By 8pm WAT this evening, the Super Eagles will know more about their chances of winning a fourth African Cup of Nations.
Jose Peseiro’s men drew 1-1 with Equatorial Guinea in their opening game last Sunday.
The result left fans and pundits disappointed, as Nigeria had enough arsenal to see off the Central Africans.
But a combination of injuries and poor finishing ensured that the Eagles picked up just one point.
On Thursday evening, they will come up against the hosts. The Ivorians comfortably won their opening fixture 2-0 against Guinea-Bissau. And they will be looking to pick up a second win to book their spot in the knockout stages.
Cote d’Ivoire were without Sebastien Haller against Guinea-Bissau, with the Borussia Dortmund striker still struggling with an ankle injury.
Brighton’s Simon Adingra also missed the game with a muscle issue and it remains to be seen if either attacker will be ready to face Nigeria.
Peseiro has already confirmed Alhassan Yusuf will not be available for the match, after limping off against Equatorial Guinea. The Royal Antwerp midfield put in a solid showing, before injury struck.
However, there will be enough options for Peseiro, with Kelechi Iheanacho fit and Terem Moffi settled in camp.
Backed by a passionate home crowd, Jean-Louis Gasset’s side will provide Nigeria a stern test. But it is one they must pass, if they harbour dreams of conquering the continent once again.
