Nigeria urged to end away-day inconsistency before Tanzania qualifier

Former Nigeria defender Godwin Okpara has challenged the Super Eagles to improve their away form when they face Tanzania in Zanzibar on Tuesday, 17 November, in the qualifiers for CAN 2027.

Nigeria will be without Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman for the fixture, but Okpara believes the team must still find greater consistency and avoid dropping points.

The former Paris Saint-Germain player made the comments in an interview with Africafoot, highlighting what he sees as Nigeria’s lack of reliability, including during their home victory over Tanzania. He believes the Super Eagles must address those shortcomings before travelling for the next meeting between the sides.

Okpara also said the absence of two of Nigeria’s leading attacking players should give the rest of the forwards an opportunity to take greater responsibility. With Osimhen and Lookman unavailable, he expects the other attacking options to show they can influence the match.

Competition for attacking places

The former Nigeria international also wants to see stronger competition for places in the forward line.

Asked whether Tolu Arokodare could start after scoring twice in the previous match, Okpara said the decision rests with the manager. He stressed that performances in training should be central to the selection process and that a player must continue to prove he deserves a place in the starting XI.

For Okpara, a strong showing in the previous game should not guarantee a starting position. Every player must demonstrate his value again, regardless of what happened in the last match.

That places renewed emphasis on Nigeria’s performance in Tanzania. The Super Eagles will be expected to show they can win away from home and remain competitive despite missing two of their principal attacking threats.

Tanzania are due to play Nigeria in their fourth match of the CAN 2027 qualifying campaign. The match is scheduled to take place in Zanzibar on Tuesday, 17 November.

The pre-match betting prices listed by 1xbet make Nigeria the clear favourites, with the Super Eagles priced at 1.36 to win. Tanzania are listed at 9.30, while a draw is priced at 4.35.