Nigeria vs Sudan: Kick-off, TV channel, squad news and preview
After defeating Egypt 1-0 in their opening Africa Cup of Nations game in Cameroon, Nigeria would be aiming to defeat Sudan to book an early ticket to the Round of 16.
The two countries are meeting for the third time in the competition, although it’s their first encounter at the tournament for 46 years.
The Falcons of Jediane won the first match 4-0 in the 1963 group phase whereas the West Africans won the second tie 1-0 in 1976 Afcon staged in Ethiopia.
Burhan Tia’s held Guinea-Bissau to a 0-0 draw in their first outing and they are looking to upset Augustine Eguavoen’s team as they hope to win their second African diadem.
Following their result against the Djurtus, the Sudanese senior national team have managed just one win in their last 14 Afcon games (six draw and seven defeats), dating back to the 1972 edition.
| Game | Nigeria vs Sudan |
| Date | Saturday, January 15 |
| Time | 17:00 WAT |
TV Channel, Live Stream & How To Watch
For Nigerian readers, get your fix on the latest football on TV here! For those across the globe, that is also the place to be.
Also, the game can be watched live on TV through SuperSport and it can be streamed online courtesy of the NFF streaming platform.
| Nigeria TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| AIT, SuperSport, NTA | NFF TV |
Squads & Team News
| Position | Nigeria squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Francis Uzoho, John Noble, Daniel Akpeyi, Maduka Okoye |
| Defenders | Chidozie Awaziem, Kenneth Omeruo, Leon Balogun; William Ekong; Olaoluwa Aina; Jamilu Collins; Abdullahi Shehu; Zaidu Sanusi, Olisa Ndah |
| Midfielders | Frank Onyeka; Joseph Ayodele-Aribo, Wilfred Ndidi, Chidera Ejuke, Kelechi Nwakali, Alex Iwobi Kelechi Iheanacho |
| Forwards | Ahmed Musa, Samuel Chukwueze, Moses Simon, Sadiq Umar, Taiwo Awoniyi |
Potential Nigeria XI: Okoye, Aina, Sanusi, Troost-Ekong, Omeruo, Ndidi, Aribo, Chukwueze, Simon, Iheanacho, Awoniyi
| Position | Sudan squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Ali Abou Achrine, Ishag Adam, Mohamed Mustafa |
| Defenders | Moaiad Abdeen, Mohamed Amin, Elsadig Hassan, Amjed Ismail, Mustapha Abdelgader Karshoum, Salaheldin Nemer, Mazin Mohamedein, Aawad Zayed |
| Midfielders | Gomaa Abbas, Walieldin Khedr, Mustafa Elfadni, Abdelrazig Omer Yagoub, Mohamed Al Rasheed, Dhiya Mahjoub, Captain Basheer, Mohamed Elmonzer, Mohamed Hassouin, Mohamed Kesra, Suliman Zakaria, Alsheikh Mohamed, Sharif Omar |
| Forwards | Mohamed Abdelrahman, Musab Ahmed, Yasin Hamed, Algozoli Nooh |
Potential Liberia XI: Achrine, Nemer, Mohamedein, Karshoum, Elfadni, Al Rashed, A.Omer, G.Omer, Khedr, Abdelrahman, Hamed
Betting & Match Odds
Nigeria are 1.20 favourites to win with Betking. Sudan's chances of winning are rated at 20.00 and a draw is available at 6.20
Click here to see all of Betking's offers for the game, including goalscoring markets, correct score predictions and more.
Match Preview
Sudan know that they are in for a tough battle when they square up against Nigeria on Saturday.
The Jediane Falcons picked up a point against Guinea Bissau following their 0-0 draw in Garoua – but they will have goalkeeper Ali Abu Ashren to thank for saving a penalty from Pele.
Despite going to the game as underdogs, Burhan Tiya is bullish of his team’s chances against the West Africans.
“We play with a great team with high-level stars, but we will play with a balance between defense and attack,” he told the media.
“The absence of Mohamed Abdel Rahman is impressive, but we have a number of young players waiting for an opportunity to appear.”
Echoing this optimism is captain Yassin Hamid, who is not carried away by the big names in the Super Eagles fold.
“In these tournaments, we can draw or win,” he said.
“Football is played on the field, not in names. Nigeria are a superstar team and we are a young team, but we will fight to fulfil our ambition to go past the group stage.”