A total of 77,5000 spectators are expected to gather this Saturday for a highly-anticipated international friendly between Nigeria and Mexico in Los Angeles, USA, megasportsarena.com reports.
The match agent of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Jairo Pachon disclosed that the match will kick off at 4am Nigeria time on Sunday and would be the sixth confrontation between the senior teams of both countries, four of which ended in draws.
The only win by either side in the series between them went to Mexico, when they won a US Gold Cup encounter in Dallas, Texas 2-1 against the Eagles on 24th June, 1995.
Close-fought confrontations between them include a 1-1 draw at the FIFA Intercontinental Tournament for the King Fahd Cup (now FIFA Confederations Cup) in Saudi Arabia on 13th January 1995 (though Mexico later prevailed 5-4 on penalties) as well as 0-0 draws in friendly matches in Houston and Atlanta, USA, while another that was played in Mexico also ended 2-2.
Although Nigeria travelled for their latest upcoming confrontation without any of their famous foreign-based players and the Super Eagles will be represented by home lads from the domestic league, organizers insist they expect a full capacity crowd at the imposing Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Should that come to pass, Saturday’s match would become the most-attended game globally since restrictions on crowd attendances at football venues followed the coronavirus pandemic, which broke out towards the end of 2019.
It means the array of lads from the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL), who arrived in Los Angeles early Thursday, to settle down before Saturday’s game, will face a stern test of their psychology in front of a huge crowd at the venue simply known as LA Coliseum.
Nigeria’s delegation of 22 players and a number of officials, including general-secretary of the football governing body, Dr Mohammed Sanusi, was without injured Heartland of Owerri goalkeeper, Ikechukwu Ezenwa.
Due to Ezenwa’s absence, the NFF had to quickly send national exempt papers to Tottenham Hotspur of England for the release of their under-23 team goalkeeper, Joshua Oluwayemi, who is expected at the Eagles’ hotel in Los Angeles on Friday to compete for a starting shirt with Enyimba of Aba’s John Noble and Lobi Stars of Makurdi’s Stanley Nwabali.
Nigeria’s delegation had two goalkeepers: Stanley Nwabili (Lobi Stars) and John Noble (Enyimba) as well as seven defenders: Olisa Ndah (Akwa United); Adekunle Adeleke (Abia Warriors); Tope Olusesi (Rangers International); Enyinnaya Kazie (Rivers United); Imoh Obot (Enyimba FC); Tebo Franklin Degaulle (Nasarawa United) and Lawal Oriyomi Murtala (Kwara United).
Also listed are five midfielders, namely Anthony Shimaga (Rangers International); Seth Mayi (Akwa United); Uche Onwuasonaya (Plateau United); Ibrahim Olawoyin (Rangers International) and Anayo Iwuala (Enyimba).
The forwards are Stephen Jude (Kwara United); Charles Ashimene (Akwa United); Chinonso Ezekwe (Rangers International); Auwalu Ali Malam (Kano Pillars); Neurot Emmanuel (Plateau United); Abdulmutalif Sanusi (Katsina United); Mohammed Zulkifilu (Plateau United); and Sunday Adetunji (Rivers United).
