Nigeria's Super Sand Eagles face Iran in a crucial group match at the Fifa Beach Soccer World Cup at the National Beach Soccer Arena in Nassau, Bahamas on Monday.
The Nigerians need an outright win to progress and finish in second place in Group B of the tournament same as the Asians who currently sit ahead of their opponents and behind leaders Italy.
The game will not be short of battles as the Iranian goalkeeper Peyman Hosseini has shown that he can complement the efforts of his outfield teammates when he scored the tournament's frst goal in the game against Mexico.
Nigeria, two-time African beach soccer champions, have largely depended on Abu Azeez, who turns 23 later this month. Azeez has scored five goals and weighed in with an assist in two matches already.
Audu Adamu will not just depend on the scoring ability of Azeez alone as goalkeeper Danjuma Paul has made 10 more saves than anyone at the tournament. The Katsina United stopper has made 40 saves in two matches.
The Asian champions also have decent goalscorers in Mohammed Ahmadzadeh and Amir Akbari who plays from the back.
The Iranians are making their seventh appearance at the Beach Soccer World Cup and are aiming for a third quarterfinal berth with the Nigerians standing in their way.
The Sand Eagles have also reached the last eight twice in 2007 and 2011 in Brazil and Italy respectively. They were denied semifinal places on both occasions by South American nations, Uruguay and Brazil.
However, the last time the Nigerian team reached the quarterfinal they had to wait till their final game against Tahiti to qualify when they won 4-1 through a brace from Victor Tale and a goal each from Ogbonnaya Okemmiri and Musa Najare who is not part of this Sand Eagles squad.
It will be a match-up of Iran's attacking plus defending blend against individualism and physical strength of the former African champions when the game gets underway in the colourful city of Nassau.
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