Nigeria head into their Round of 16 match at the Women’s World Cup on Monday against England as big underdogs.
Nigeria made it through to the knockout stages of the competition for the second tournament in a row after finishing second in Group B behind Australia, by winning once and drawing twice.
England made it through with flying colours after they managed to win all three games in their group, and are now favourites to win the competition.
Here’s three reasons to be optimistic about Nigeria’s chances against England.
Key players injured for England
England come into this fixture as favourites but the task will not be an easy one, as the Lionesses will be missing key players such as Leah Williamson and Keira Walsh.
The Lionesses do have one of the best squads in the competition, and this has been evident in the rotation that Sarina Wiegman has implemented already in the starting XI throughout this tournament.
Walsh is one of the best players in the women’s game, as she can dictate play with her incredible close control and her football brain, so it will be a huge boost for the Nigerian’s that she will be missing out on this one.
Shock result against Australia
Australia went into the World Cup as one of the stronger sides, with the likes of Sam Kerr within their ranks, but Nigeria managed to beat them in the group stage 3-2 despite going a goal down.
This is evidence that they have the quality in their side to beat any side on their day and they will need to produce another impressive display if they want to progress into the quarter-final. Barcelona star Asisat Oshoala will continue to be key.
Nigeria certainly come into this game with the odds against them, but the victory against Australia will give them confidence and bolster their chances of winning the match.
Solid at the back
In the group stage, Nigeria conceded just two goals, both against Australia who are known for their attacking threat, and they still managed to come out on top and win.
In the other two games, Nigeria took part in goalless draws, proving that they are tough to break down, which will be important against England because of the great attacking talent that they have.
Nigeria to beat England odds: 11.50