Should Super Eagles worry over Blues Sharks of Cape Verde?
Should Super Eagles worry over Blues Sharks of Cape Verde?
Some have said anything can happen in football and others have added that there are no more minnows in football.
Yet others have described the round leather game as biscuit which can crack from any side at any time to mean that even highly rated teams can on a bad day crumble to underrated teams.
There is no doubt that these submissions are debatable depending on current form of the teams involved and perhaps on the condition under which they play.
Back to the question should Eagles worry over Cape Verde, the answer on paper really should be capital no considering that the Blue sharks are ranked 77th by world soccer governing body FIFA a massive 33 places below Super Eagles ranked 34th on the log.
But does that imply that victory at the Estádio da Várzea will be there for the picking for Eagles on Tuesday? You never can say but again you can’t say that after all the Sharks held Bafana Bafana to a 1-1 draw on Friday.
Going head to head in the last six matches comprising both competitive and international friendlies Eagles won one against Liberia, drew two and lost three against Mexico, Cameroon and Algeria. In the same vein the Blue Sharks also won one against Andora in a friendly, drew two and lost three, two against Senegal and one against Burkina faso.
Interestingly they lost 4-0 to Burkina faso far back in 2017 in FIFA world cup African qualifying third round while Eagles lost 4-0 to in July this year in an international friendly.
So it might be safe to say both teams are heading into Tuesday’s party on a fair ground. The 15,000 capacity stadium that will host the game was built in 2010 and commissioned in 2014 at the cost of 1.4billion Cape Verde Escudo (CVE) about €12.7 million. It boasts of artificial turf which the hosts are used to and which the Eagles are not regular on. will it be a factor ?
READ ALSOW/Cup qualifier: Eagles to fly out Monday to keep a date with Cape Verde
Sometimes analysis to infinity may not be ultimate perhaps the best thing would be to wish both teams luck and wait to see where the pendulum swings come Tuesday at 5pm.