When the Teranga Lions of Sengal file out on Thursday night against the Super Eagles at the Hive Stadium in London, one thing uppermost in the minds of the Senegalese players is to win the friendly international and finally win a second game against Nigeria since a three match winning sequence was snapped by the Green Eagles in November 1977.
According to the February/March edition of COMPLETE FOOTBALL magazine, on that occasion the Lions won a first leg Second Round qualification game 3-1 in Dakar on October 30 but two weeks later, on November 13, 1977 the then Green Eagles scored three unreplied goals to qualify for Ghana 1978 where they ultimately won bronze after finishing third.
Since then, Senegal and Nigeria have met another 12 times with the Super Eagles running out victorious on seven occasions with four draws. Senegal’s only victory since then was a 2-1 win in the semi-final of the 2002 AFCON in Mali. The all-time record between both sides is Senegal four wins, five draws and seven defeats in 16 encounters.
To prepare for the game, Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr has called up five players hoping to make their debut.
Leading the list of five would-be debutants are Germany’s Hanover 96 attacking pearl Noah Joel Bazee and Tyrone Ebuehi of the Netherlands’s Eredivisie side ADO Den Haag.
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