Super Eagles challenged to end away-day struggles before Tanzania qualifier

Former Nigeria international Godwin Okpara has called on the Super Eagles to improve their record away from home when they travel to Zanzibar to face Tanzania on Tuesday, 17 November, in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

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

Okpara demands greater consistency

Speaking to Africafoot, Okpara highlighted what he sees as Nigeria’s lack of reliability, including during their home victory over Tanzania. He said the Super Eagles needed to address those shortcomings before attempting to secure a positive result on Tanzanian soil.

The former defender also believes the absence of Osimhen and Lookman should give the other forwards an opportunity to take greater responsibility in attack. Their unavailability means Nigeria will need different players to provide the threat in front of goal.

Okpara wants the attacking positions to be decided on merit, rather than reputation or the outcome of the previous match. That could create increased competition for places ahead of the fourth round of qualifying.

Arokodare faces competition for starting place

Tolu Arokodare is expected to be involved in training after scoring twice in Nigeria’s previous match. The former Paris Saint-Germain player said a strong performance in that fixture alone should not guarantee the striker a place in the starting line-up against Tanzania.

According to Okpara, the decision remains with the coach, while performances during training will be an important factor in determining who starts. He believes every player must continue to demonstrate that they deserve selection, regardless of what happened in the preceding game.

The message places pressure on Nigeria to prove they can perform effectively away from home and remain competitive without two of their principal attacking players. Tanzania, meanwhile, will play their fourth match of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign against the Super Eagles.

Listed odds for the match give Tanzania a price of 9.30 to win, with a draw at 4.35 and a Nigeria victory at 1.36.