By Lekan Olaseinde
Super Eagles of Nigeria will kick off their 2014 World Cup campaign tonight when they face tournament dark horses, Iran, in their opening Group F match in Curitiba, Brazil.
Kick-off time is 8 o’clock Nigerian time.
The expectations are high that the Super Eagles will do the continent proud after the victory of Cote D’Ivoire’s impressive 2 – 1 over the highly rated Japan. The match is a must-win for the Stephen Okechukwu Keshi-led side as victory will put the team in a good stead ahead of the crucial and difficult encounter against Bosnia-Hergovonia and Messi- inspired Argentina.
Both countries have not met in any competitive game before although they have played an international friendly match way back in 1998 with Nigeria running away with a lone goal victory.
Iran are ranked 43rd in the world by FIFA, while Nigeria are a spot behind. The Iranians are making their fourth appearance in the Mundial – 1978, 1998, 2006 previously and losing out in the group stage, while the Super Eagles are in the showpiece for the fifth time – 1994, 1998, 2002, 2010, previously and making it to the round of 16 in 1994 ane 1998.
Super Eagles are widely expected to win this game, with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and National Sports Commission (NSC) promising to pay $10,000 for a win and ensuring that the players are well taken care of. But the opposition should be respected, if anything but for their one step ahead of us in the FIFA rankings.