When Nigeria’s Super Eagles host Lesotho’s Crocodiles at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos on Tuesday, it will be the first competitive game to be played in the nation’s commercial capital city for over 20 years.
Gernot Rohr’s men play their final Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match fixture at the Teslim Balogun Stadium and will avoid fan pressure.
The Lagos fans are so passionate about good football, they pack stadiums and will boo the home team if the other team are playing better.
Fans are restricted from entering the stadium due to government’s restriction on large gatherings to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
Reports, however, suggest movement around the Surulere area of Lagos where the stadium is located will be restricted.
Lagos was for many years the home of the country’s team and it was in this burstling port city that Nigeria celebrated some of their biggest achievements – Gold medal at the 1973 All Africa Games, a first-ever AFCON in 1980 and qualification for their debut World Cup in 1994.
However, the poor state of the National Stadium pitch and sponsorships mainly by the oil-rich states of Akwa Ibom, Rivers and Delta meant the Super Eagles have moved home across the country.
The three-time African champions return Tuesday to the Southwestern part of Nigeria for a home game after a long while.
Nigeria already qualified for the biennial showpiece on Saturday after an away win in Benin.