AS SUPER EAGLES CLOCK 70; 20 AMAZING FACTS AHEAD OF NIGERIA-GUINEA AFCON MATCH

Published

5 years ago

June 24, 2019

BY KUNLE SOLAJA

Both Nigeria and Guinea meet in Alexandria on Wednesday in continuation of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.

As usual, www.sportsvillagesquare.com takes an insightful look at the match and comes out with the following 20 points of interest.

The match marks the 70^th year since the Nigeria national team was first composed on June 26, 1949 when the names of 17 of the eventual 18 national team players were announced. The 18^th player, Okoronkwo Kanu (anglicized as Kanoo) was added on July 2, 1949. The announcement was made by the national team selection committee after four trial matches involving selected sides from the Northern Nigeria, East, West and Lagos.

The encounter with Guinea will be Nigeria’s 88^th Africa Cup of Nations’ match in 18 out of 32 editions. The Super Eagles have won 46 of the preceding 87 matches; lost 19 drew 22 and had scored 121 goals, conceding 84.

The encounter will be Guinea’s 41^st Africa Cup of Nations’ match in 13 of 32 editions winning 11 drew 15, lost 13 and scoring 55 goals while conceding 57.

The match will be the second time both Nigeria and Guinea will in the Africa Cup of Nations finals. Both played in the second round of the 1976 edition in Ethiopia.

Nigeria’s left winger, Kunle Awesu struggles for ball possession with Guinea’s
Ali Bangoura at the 1976 Africa Cup of Nations in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Guinea’s coach, Paul Put from Belgium will be lining up a team against Nigeria for the third time. In 2013, he guided Burkina Faso to two matches against Nigeria. The first at the group stage ended 1-1, while Nigeria won the second match, the final game of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations. He will therefore be on a vengeance mission on Wednesday.

***Belgium’s Coach Paul Put has an axe to grind with Nigeria’s Super Eagles***

Guinea was the stepping stone for Nigeria’s first participation at the Africa Cup of Nations in 1963.
Guinea was the team that denied Nigeria qualification for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations, the last to be held on an even-numbered year.

***An argument between Guinean defender Dian Bolde (C) and Nigeria’s Joseph Yobo (R) in their last duel in 2011***

Guinea was the last team the Super Eagles played against at the Abuja arena, now renamed MKO Abiola National Stadium.

***Nigeria in anguish after playing Guinea in what turned to be the last match Super Eagles played in Abuja.***

Guinea was the team Nigeria beat to get first continental honours, the gold medal of the 2^nd All Africa Games football event, the only gold medal Nigeria won in the 54-year old sports fiesta.

Nigeria beat Guinea 2-0 on January 17, 1973 to win the gold medal of the football event of the 2nd All Africa Games. That was Nigeria’s first continental honour and the only gold medal in the football event till date

Some Nigeria-Guinea matches had dramatic endings featuring last minute goals. There are three of such instances.

In 1976 both met at the 1976 Africa Cup of Nations in Ethiopia. Final score line was 1-1 following Muda Lawal’s goal in the 52^nd minute and Papa Camara’s equaliser at the dot of 90 minutes.

***Papa Camara of Guinea shapes up for the last minute goal in the 1976 encounter***

On April 25, 1981, both teams met in A World Cup qualifier in Lagos. Scores were even in the first leg in Conakry, making the Lagos match the ultimate decider. Henry Nwosu scored in the last minute to give Nigeria the edge.

On October 8, 2011, both played a 2-2 draw as Guinea’s Ibrahim Diallo scored a last minute goal that denied Nigeria, the qualification for 2012 Africa Cup of Nations.

Mikel Obi, if fielded, will be the only member of the 2011 squad of the Super Eagles that will be in the line-up when Nigeria faces Guinea again on Wednesday.

***The only survivor from the Nigerian squad that played Guinea in 2011.***

Both Nigeria and Guinea maintained rivalries in the 1963 with the introduction of the Tafawa Balewa Cup, a trophy donated for bilateral competition by the first Nigerian Prime Minister. In the first leg of the only edition of the competition, Guinea beat Nigeria 3-0 in Conakry while the return leg ended 1-1 in Lagos.

