Super Eagles Coach Jose Peseiro is faced with a herculean task in his defence line as he prepares for the Nigeria versus Guinea Bissau clash in a 2023 Africa Cup of Nations double-header later this month,
The Super Eagles takes on the Wild Dogs in a match-day three encounter of the 2023 AFCON qualification series at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja on March 24, with the reverse fixture billed for the Estádio Nacional 24 de Setembro de Bissau three days later.
If the Eagles win both games, it will place them in good stead for a qualification spot, ahead of the final qualifying matches against Sierra Leone and Sao Tome & Principe.
The Eagles have been struggling defensively lately, and Portuguese Peseiro has been feeling the pressure after his side let in at least a goal in seven of their last eight games and losing their last three matches.
Queens Park Rangers defender, Leon Balogun, is one of his club’s long term absentees and is still weeks from returning to action.
The centre-back, signed by the R’s last August on a free, has not played for four months due to a calf injury he sustained last November. His last game for QPR was against Huddersfield Town at the start of November and was replaced at half time after copping the injury.
Stand-in captain, William Troost-Ekong, who moved to Serie A club Salernitana from Watford in January, has only played three games for the Italian topflight club
The 28-year-old, has been out of action since February 13, after suffering a worrying knee injury in Salernitana’s 1-0 loss to Hellas Verona.
He was replaced with seven minutes left to play by Norbert Gyomber and faces a race to be fully fit for the double-header against Guinea Bissau.