El Tri take on the Super Eagles in their quest to access their strengths and weaknesses ahead of their Concacaf Gold Cup opener
Mexico slug it out with three-time African kings Nigeria in Saturday’s international friendly billed for the United States of America.
The last meeting between the two countries was in a friendly match en route to the 2014 Fifa World Cup in Brazil – which ended 0-0 at the Georgia Dome.
This fixture is expected to toughen El Tri who take part in the Concacaf Gold Cup later this month.
For the Super Eagles, handled by Gernot Rohr, the aim is to expose players from the Nigeria Professional Football League.
They would be hoping to put up an impressive showing against a full-strength Gerardo Martino squad.
| Game | Mexico vs Nigeria |
| Date | Sunday, July 4 |
| Time | 4:00 AM WAT |
TV Channel, Live Stream & How To Watch
For Nigerian readers, get your fix on the latest football on TV here! For those across the globe, that is also the place to be.
Also, the game can be watched live on TV through SuperSport and it can be streamed online using NFF TV.
| Nigeria TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| SuperSport | NFF TV |
| UK & US TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| N/A | N/A |
Squads & Team News
| Position | Mexico squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Cota, Orozco, Talavera |
| Defenders | E. Alvarez, K. Alvarez, Araujo, Moreno, L. Rodriguez, O. Rodriguez, Salcedo, Sepulveda |
| Midfielders | Cervantes, Dos Santos, Gallardo, Gutierrez, Herrera, Pineda |
| Forwards | Alvarez, Corona, Mori, Lozano, Pulido, Sanchez |
Potential Mexico XI: Cota, Alvarez, Moreno, Rodriguez, Romo, C, Rodriguez, Sanchez, Arteaga, Corona, Pineda, Pulido
| Position | Nigeria squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Nwabili, Noble, Oluwayemi |
| Defenders | Ndah, Adeleke, Olusesi, Kazie, Obot, Degaulle, Murtala |
| Midfielders | Shimaga, Mayi, Onwuasonaya, Olawoyin, Iwuala |
| Forwards | Jude, Ashimene, Ezekwe, Malam, Emmanuel, Sanusi, Zulkifuli, Adetunji |
Potential Nigeria XI: Noble, Olusesi, Ndah, Adeleke, Obot, Shimaga, Olawoyin, Iwuala, Jude, Sanusi, Adetunji
Match Preview
Mexico coach Martino would be expecting his men to put up another commanding showing when his team square up against Nigeria at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
El Tri silenced Panama 3-0 in their last outing at the Nissan Stadium on July 1 - with Mauro Lainez, Cesar Castro and Henry Martin finding the net.
Against the Africans who will be parading majorly local-based professionals, they would be hoping to perfect their strategies ahead of their Concacaf Gold Cup opener against a yet to be decided opponent on July 11.
Even at that, coach Martino has expressed injury concerns in his team against the three-time African kings.
"In reality, the group, in general, has not been affected, obviously the players who are suffering the injuries or discomfort are taken into account, they are cared for, they are treated, they are studied, but at a general level everything goes in the same way,” he told Federacion Mexicana de Futbol website.
“On the other hand, I think it's quite common around the world, taking into account that more than a year has been playing and training irregularly, and this is happening in all the competitions that at this time we have to see, such as the Copa America and the European Championship.”
For the Super Eagles, they will be missing the services of veteran goalkeeper Ikechukwu Ezenwa who was injured in training.
In his absence, Enyimba’s John Noble is expected to man the goalpost – which would see him earn his maiden Nigeria cap.