Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the game between Iran and Nigeria. Let's hope it's now a bit of a comedown after Germany 4-0 Portugal....

Plenty of support for the Super Eagles tonight....

STAT: Nigeria are winless in their last eight World Cup games (D2 L6). It’s the longest current drought among the 32 teams taking part in 2014.

"We are more experienced and I hope that we will advance out of the group stage. In our group, perhaps our match against Argentina will be strongest. Of course our opening match will be important. In the World Cup, we mustn't make any mistakes. I can say with confidence that we will be a surprise for all people." - Iran's Andranik Teymourian is hoping to open a few eyes in Brazil.

Stephen Keshi (Nigeria): "I think their coach is their biggest weapon, because he’s well experienced, he knows the game well. For the Iran game we have to be focused. We have to concentrate and do our job. We’re not going to take Iran lightly because they’re not going to take us lightly, so we have to go out with everything that we have. They have a very good coach and I’m sure they also have some quality players. We don’t know Iran very well, but we’ll see them on Monday."

STAT: Iran have won only one of their nine games at the World Cup, against USA in 1998 (2-1).

Carlos Queiroz (Iran): "[on the chaos that led to many first-choice players missing the pre-tournament training camp in South Africa] With such arrangement and program failures, don’t expect much from Team Melli in Brazil. We will not make it to the next round because of the failure of the South Africa Camp… Even up to our departure time, we did not know if those players will be joining us or not. This training camp was vital for the team’s prospect. We came here to prepare the players to play against African teams. I did not come here for leisure."

Nigeria lost Elderson Echiejile ahead of the tournament, but had no new injury worries for the opening match, though Joseph Yobo does not start as he aims to play in his third World Cup having suffered from a persistent calf problem.

Iran are set to play a 4-2-3-1 with Andranik Teymourian sitting alongside deep-lying playmaker Javad Nekounam and protecting the back four, while looking to instigate quick counter attacks down the flanks through the speedy Ashkan Dejagah.

TEAMS: Iran: Heydari, Haji Safi, Hosseini, Sadeghi, Nekounam, Teymourian, Montazeri, Ghoochannejad, Dejagah, Pooladi. /// Nigeria: Enyeama, Ambrose, Oshaniwa, Oboabona, Omeruo, Mikel, Onazi, Azeez, Musa, Moses, Emenike.