It promises to be a super month of March for both the Super Eagles and the Nigeria U23s as qualification tickets to the 2023 AFCON and next year’s Olympics in Paris will be at stake.
The Super Eagles will qualify for the delayed 2023 AFCON, which will be played in Cote d’Ivoire next year, with victories at both home and away against Guinea Bissau in March.
That will mean outstanding qualifiers away in Sierra Leone and at home against Sao Tome & Principe could be mere formalities.
The Eagles, who lead Group A with six points from two matches, will welcome Guinea Bissau to the MKO Abiola National Stadium in Abuja on March 24.
The return leg will be played on either March 27 or March 28 in the Moroccan city of Marrakech after the home ground of Guinea Bissau was not approved by CAF.
Nigeria will also book their passage to the U23 AFCON in Morocco, which serves as the qualifying tournament for the 2024 Olympics in Paris, should they beat Guinea in a playoff.
The U23s led by coach Salisu Yusuf will host Guinea on March 22 in Ibadan with the return leg in Conakry not later than March 27.
The Olympic Eagles edged past Tanzania in the previous round, while Guinea walked over Uganda.
Nigeria won the inaugural U23 AFCON in Senegal in 2015.
The country made history when they became the first African team to win Olympic football Gold at Atlanta ‘96.
