Lagos — Australia caretaker coach Rob Baan has admitted his admiration for the Super Eagles forward line singling out the Premier League pair of NwankwoKanu and Obafemi Martins for particular mentioning as the key players.

His comments were made ahead of next Saturday's friendly showdown between the Socceroos and Nigeria at Craven Cottage, in London.

Baan, expected to soon hand over the reins of the team to Dutchman Dick Advocaat, who will watch the match from the sidelines, told The Advertiser that the Eagles' quality upfront would present the true measurement of the current standing of Australia.

On Tuesday Baan announced an under strength Australian 19-man squad without the injured Mark Viduka though complemented by the inclusion of Harry Kewell, Tim Cahill, Mark Schwarzer and the in-form Scott McDonald, who has scored 13 goals in 16 appearances for Celtic to battle Nigeria.

Nigerian coach Berti Vogts had last week listed 21 players largely based in Europe for the scheduled double header against both Australia and Switzerland on November 20 to prepare the Eagles for the testy challenge in Ghana early next year for the African Cup of Nations.

But it is the quality and depth of the six forwards in the Eagles squad which is being speculated as Vogts likely selection for Ghana 2008 that has enthralled Baan.

"It is one of the strongest line-ups that they (Nigeria) can bring there. It's not a bad forward line when you have Kanu and Martins. It will be a real measurement for us to see where we stand." Baan confessed.

Aside from Kanu who will be returning to the national set up having missed the last match against Mexico in Juarez Ciudad which ended 2-2, Vogts' forward line is lateral, a situation which allows the German the luxury of several options to from which to choose from.

Even without Everton striker Yakubu Aiyegbeni whose non inclusion for the Aussie and Swiss games has attracted public debate, Vogts undeniably has a potent firepower in Portsmouth's John Utaka, Ayo Makinwa, Osaze Odemwingie, Ikechukwu Uche and Ishiaku Mannaseh, who made his debut last month against Mexico.