Preview: Mexico vs. Nigeria - prediction, team news, lineups

Nigeria and Mexico prepare to go head-to-head in an international friendly at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Sunday.

In stark contrast to their opponents who have not been in action for nearly a month, Mexico only have a three-day turnaround from their last involvement.

Match preview

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Mexico got the better of Panama in a comfortable 3-0 victory when the sides faced off at the Nissan Stadium on Thursday.

Diego Lainez gave Gerardo Martino's a half-time lead, before second-half goals from Cesar Montes and Henry Martin put the result beyond any doubt.

Since last month's CONCACAF National League final loss to the USA, El Tri are yet to lose any of the two subsequent matches, keeping clean sheets in both.

They remain just outside the top 10 of the FIFA rankings, ahead of the likes of heavyweights such as Germany and the Netherlands.

Sunday's contest is the first meeting between the teams since 2014, when the points were split just like the previous encounter a year earlier.

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Nigeria played out a goalless draw versus Cameroon on June 8 in the second of two consecutive international friendlies involving the sides.

Gernot Rohr fielded a relatively similar team to the one that was defeated four days earlier, but his side were able to pick up a better result.

The Super Eagles are currently ranked as the 32nd-best male national team in world football, 21 places below Sunday's opponents.

They are yet to win a friendly since 2019 when they beat Egypt, and now is as a good a time as any to end that barren streak.

Team News

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Gerardo Martino made a host of changes to his starting XI last time out, and that trend is expected to continue for this weekend's game.

While Guillermo Ochoa is likely to remain in goal, Hector Moreno and Jesus Angulo could come in for Cesar Montes and Johan Vasquez respectively.

Diego Lainez opened his account for Mexico last time out, and the 21-year-old forward will look to build upon that performance.

Nigeria's Ikechukwu Ezenwa is ruled out with an ankle injury and has withdrawn from the initial 23-man squad that was named.

His absence opens the door for John Noble and Nwabali Stanley, as one of them would be featuring at this level for the first time.

Mexico possible starting lineup:
Ochoa; Aguirre, Moreno, Angulo, Sanchez; Alvarado, Beltran, Cordova; Martin, Lainez, Antuna

Nigeria possible starting lineup:
Noble; Kazie, Obot, Ndah, Adeleke; Shimaga, Maya, Nnoshiri; Iwuala, Jude, Olawoyin

We say: Mexico 3-1 Nigeria

Mexico have a far more experienced team at their disposal at the moment and will back themselves to triumph in this one. We are tipping them to cruise to victory in a comfortable manner come the full-time whistle.