Former Nigerian striker, Daniel Amokachi last scored for the Super Eagles in an encounter with Guinea on April 5, 1997.

***Daniel Amokachi’s brace on April 5, 1997 in the World Cup qualifier with Guinea was the last time he scored for Nigeria.***

Former Nigerian skipper, Muda Lawal scored the first of his 11 goals for Nigeria in the March 9, 1976 match against at the Africa Cup of Nations in Ethiopia.

**Muda Lawal on March 9, 1976, just before the match with Guinea, the day he scored the first of his 11 goals for Nigeria.**

Super Eagles have three victories in the Africa Cup of Nations and placed runners up five times and seven third placed positions while Guinea’s best outing is the runners up position in 1976.

Both Nigeria and Guinea maintained rivalries in the 1963 with the introduction of the Tafawa Balewa Cup, a trophy donated for bilateral competition by the first Nigerian Prime Minister. In the first leg of the only edition of the competition, Guinea beat Nigeria 3-0 in Conakry while the return leg ended 1-1 in Lagos

A win for Nigeria on Wednesday secures a Round of 16 ticket, even with a match to spare.

Wednesday’s match will be the 15^th confrontation of the Super Eagles and Syli Nationale of Guinea. Honours are evenly shared with both teams winning four matches and losing the same number of games. They drew six times. This Africa Cup of Nations’ confrontation will therefore be a “tie-breaker”.

NIGERIA-GUINEA HEAD-TO-HEAD

P W D L GF GA

Nigeria 14 4 6 4 17 14

Guinea 14 4 6 4 14 17

27 Jul. 1963 (Afconq) Nigeria 2-2 Guinea
6 Oct. 1963 (Afconq) Guinea 1-0 Nigeria * match awarded to Nigeria on technical ground
1 Dec. 1971(Balewa Cup) Guinea 3-0 Nigeria
30 Jan. 1972(Balewa Cup) Nigeria 1-1 Guinea
18 Jan. 1973 (2AAG) Nigeria 2-0 Guinea
9 March 1976 (Afcon) Guinea 1-1 Nigeria
12 Apr. 1981 (WCq) Guinea 1-1 Nigeria
25 Apr. 1981 (WCq) Nigeria 1-0 Guinea
9 Apr. 1989(Afconq) Guinea 1-1 Nigeria
22 Apr. 1989 (Afconq) Nigeria 3-0 Guinea
5 Apr. 1997 (WCq) Nigeria 2-1 Guinea
17 Aug. 1997 (WCq) Guinea 1-0 Nigeria
10 Oct. 2010 (Afconq) Guinea 1-0 Nigeria
8 Oct. 2011 (Afconq) Nigeria 2-2 Guinea

Nigeria’s AFCON 2025 fixtures almost in same pattern with World Cup qualifiers

Published

2 weeks ago

July 12, 2024

Kunle Solaja

Confederation of African Football (CAF) has now released the full fixtures of the qualifying series for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

The fixtures for the Nigerian team is almost in the same pattern with that of the 2026 World Cup qualification which has seen the Super Eagles wobbling.

Like that of the World Cup, the Super Eagles will begin their quest for qualifcation for AFCON with a home game in Uyo as they will host Benin Republic.

As it was in the World Cup, they will then head to Rwanda. Last November, their second match was played in Rwanda which hosted Zimbabwe home match. This time the Super Eagles will be facing Rwanda, the same team they will meet when the World Cup qualification series resume in March next year.

On Match Day 3, the Super Eagles will host Libya and will have the reverse fixture immediately after that of Match Day 3.

Later they travel to Benin for Match Day 5 before hosting Rwanda on the last match day.

The Fixtures

September 2 – Nigeria vs Benin Republic; Libya vs Rwanda

September 6 – Rwanda vs Nigeria; Benin Republic vs Libya

October 11 – Nigeria vs Libya; Benin Republic vs Rwanda

October 16 – Libya vs Nigeria; Rwanda vs Benin Republic

November 11 – Benin Republic vs Nigeria; Rwanda vs Libya

November 15 – Nigeria vs Rwanda; Libya vs Benin Republic

The top two teams qualify for AFCON 2025

AFCON

Rohr roars warning to Benin; Nigeria, Rwanda will not be easy

Published

3 weeks ago

July 5, 2024

Kunle Solaja

BY KUNLE SOLAJA.

