As effort to ensure Nigeria improves her ranking on the FIFA bi-monthly nations’ ranking, the Nigeria Football Federation has revealed that the nation’s senior male football team, the Super Eagles, will take on their Malian and Luxembourgian counterparts in two international friendly matches to be played in Europe in the next FIFA window.

Nigeria, ranked 67 in the world, take on Mali, ranked four places above them at 63, at the Stade Robert Diochon in Rouen, France on Friday, May 27, 2016.

Mali finished as runner-up at the Africa Cup of Nations in 1972 and took bronze medals at the finals in 2012 and 2013.

Mali, who are already through to the African Cup of Nations to be hosted by Gabon next January – a tourney which Nigeria failed to qualify for – will be hoping to use the friendly as a tune-up game for the continental football fiesta.

Four days after taking on Mali, on Wednesday, June 1, 2016, Nigeria will confront Luxembourg a yet-to-disclosed venue.