Unlike the True Parrots of Sao Tome who have no chance of qualifying for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), the Super Eagles of Nigeria have already booked their place in the competition which will commence in January 2024.
However, they would want to finish the AFCON qualification round as the Group A leaders by defeating Sao Tome and Principe in Uyo at 5 p.m. on Sunday, September 10.
Guinea-Bissau are second on the table with just two points behind Nigeria which means that if the Super Eagles fail to beat the True Parrots on Sunday, and the Djurtus defeat third-placed and out-of-the-running Sierra Leone in Bissau, Nigeria will finish second with a point behind Guinea-Bissau.
The fact that the Super Eagles beat São Tomé and Principe 10-0 in the first leg of this tie, and the fact that the Nest of Champions in Uyo has been a good ground for the Eagles in terms of AFCON qualification, Nigeria are expected to have an easy ride over their visitors on Sunday.
Ahead of the game, Ekong said, “Yes, we have already qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast, but we want to win this match for several reasons.
“We have a new Minister of Sports Development who has hit the ground running. It is good to welcome him with a great win.
We also need to sustain a winning mentality ahead of the FIFA World Cup qualifiers starting in November. So, we are not going to be taking this game as a dead rubber or whatever people choose to call it. It is another important match as far as we’re concerned.”