Former Nigeria manager, Gernot Rohr now handling Benin Republic has warned The Cheetahs of Benin not to expect an easy match when the team meet Rwanda and Nigeria in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers later this month.

Last month, he led his team to defeat both Rwanda and Nigeria in World Cup qualifying duels in Abidjan, where Benin Republic are compelled to play their home matches following inadequate facilities at home.

Benin’s 1-0 defeat of Rwanda was Rohr’s first victory with the team. Days later, he followed up with a 2-1 defeat of Nigeria, the first Benin Republic victory in over 65 years.

Those wins have put Benin in the frame of possible qualification for the World Cup. They are now to meet Nigeria and Rwanda again in World Cup qualifiers.

It won’t be easy, remarked Rohr. Hear the Franco-German as he spoke in French but translated into English for the Sports Village Square: “From September we will play against Nigeria before facing Libya and Rwanda.

“These are three difficult opponents. We had already played Rwanda and Nigeria but be careful, it’s not because we won Rwanda and Nigeria that it will be easy matches.

“ We know that it is possible to achieve good performances again. We know that Nigeria with its great players will want to take revenge against us.

“ I think it will probably be an interesting match in Uyo before continuing against Libya. I suppose in Abidjan because in September the Mathieu Kerekou friendship stadium will not be ready.

“Everything will be decided in three months in September, October and November. It’s a difficult group but it’s playable.

“You have to finish in the top two. We had a team that is becoming solid, where the players are like brothers, accomplices. I hope we will recover the players who were absent. We are confident.”

AFCON

Coaches react after intriguing Africa Cup of Nations Qualifiers Draw

Published

3 weeks ago

July 5, 2024

Kunle Solaja

The journey towards qualification to the Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 shifted a gear higher on Thursday, after CAF officially conducted the draw of the qualifiers in Johannesburg South Africa.

A total of 48 nations will vie for the 24 places that will contests the 35th edition of Africa’s most prestigious competition.

This is what some of the coaches has to say in reaction to the draw outcomes.

Emerse Fae, Cote d’Ivoire coach

“I am satisfied because we are going to play against Zambia, a team that we know very well. In our last qualifying campaign, we lost against them. We know what mistakes to avoid.

“I am also satisfied because I did not want to have countries geographically far from Cote d’Ivoire which will lessen the travel load. That said, in Africa, there are no longer small teams. All the teams will want to challenge us because we are the reigning champions”

Leslie Notši

“The draw is very interesting because when you have the host in your group, it means they qualify automatically for the tournament, and you have to double your efforts to secure the remaining qualification spot which will be contested by the three other teams in the group.

“We will work very hard to see to it that we are competitive side and try as much as we can to get maximum points in matches against countries that are with us in our group. It will be very important to do well in our home games and I know all eyes will be on “Morocco as the hosts and a powerhouse in our group. We will draw inspiration from recent games where we played the likes of Nigeria as well as Cote d’voire and were able to frustrate them”

Amir Abdou, Mauritania Coach

“Quite a complicated draw. Egypt will be the big contender for qualification. They have a good track record that speaks volumes.

“Seven times African champions – that’s no small thing. We also have Cape Verde who eliminated us during the last AFCON.

“This team is made up of many quality players. We have Botswana, they are having a good qualifying campaign for the World Cup. We have a pretty strong group. It’s up to us to believe in ourselves. We will do everything we can to achieve our fourth participation in the AFCON”.

Kévin Nicaise, Chad coach

“We are already having the reigning African champions facing the last qualified team in the FIFA rankings. These will definitely be very difficult matches played at high intensity. We will fight to defend our nation’s pride. The group remains relatively open, and we will approach these qualifications with humility and ambition”.

Badou Zaki, Niger coach

“We have every chance of qualifying. For me, Ghana is a football country with a team that is blessed with great professionals. But this is not the team of 5 or 6 years ago. Even at home, they can lose.

“Angola had a good showing at the last AFCON with their beautiful, modern and fast football. It’s a team that shook up the big teams in Cote d’Ivoire.

“I know Sudan very well. They are first in their World Cup qualifying group. They are going to be dangerous, but we know our strengths and we know we can go far”

-CAF