Nigeria to play Costa Rica in November friendly

Nigeria will face the 2022 World Cup-bound Costa Rica in an international friendly billed for November 9 in San Jose.

WHAT HAPPENED? The Ticos are participating in the 2022 Fifa World Cup billed for Qatar and as part of their major preparations, they will take on the three-time African champions in the country’s capital. Although the Super Eagles are absent from the global football showpiece, the fixture will help strengthen Jose Peseiro’s men ahead of next year’s 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

WHAT THEY SAID: In a statement made available to GOAL, the NFF wrote: “The Super Eagles will confront the senior national team of Costa Rica in a prestigious international friendly in the country’s capital, San Jose on 9th November. The three-time African champions have been invited to the Central American nation as part of major activities to send forth the Los Ticos to the Fifa World Cup finals in Qatar.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Considering Nigeria’s pedigree as one of Africa’s biggest teams, the fixture will help Costa Rica test their readiness for the Fifa World Cup. Making their sixth appearance at the finals, Luis Fernando Suarez’s men have been zoned in Group E alongside Spain, Japan, and Germany as they hope to surpass their quarter-final finish achieved in Brazil 2014.

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On the other hand, the West Africans would be hoping to use the showdown to assess some of the country’s key players who missed the friendly against Algeria due to contrasting injury worries.

ALL EYES ON: Peseiro’s ability to lead the three-time African champions to glory will be measured by the outcome of the Costa Rica friendly. Since taking over from Augustine Eguavoen, the Portuguese tactician has lost three of his five matches in charge.