It is a match-up between a team of Europe-based pros against part-timers, but Madagascar cannot be discounted easily particularly after they posted some decent results in the previous qualifying campaign.
They beat Botswana 1-0 and held both mighty Ivory Coast and Mozambique to 1-1 draws at home in the qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup.
Two 3-0 defeats away to Ivory Coast and Mozambique meant they finished on six points from as many matches, behind group winners Ivory Coast and Mozambique.
They will be led to Nigeria by Frenchman Jean-Paul Rabier, who got off to a winning start when the team pipped Comoros Islands 1-0 recently.
Nigeria, on the other hand, are trying to pick up the pieces after a disastrous World Cup in South Africa, where they failed to win a match and finished bottom of their first round group.
Former Sweden coach, Lars Lagerback, has taken up a job at the FA of his home country after his short-term contract ran out in July.
Austin Eguavoen, who led the Super Eagles to third place at the 2006 Nations Cup in Egypt, has been in temporary charge of the team. He called the shots when Nigeria lost 2-1 to South Korea in a friendly last month and he will also be in charge for the Madagascar match.
It is widely believed that the popular Samson Siasia, who led the country to the final of the football event of the 2008 Olympics, will finally be given the top coaching job on a permanent basis in time for the decisive Nations Cup qualifier away in Guinea in October.
“We will focus on this game and win it and after that Samson could come and continue from where I will leave the team,” said Eguavoen.
More than half the 23-man squad to the World Cup have been overlooked for this game, while there has been a deliberate attempt to give players in the domestic league a chance to stake a claim at full international level.
Nigeria Premier League top scorer Ahmed Musa, Bayelsa United goalkeeper Bassey Akpan as well as Enyimba defenders Emmanuel Anyanwu and Valentine Nwabili are part of the squad.
Fulham midfielder Dickson Etuhu and Joseph Akpala of Club Brugge have been ruled out as a result of injury, while Esperance striker Michael Eneramo and Oluwafemi Ajilore have been recalled after they were axed for both the 2010 Nations Cup and the World Cup.
Joseph Yobo was the last arrival as he had to sort out his loan move to Fenerbache of Turkey, while the Eagles most dependable defender Danny Shittu will have to put behind him the cancellation of his contract by Bolton Wanderers.
The 29-year-old Shittu managed just 12 games for Bolton since his arrival at the Reebok Stadium from Watford in August 2008.
Chelsea midfielder Mikel Obi has joined up with the Eagles to douse speculations regarding his availability. Mikel was dropped from the World Cup squad on account of a knee injury.
“It’s a home game and we have to play well before the fans. We hope to win but we cannot afford to underrate the other team,” warned Osaze Odemwingie.
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