While certainly not the most exciting of teams, Nigeria and Iran are out to outlast each other for today's match at 3 pm ET, June 16, at the Arena de Baixada, Curitiba.
The majority of World Cup fans are not that thrilled of the duo, having said that neither of the teams has won a game since 1998. After sixteen years of waiting for a victory, the two must have developed a sense of mediocrity in the field.
There had been great, surprising game outcomes in the World Cup so far, with underdogs beating the favourites, and we hope that kind of action would somehow rub off this second Group F game.
Group F fixtures include the following:
Group F Fixtures
Date Match Time Venue
June 15 Argentina vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina 19:00 Local Time Maracana
June 16 Iran vs. Nigeria 16:00 Local Time Baixada
June 21 Argentina vs. Iran 13:00 Local Time Mineirao
June 21 Nigeria vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina 18:00 Local Time Pantanal
June 25 Nigeria vs. Argentina 13:00 Local Time Alegre
June 25 Bosnia and Herzegovina vs. Iran 13:00 Local Time Fonte Nova
Though Nigeria performed poorly at the pre-tournament friendlies with three losses, Coach Stephen Keshi assures that he will "bring them back into rhythm that we are used to." We're crossing our fingers, wishing he was referencing to Nigeria's golden years of being an African powerhouse, and not 2010 World Cup at South Africa.
Mikel John Obi, Emmanuel Emenike, and Vincent Enyeama of the Super Eagles must hold to be productive for this game.
On the other hand, Iran's Reza "Gucci" Ghoochannejhad's record of 10 goals out of 14 appearances since 2012 could be an intriguing display. Manager Carlos Quieroz, who also coached Real Madrid and Portugal, is also a great addition to the team.
The two clearly hasn't had that much luck in the previous World Cups. Hopefully, this new season will be a ray of hope for a beginning of a new era to the teams.
