Jun 7, 2014; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Nigeria midfielder Victor Moses (11) is congratulated by midfielder Ogenyi Onazi (17) and forward Emmanuel Emenike (9) after he scored against the United States during the second half at EverBank Field. United States defeated Nigeria 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Iran is starting look like a much better team than they were back in 2006 (their last World Cup appearance) thanks to the influx of Iran-based foreign players. Reza Ghoochannejhad, Daniel Davari, and Steven Beitashour have been few of the revelations that changed the complexion of Team Melli. Alongside cagey veteran Javad Nekounam, the Iranians will be entering the tournament looking to prove the world wrong and make it out of their group.
The Nigerians on the other hand are favored to put away the Iranians easily, but their recent string of friendlies have failed to convince their fans that they are capable of doing so. A scoreless draw against Greece and a 2-1 loss to the United States have led to criticisms at the Super Eagles inability to finish and poor creativity. The African side will hope to ease all burdens with an easy matchup against a less talented Iranian side, as long as they don’t overlook them.
So will it be an Iranian upset or will Nigeria’s speed and athleticism overwhelm the Asian side? Here is a look into tomorrow’s match.
"Projected Starting XI Iran: Davari, Pooladi, Hosseini, Sadeghi, Beitashour, Nekounam, Teymourian, Jahanbakhsh, Shojaei, Dejagah, GhoochannejhadNigeria: Enyeama, Echiejile, Omeruo, Yobo, Ambrose, Azeez, Mikel Obi, Onazi, Musa, Emenike, Moses"
Keys for Iran
– Don’t shore up the backline, pressure up the midfield. Iran is capable of breaking up Nigeria’s midfield and stunting their creativity if they put pressure in the middle of the pitch.
– Be patient with the chances. Despite Nigeria’s speed, Iran must stay composed in the box and not force up bad shots. Joseph Yobo is a weakness Iran must expose.
– Don’t hold the ball. If Iran takes the early lead, they cannot afford to revert to the disgraceful tactic of holding the ball. Nigeria loves to play high pressure and are more than capable of capitalizing on mistakes. South Korea almost paid the price back in 2010.
Keys for Nigeria
– Jump to an early lead. The first goal is more than enough to unnerve Iran.
– Play the ball in the air. Nigeria boasts superior athleticism and should not hesitate to play the ball in the air.
– Contain Nekounam. Shutting down the captain is key to stifling any creativity from Iran’s attack.
Key Battles
– Ghoochannejhad vs Yobo + Omeruo – “Gucci” has been a phenom for Iran and hopes to continue his form in the World Cup. Standing in his way is the backline duo of Yobo and Omeruo. The three players are quite average by world’s standards, but one of them is bound to breakout and make a surprise.
– Javad Nekounam vs Mikel Obi – The matchup between the two captains will control the flow of the game. If Nekounam remains undaunted by Mikel Obi, then Iran will have a creative force guiding their attack. If Mikel Obi shuts down Nekounam, good bye Iran.
– Daniel Davari vs Emenike – The Nigeria forward will surely have his way with the Iranian backline, leaving him to deal with Davari and the goalpost. Surely he can’t miss right?
"Staff PredictionsDrew: 3-1 Nigeria. Iran will be good enough to nab a goal, but there is no way they can keep Nigeria quiet. Nigeria has too much pace and are tricky on the ball as well.Young: 2-0 Nigeria. Iran will revert to parking the bus for their dear lives while Emenike bombards them with shots after shots. Two will find the net."