Nigeria aims to continue their strong start in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers as they host Libya in the third round of the qualification series at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo today.
The Super Eagles, who are unbeaten in the qualifiers so far, will look to secure a win, while the Mediterranean Knights of Libya are still searching for their first victory. Nigeria began their campaign with a commanding 3-0 win over Benin Republic, followed by a goalless draw against Rwanda in Kigali.
Under interim coach, Austin Eguavoen, the Super Eagles currently top Group D with four points and are the only team in the group yet to concede a goal. A doubleheader victory over Libya would significantly boost their chances of early qualification, a scenario Eguavoen is confident about.
“The boys are ready to fight for those three points. Every second counts, and we know what it means to get the job done early. It will be tough, but I believe with the talent we have, the team will deliver,” Eguavoen stated ahead of the clash.
Friday’s match marks the fifth meeting between Nigeria and Libya, with Nigeria winning all four previous encounters, including two games during the 2018 AFCON qualifiers. Eguavoen’s squad has only lost one of their last 14 AFCON qualifiers and will hope to maintain this positive record.
While Nigeria will be without their star striker Victor Osimhen, they still boast a strong lineup capable of overcoming Libya, who have arrived in Uyo under the leadership of a new coach. The Libyan FA recently replaced Serbian coach Milutin Sredojevic with Nasser Al-Hadiri after a disappointing start to their qualifying campaign.
Libya drew 1-1 with Rwanda in their first match and lost 2-1 to Benin in their second. The Mediterranean Knights took the lead early in the game against Benin, but two quick second-half goals saw them lose their advantage. Now at the bottom of Group D with one point, Libya is aiming for a turnaround in their campaign under Al-Hadiri, as they seek to qualify for their first AFCON since 2012.
Al-Hadiri hopes to guide his side to a positive result against Nigeria and reignite their qualification hopes as they attempt to end a 12-year absence from the tournament.
The match is scheduled to kick off 5 pm Nigerian time.
