Nigeria-Mexico: International Friendly Preview

By Seth Vertelney
GOAL.COM, May 30, 2013

PROBABLE LINE-UPS

Mexico (4-2-3-1): Corona; Meza, Rodríguez, Reyes, Torres Nilo; Torrado, Salcido; Barrera, Herrera, Guardado; Hernandez

ROSTER

Goalkeepers: Guillermo Ochoa (Ajaccio), Jesús Corona (Cruz Azul), Alfredo Talavera (Toluca)

Defenders: Severo Meza (Monterrey), Francisco Javier "Maza" Rodríguez (América), Héctor Moreno (Espanyol), Diego Reyes (América), Jorge Torres Nilo (Tigres UANL), Carlos Salcido (Tigres UANL), Hiram Mier (Monterrey)

Midfielders: Jesús Zavala (Monterrey), Gerardo Torrado (Cruz Azul), Jesús Molina (América), Héctor Herrera (Pachuca), Javier Aquino (Villarreal), Andrés Guardado (Valencia), Ángel Reyna (Pachuca), Pablo Barrera (Cruz Azul)

Forwards: Giovani dos Santos (Mallorca), Oribe Peralta (Santos Laguna), Javier Hernández (Manchester United), Raúl Jiménez (América), Aldo de Nigris (Monterrey)

Nigeria (4-4-2): Enyeama; Kwambe, Obobona, Omeruo, Echiejile; Oduamadi, Ogu, Onazi, Mba; Ujah, Ideye

ROSTER

Goalkeepers: Chigozie Agbim (Warri Wolves), Austin Ejide (Hapoel), Vincent Enyeama (Maccabi Tel Aviv)

Defenders: Azubuike Egwuekwe (Warri Wolves), Efe Ambrose (Celtic), Elderson Echiéjilé (Sporting de Braga), Kenneth Omeruo (ADO Den Haag), Godfrey Oboabona (Sunshine Stars), Solomon Kwambe (Sunshine Stars), Francis Benjamin (Heartland F.C.), Odunlami Kunle (Sunshine Stars FC)

Midfielders: John Mikel Obi (Chelsea), Victor Moses (Chelsea), Ogenyi Onazi (Lazio), John Ogu (Academia de Coimbra), Obinna Nwachukwu (Heartland), Sunday Mba (Enugu Rangers), Michael Babatunde (Kryvbas Kryvyi), Reuben Gabriel (Kilmarnock)

Forwards: Joseph Akpala (SV Werder Bremen), Brown Ideye (FC Dynamo Kyiv), Anthony Ujah (FC Koln), Nnamdi Oduamadi (Varese), Kalu Uche (Kasımpaşa Spor Kulübü), Gambo Muhammad (Kano Pillars F.C.)

FACTOID:

• Mexico and Nigeria have met three times before, with Mexico winning one and a draw in the other two games. The two teams last met in October 2007 in a friendly, with the match ending in a 2-2 tie at the Estadio Olimpico Benito Juarez in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua.

• Giovani dos Santos was originally set to stay with Mallorca for its crucial final La Liga match, but has now been released and will be with El Tri, though he likely won't feature in this match.
• This game beings a stretch of six matches in 24 days on three continents for the Super Eagles, who have two World Cup qualifiers in Africa following the match. The side then heads to Brazil for the Confederations Cup.
• El Tri is also starting a busy stretch. The team will play three consecutive Hexagonal matches after the Nigeria match: June 4 at Jamaica, June 7 at Panama and June 11 vs. Costa Rica, before also heading to Brazil for the Confederations Cup.

• Mexico has played five games in 2013 and drawn all of them, including friendlies against Denmark and Peru, and three Hexagonal matches against Jamaica, Honduras and the United States.

• Chelsea star Victor Moses will miss Nigeria's upcoming matches with an injury.