Taifa Stars, who are currently last in Group G behind Chad, lost 3-0 in Egypt while Nigeria beat Chad by a 2-0 score line in their last qualifying match when they were being coached by Mart Nooij and Stephen Keshi respectively.

The match is expected to be fierce and fast and the hosts will have a hard time getting a positive result due to their history when they meet the Super Eagles. But after pitching an eight days camp in Turkey, the hosts spirits and confidence is sky high and will need a win so that they can get their qualifying campaign back in track.

This will be the first qualifying match for both Boniface Mkwasa and Sunday Oliseh who got the Super Eagles job after NFF parted ways with Keshi.

Mkwasa will expect to be able to call upon star players, TP Mazembe duo Mbwana Samatta and Thomas Ulimwengu and also Free State winger Mrisho Ngassa who joined the team on Wednesday.

Speaking on Friday in a press conference for the match Mkwassa said that he has done all that is required of him as a coach and has very high hopes of winning the match due to the preparations as a team as well as Nigeria’s deficiencies.

“We have respect for Nigeria because they are a big football nation in Africa but we are not afraid of them because we have prepared well and we have a strong squad. I believe after the 90 minutes we will be all laughs after the great result we will get,” said Mkwasa

Mkwasa further said that he has made his players aware of tactics and psychology he wants them to use for the match and he wants them to use the home ground to advantage.

“We have done well in our training in Turkey, all my players are in great spirit and motivation to make sure that they fight for their country and get a win,” said Mkwasa.

Nigeria‘s coach Sunday Oliseh didn’t attend the press conference due to fatigue after arriving at 00:15 in the morning in Dar es Salaam.

The match will serve as first test for Sunday Oliseh, who took over from Steven Keshi in July, he needs to get a win so that he can keep the great record he has started his term with so that the Super Eagles can avoid missing out on the competition as they missed in the last AFCON Finals which took place in Equatorial Guinea

Nigeria will be without its captain Vicent Enyiama who will be replaced in goal by debutant goalkeeper Carl Ikeme of Wolverhampton Wanderers, England.

The game will start at 2:30pm (West African Time/Local time in Nigeria).