Nigeria may need an unthinkable collapse in order to miss out on the Africa Cup of Nations, but be under no illusion, the Benin game is still a critical fixture for this Super Eagles side.
In terms of Afcon qualification, of course, victory would confirm Nigeria’s place at the Nations Cup, even if their decision to enter opposition territory on a flotilla of speedboats has been something of an unwanted distraction.
Should they take three points, they will move out of reach of Benin—currently in second place—on 11 points with one match to play, and neither Sierra Leone (third) or Lesotho (fourth) could catch them regardless of their result in Maseru on Saturday afternoon.