The Super Eagles and Reggae Boyz of Jamaica will clash this Saturday in the final of the invitational tournament tagged Unity Cup in London. There are lots of history tied to this encounter.

The two sides met in last year’s final, drawing 2-2 before the Super Eagles triumphed 5-4 on penalties. Nigeria also won the inaugural edition in 2002, defeating Jamaica 1-0, and retained the trophy in 2004 when Obafemi Martins scored on his debut.

Perhaps, the biggest story this time is the fact that both Nigeria and Jamaica were eliminated by DR Congo from the fast approaching 2026 FIFA World Cup. While the Super Eagles lost out to DRC in the African Playoff in Morocco, the Reggae Boyz were sent packing by the same DRC in the intercontinental Playoff in Mexico.

This Saturday, Cup holders, Nigeria, look determined to retain the Unity Cup at Charlton Athletic’s The Valley Stadium.

Head coach Eric Chelle praised his squad after their 2-0 semi-final victory over Zimbabwe and hinted at tactical adjustments for the clash with the Reggae Boyz.

Chelle is expected to experiment further with his youthful group, with Wrexham goalkeeper, Arthur Okonkwo, likely to start after keeping a clean sheet in the semi-final.

Chelle’s likely lineup features a solid backline of Chibueze Oputa, Chibuike Nwaiwu, Igoh Ogbu, and Obinna Igboke, with midfield options including Tochukwu Nnadi, Alhassan Yusuf, and Samson Tijani.

Up front, Terem Moffi, Philip Otele, and debut hero Femi Azeez, who scored twice against Zimbabwe, are expected to lead the attack.

Azeez’s brace made him the first Nigerian debutant to score two goals since Mathias Obianika achieved the feat 55 years ago. His performance has raised expectations ahead of the final, where Nigeria will look to extend their dominance in the Unity Cup.

The Super Eagles trained at Cray Valley on Thursday, with their official session scheduled at The Valley on Friday. (The Guardian)

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