France, Denmark loom large for Eagles
France and Denmark, two countries that have met Nigeria in the FIFA World Cup Round of 16 over the past 20 years, are again the prospects for the Round of 16 in Russia, once the Super Eagles get the challenge of Argentina behind them on Tuesday.
The only other country to have played Nigeria in the FIFA World Cup Round of 16, Italy (USA 1994) did not make it to the finals in Russia.
Denmark hit the Eagles 4-1 at the Stade de France in Paris in 1998, with the Nigerians failing to fully focus on the match but on a probable quarterfinal match-up with Brazil, two years after the Nigeria U23 edged Brazil in the Olympics semi-final in USA.
Four years ago, France were 2-0 winners at the Estadio Nacional Mane Garrincha in Brasilia, kicking the Eagles out of Brazil 2014.
France and Denmark have dominated Group C here in Russia, each with six points and similar two-goal credit, and with their clash in Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium also on Tuesday to determine the group winner. Peru and Australia have already been eliminated in that section.
The winner of Group C will take on the runner-up of Group D (Nigeria’s section) in the Round of 16 in Kazan on Saturday 30th June, while the winner of Group D will play the runner-up of Group C in Nizhny Novgorod on Sunday 1st July.
