When Nigeria takes on Germany on Thursday in Christchurch it will be a superb clash of high octane football featuring the champions of Europe and Africa and yet there will be at least one defensive battle that may affect the outcome of the game.
It will also be a battle of giants as Akpoguma is 1.92 m and Awoniyi 1.80m setting the table for a delicious aerial duel.
Akpoguma above who plays for Hoffenheim and has been compared to Bayern’s Boateng has played for Germany at U16, U17, U18 and U19 levels before now, knows that cancelling out Awoniyi will go a long way in preventing the Flying Eagles from advancing.
Meanwhile Awoniyi below who once used to be beaten by his Dad for playing football, has come a long way since then. In Senegal at the African Youth Championships he was superb helping lead Nigeria to another African Crown and in turn has been compared to the late great Yekini.
Though he started slowly in New Zealand he has become accustomed to the colder weather and his pace and productivity has increased in each game minute by minute.
There is no doubt regardless of the outcome of the game, that the NFF will be paying particular interest to Akpoguma hoping that he may decide on shoring up the Super Eagles defense alongside the half German Balogun who picked Nigeria over Germany.
So it may very well be that Akpoguma and Awoniyi will be seeing each other again but this time on the same side.
Germany and Nigeria have met twice at the U20 level with both teams winning one game and Nigeria holding the slight edge in goals scored having scored four times as opposed to three from Germany.
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