Odion Ighalo set to Break Super Eagles Number 9 Jinx

Odion Ighalo will be looking forward to break the jinx of the Super Eagles Number 9 jersey as he is likely to start for Nigeria on what will be his 29th birthday. Since making his debut for the senior national team of Nigeria in 2015, the 28 year old has only scored four goals in 18 games with the last of his goal coming in the 4-0 win over Cameroon in Uyo during the qualifiers for the World Cup.

Ighalo is expected to break  a jinx that has bedevilled the Nigerian team since the World Cup in 1994 as no player in the jersey number 9 shirt has found the back of the net since Rashidi Yekini netted Nigeria’s first goal at the World Cup in the shirt number.

Rashidi Yekini wore same shirt number at the 1998 World Cup in France but he didn’t find the net, Bartholomew Ogbeche in 2002 and Obafemi Martins at the 2010 World Cup played in South Africa were no better with luck. Emmanuel Emenike at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil fired loads of blanks.

Leicester City central midfield maestro Wilfred Ndidi is expected to be fit, despite fears over a possible hamstring injury.

Defender Leon Balogun is not expected to play after missing training on Thursday.

Experienced Croatian quartet Luka Modric, Ivan Rakitic, Vedran Corluka and Mario Mandzukic are expected to hold ground for the Croatains.

There is still uncertainty in a number of positions, but Ivan Strinic is tipped to get the nod at left-back.

Although Nigeria is the lowest-ranked nation in Group D, Iceland  are who making their World Cup debut has managed a draw while the Africans have only missed one of the last seven World Cups.

The Super Eagles reached the last 16 in 1994, 1998 and 2014, although their group win over Bosnia-Herzegovina in 2014 was their first victory since France 98.

Croatia finished third that year, when they made their debut as an independent country, but they have failed to reach the knockout stage since, making group exits in 2002, 2006 and 2014.

Real Madrid playmaker Modric, Barcelona midfielder Rakitic and Inter Milan winger Ivan Perisic remain key players, while Nigeria have former Chelsea midfielder John Mikel Obi as captain, with Premier League pair Victor Moses and Alex Iwobi also in their squad.

Group D, which also contains Iceland and Argentina, is arguably this year’s ‘group of death’ and this game is crucial for Croatia and Nigeria’s hopes of progressing.

Nigeria Vs Croatia Match will kick off at exactly 8 PM Nigerian time.