Nigeria striker Umar Sadiq (#13) dribbles past Colombia's Kevin Balanta. (Photo : Getty Images)
Surprise team Nigeria will face dark horse squad Denmark in a quarterfinal match in the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics men's football tournament set at the Itaipava Arena Fonte Nova in Salvador this Saturday, August 13.
Nigeria is the biggest shocker in the tournament as the team was not favored to go past the group stages during pre-Olympic predictions.
However, the Dream Team proved the odds wrong by scoring an impressive 5-4 victory over Japan in their opening match then nipping Sweden, 1-0, in the second round to pace Group B competitions.
The team dropped a no-bearing 0-2 game to Colombia in the final round of group matches on Wednesday, but they still ended up at the top spot of the bracket with six points while Los Cafeteros settled at second place with five, Goal reported.
Nigeria had a chance to get in the score board when Oghenekaro Etebo missed a shot wide in the second half off a cross from Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel.
Head coach Samson Siasia's crew will continue to rely on striker Umar Sadiq, who had scored two goals in the tournament so far before the no-show against Colombia.
Meanwhile, Denmark survived Group A competitions by placing second to Brazil, eliminating Iraq and South Africa from further contention in the tourney.
The Danish side ended up in a goalless draw with Iraq to open their Olympic campaign, but their 1-0 nipping of South Africa in the second round proved to be the difference head coach Niels Frederiksen's boys are looking for to qualify in the knockout stages.
Denmark was blasted off the field by the host nation, 0-4, in the third round of group matches at the Itaipava Arena Fonte Nova also on Wednesday, but the win over South Africa earned them enough points to still move forward, via The Guardian.
It would be a tough game but Nigeria has the upperhand in a meeting between two underdog squads.
The predicted result is a 2-0 win for Nigeria.
Nigeria starting lineup (4-2-3-1 formation): Akpeyi; Udo, Troost-Ekong, Sincere, Madu; Okechukwu, Sodiq; A. Umar, Obi Mikel, Etebo; S. Umar
Denmark starting lineup (4-4-2 formation): Hojbjerg; Desler, Gregor, Gomes, Blabjerg; Borsting, Maxso, Jonsson, Vibe; Larsen, Brock-Madsen
