A team from the hot African continent versus a team from an island in the cold North. Only a World Cup can bring two such teams together. The meeting between Nigeria and Iceland will take place in Volgograd and will be the second one on Friday’s schedule.
If you thought what happened in Euro 2016 was a fluke, you were wrong. Iceland is for real. It’s a team made up of real-life Vikings, each built stronger than the other. They made a superpower like Argentina look silly when trying to crack their defensive wall. Yes, Messi did miss that penalty, but the final 1-1 score was a fair outcome. Iceland deserved something out of the game after the effort they put in.
Nigeria, on the other hand, was awful. We have grown so accustomed to seeing African teams be quick and decisive in attack, watching The Super Eagles’ struggling to take off was painful. Victor Moses seemed to be the only one player willing to battle and do something. The others were lethargic and unenthusiastic. It was as if Nigeria’s objective wasn’t to win, but to leave the pitch undefeated. The coach has to take the blame for that.
Kelechi Iheanacho and Ahmed Musa are two quality players who must be on the pitch for this team. Gernot Rohr needs to take advantage of Victor Moses’ wing back abilities and play him as a defender, with Ahmed Musa providing support on the right side, while simultaneously acting as a second striker behind Iheanacho. The Nigerians do have a great team, they just don’t play like one. At least they didn’t in game one.
Everything about Iceland is awe-inspiring. From the Viking chants, to the fact that over 10% of the population is present in Russia, to the fact that 96% of its citizens watched the opener against Argentina, to the outs that are taken like corner kicks, to their all-or-nothing style of play… They are simply a magnet for neutral fans, and a great football team as well.
Iceland enters the game versus Nigeria as the favorite. They were better in round one and are the better team overall. Unless something wakes The Super Eagles up, the Nordic side should come out on top.
Odds
Nigeria 2.90
Draw 3.20
Iceland 2.70
