will improve their defensive shape against their Swedish counterparts who would be desperate to get their first win of the tournament after only managing a 2-2 draw against Colombia on Matchday 1.
The two teams have not met at this level before but Sweden have the upper hand if meetings at other levels are considered, with two wins and a draw against Nigeria’s one win.
Key Players
Nigeria
For Nigeria, Oghenekaro Etebo will be the man to watch following an outstanding performance against Japan where he netted four goals. Sadiq Umar was also at the centre of everything that went well for the Dream Team VI in the attack and another good performance on Sunday will go a long way in helping the African U-23 Champions win the match.
Sweden
Mikael Ishak is one of the danger men for the Swedes and he proved that by scoring a beauty from 25-yards against Colombia in the opening match. Ishak, 23, was part of the victorious U-21 side that claimed the European Championships last year and he will need to be at his best if Sweden hope to get anything out of the match.
Where to watch
The game will be broadcast live on SuperSport9 & 3N from 11pm on Sunday. You can also follow us on Twitter @makingofchamps for live commentary of the game and all the news and events concerning Team Nigeria throughout the duration of the Olympic Games.
