Nigeria vs Zimbabwe Preview, Prediction and Betting Tips

Nigeria Win 1.58 | Draw 3.90 | Zimbabwe Win 6.30

Nigeria begin the defence of their Unity Cup title on Tuesday night when they face Zimbabwe at The Valley in London, with a place in the final against either Jamaica or India up for grabs.

While this is officially a friendly tournament, there is still plenty of intrigue surrounding Eric Chelle’s side. The Super Eagles are using the competition to assess new players, build chemistry and prepare for future tournaments, with several regular stars missing from the squad.

Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman and Samuel Chukwueze are all absent, but there is still plenty of quality available. Captain Wilfred Ndidi leads the squad alongside experienced names such as Moses Simon, Raphael Onyedika, Akor Adams and Terem Moffi.

There is also excitement around some of the newer faces. Wrexham goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo could make his debut after switching allegiance to Nigeria, while Rafiu Durosinmi and Ebenezer Akinsanmiro are among the players hoping to impress.

Nigeria’s recent form has been fairly encouraging. The Super Eagles have won four of their last six matches in all competitions, scoring 10 goals during that period. However, they have also looked vulnerable defensively at times, with both teams scoring in seven of their last eight friendly matches.

Zimbabwe arrive with confidence of their own after back-to-back wins over Botswana and Zambia Under-23s. The Warriors may not possess Nigeria’s overall squad depth, but recent meetings suggest they know how to frustrate the Super Eagles.

In fact, the last three meetings between these sides have all ended level, including two 1-1 draws during World Cup qualifying. Zimbabwe will also rely heavily on experienced midfielders Marvelous Nakamba and Marshall Munetsi to keep things competitive in the middle of the park.

Still, Nigeria should have enough attacking quality to edge this one, especially with players like Moses Simon and Akor Adams likely to play key roles in the final third.

Prediction

Nigeria 2-1 Zimbabwe

Betting Tips