The stage is set for the Super Eagles of Nigeria and the Bafana Bafana of South Africa to trade tackles in their opening 2010 African Nations Cup/World Cup qualifier later Sunday in the capital city of Abuja.
The pre-match hype has been on a high in the local press, with reports that the visitors rejected the Sheraton hotel accommodation reserved for them and opted instead of the posh NICON Hilton.
The South Africans were also said to have come with their own food and drinks.
South African captain Aaron Mokoena was quoted as saying Sunday that his team was set to end Nigeria’s dominance over it.
But Nigerian captain Nwankwo Kanu boasted the fact that Nigeria had not lost any competitive game to South Africa was enough tonic for the Eagles to swoop over Bafana Bafana.
“We have the materials to deliver the South Africans in this particular match and I don’t entertain any fear on whether or not we can beat them,’” Kanu said.
The match is one of about 20 slated across Africa this weekend as the joint qualifiers get underway.
Below are the results of some of the matches so far played.
Malawi 8 Djibouti 1
Botswana 0 Madagascar 0
Cameroon 2 Cape Verde 0
Senegal 1 Algeria 0
Rwanda 3 Mauritania 0
Togo 1 Zambia 0
Tanzania 1 Mauritius 1
Namibia 2 Kenya 1
Uganda 1 Niger 0
Morocco 3 Ethiopia 0
