Iran will take on Nigeria in a four-nation invitational tournament originally scheduled to be held in Jordan, but was moved to Antalya, Turkey due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Ayomide Oguntimehin previews the March 27 clash in Antalya.
Iran vs Nigeria match preview
Iran head into the clash with Nigeria looking to use the fixture as key preparation ahead of the upcoming FIFA World Cup this summer. The Asian side has been placed in group G of the tournament, and they will fancy their chances against Belgium, Egypt and New Zealand when the tournament kicks off.
Team Melli are ranked 20th in the world and will be hoping to begin their campaign in 2026 with a win against the African heavyweights.
Last time out against Iran 🇮🇷 pic.twitter.com/MUI6T4AHLw
— 🇳🇬 Super Eagles (@NGSuperEagles) February 21, 2026
Nigeria, meanwhile, failed to qualify for the World Cup and also had their appeals against the Democratic Republic of Congo turned down by FIFA. The Super Eagles, however, head into the clash in remarkable form, following their exploits at the 2025 African Cup of Nations where they earned a third-placed finish.
The three-time African champions lost just one of their seven games at the tournament, suffering a penalty shootout defeat to hosts Morocco, before defeating Egypt in the bronze medal playoffs to win a record-ninth at the tournament. Victor Osimhen and Stanley Nwabali are two big-name absentees from Eric Chelle’s squad, although the team is still very packed with quality to hurt any opposition.
Iran vs Nigeria Head-to-Head record
- 16.06.2014 – Iran 0-0 Nigeria
- 17.11.2010 – Iran 0-0 Nigeria
- 28.01.1998 – Iran 0-1 Nigeria
Nigeria have never lost against Iran, winning one of their three meetings. However, both sides played out a goalless draw at the group stage of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.
Best betting odds
Away (Nigeria) to Win – 2.30 (via 1xBet)
Prediction
Nigeria have the edge in quality and should be able to trouble their opponents, with a good chance of coming out on top again in this encounter.
First International Break of the Year 🗓️#SuperEagles pic.twitter.com/HFCyCtR73A
— 🇳🇬 Super Eagles (@NGSuperEagles) March 25, 2026
Recent form: Iran
Iran have been poor in recent matches, winning only two of their last six games across all competitions and just one in regular time.
However, the Asian side have kept three consecutive clean sheets across their last three games, although they were defeated via penalty shootout by Uzbekistan in their last outing.
Recent form: Nigeria
Nigeria have been very impressive in recent matches, managing six wins from their last seven matches, with their only defeat coming on penalties to Morocco at the 2025 African Cup of Nations.
The Super Eagles have also managed to keep clean sheets in their last four matches and have also struggled to score in their last two, despite managing 14 in five matches before that run.
Player to watch
Ademola Lookman (Nigeria)
Lookman, Diaz and three other most valuable African footballers in La Liga
The Super Eagles star will have a key role to play in the clash as most of the attacking responsibilities will fall on him, especially in the absence of talisman Victor Osimhen.
Ademila Lookman’s dribbling ability and runs into the box will surely cause problems for the Iran defence.
