Iran and Nigeria will clash in an international friendly match on Friday as part of a mini four-nation tournament at the Antalya Stadium in Turkey.
The tournament was originally scheduled to hold in Jordan, but the ongoing conflict in the Middle East prompted a change of venue.
In this article, SportPremi provides a detailed match preview and team news on the March 27 clash.
Match Preview
Iran head into this encounter as they hope to use the tournament to prepare for the upcoming World Cup. The Asian side will compete alongside Belgium, Egypt and New Zealand in group G, with their opening game coming against the latter on June 16.
However, their participation in the tournament is currently under doubts as they are unwilling to play any match in the United States due to security reasons and will prefer to play their games in Mexico.
Team Melli will also face Costa Rica in their second game on March 32, bringing an end to their participation in the tournament.
Nigeria, meanwhile, failed to qualify for the World Cup after losing to the Democratic Republic of Congo in the CAF playoff final. The Super Eagles lodged a complaint to FIFA to disqualify DR Congo for fielding ineligible players, but their appeals were dismissed, ending their hopes of reaching the tournament.
Despite this, they enjoyed a remarkable outing at the 2025 African Cup of Nations where they won bronze medal. Nigeria won six of their seven matches, while their only defeat came on penalties during their semifinal clash against host nation Morocco.
The three-time African champions have also kept clean sheets in their last three games, including their shootout win over Egypt in the 2025 AFCON bronze medal playoff match.
Head to Head
Iran and Nigeria have met twice in recent outings, with Nigeria holding the upper advantage with one win and one draw.
Their last meeting was at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Russia, when both teams played out a goalless draw during the group stages.
Team News
Nigeria
Head coach Eric Chelle invited a 23-man squad for the games against Iran and Jordan, with several notable names making their return to the squad.
Two major names to miss out were Galatasaray striker Victor Osimhen and first-choice goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali, while Maduka Okoye, who missed the AFCON 2025 tournament, makes his return to the squad.
While 22 players have arrived in camp already, Calvin Bassey had to withdraw due to a back injury picked up while on club duties and will not feature in any of the two matches.
Predicted Lineups:
Okoye (GK), Onyemaechi, Ogbu, Ajayi, Osayi-Samuel, Iwobi, Ndidi, Onyeka, Lookman, Adams, Onuachu.
When is the match?
Kickoff for the game is slated for 2:00 PM on Friday at the Antalya Stadium in Turkey.
Prediction
Iran 0-2 Nigeria
The Super Eagles are in remarkable form and possess enough quality to hurt the Iranian defence, sealing a comfortable win and keeping a clean sheet in the clash.
