BY KUNLE SOLAJA

The most often recalled match of Nigeria and Cameroon is the final match of 2000 Africa Cup of Nation. It ended 4-3 on penalty shootout after full time and extra time scores stood at 2-2.

From knockout stage of competitions, as will be applied in the Africa Cup of Nations’ Round of 16, penalty shootout will be a tiebreaker.

For that reason, one of thethoughts that will be dancing in the minds of the 16 team managers will be that of fitness of players and tactics.  Since June 1, there has been amendment to the laws of football concerning penalty kick.

Already, at the Women’s World Cup in France, Nigeria paid dearly for not been conversant with the rule change as a kick previously saved by the Nigerian goalkeeper had to be retaken and the goalkeeper cautioned for not having at least a foot on the goal line at the moment the kick was taken.

Being a knockout stage, the margin of errors has to be reduced. If previous Africa Cup of Nations finals are guides, there is one training practice, which will be just as decisive. It is how to strike the ball from 12 yards.

Since the 1984 finals when Nigeria ousted Egypt in a lengthy penalty shootout in the semi finals, Nigeria have been involved in penalty shootout in nine out of 12 editions.

This is perhaps a  record in the Africa Cup of Nations’ history.

Six final matches since 1982 had been decided by penalty shootout. It is a common occurrence even at the summit of world football, the FIFA World Cup. Great players, namely, Socrates (1986), Platini (1986), Zico (1986), Maradona (1990), Roberto Baggio (1994) Gerrard (2006) and Lampard (2006) have fumbled at what appears the cheapest goal to be scored in football.

Penalties have become part and parcel of recent tournaments. The 2011/12 European Champions League was decided by penalties. Since 1982 when a World Cup match was decided by penalty shoot-out, there have been 22 of such incidents.

  In 1990 World Cup, both semi final matches were decided on spot kicks, while the final match itself was prevented from ending up the same way. Ironically, it was still decided by a penalty kick, five minutes from regulation time.

It is of common knowledge that Ghana could had made a record by qualifying for the semi finals of the 2010 World Cup but for the unpredictable nature of the lottery of penalty kick shootout.

Zambia won the 2012 edition of the Africa Cup of Nations through penalty shoot-out. Beyond that, what could have been the decider of the game with Cote d’Ivoire was a penalty miss by Didier Drogba during regulation time, recalling the sad memory of how he also lost a vital kick during the penalty shoot-out against Egypt in the final game of the 2006 edition.  Several other celebrated players have equally failed to convert penalty kicks.

Before Ghana at the World Cup 2010, Cameroon lost the opportunity of getting to the 1990 semi finals of the World Cup through two penalty kicks scored against the African team by England’s Garry Lineker.

From the on going, it is clear that teams must have learnt to include penalty kick taking in their training schedule.

Penalty kicks have played crucial roles in shaping the champions in 11 of the last 16 editions of Africa Cup of Nations since Libya’82 that was decided by penalty shoot-out.

Big names in the continent – Nwankwo Kanu, Victor Ikpeba, Samuel Eto’o, and Didier Drogba among others – have missed from the penalty spots.

 In Nigeria’s march to victory in 1994, penalty kicks played crucial roles. The Super Eagles had to survive the ordeal of penalty shoot-out with Cote d’Ivoire in the semi finals.

It is on record that penalty kicks played crucial roles in shaping Nigeria’s destiny in 2013, 2010, 2006, 2004, 2002, 2000, 1994, 1988 and 1984 – a total of nine in Nigeria’s last 10 appearances at the finals.

  In 1984, Nigeria survived a lengthy penalty shoot-out against Egypt in the semi final, after scoring a goal from the penalty spot during regulation time.

In 1988, it was the same tale, this time against Algeria in the semi finals. A penalty kick award to Cameroon eventually decided Nigeria’s fate in the Maroc’88 final.

   Apart from 2000 in Lagos when Cameroon lifted the trophy through a penalty shoot –out, loss of a penalty in the extra time against Senegal decided the Super Eagles fate in the 2002 semi finals. Nigeria again crashed out of 2004 finals via penalty shoot out!

 In two of Nigeria’s six World Cup appearances, penalty kicks were largely responsible for Nigeria’s elimination. Roberto Baggio’s conversion of penalty kick in the extra time of a Round of 16 tie enabled Italy to eliminate Nigeria from USA’94.

At 2002 World Cup, the 63^rd minute penalty kick converted by Henrik Larssson for Sweden, in Nigeria’s second match, technically knocked out the Super Eagles from the World Cup.

Penalty kicks also proved decisive for other African teams in the African Nations Cup. Cameroon, Tunisia and Cote d’Ivoire lost vital matches via penalty shoot-out at 2006 African Nation Cup finals.

 The keepers who saved the kicks were the heroes, while the outfield players whose kicks missed the targets were the villains. It is obvious that those dramas will once more unfold at as Egypt 2019 gets to the knock out stage.

But who will be jumping and which player will bent double in tears? In 1982, Italy’s Antonio Cabrini wrote his name into the World Cup record books as the first player to miss a penalty in the final. He looked dejected after his 25^th minute spot kick went wide in the game with the then West Germany.

Penalty kicks, especially the shoot-outs, are made for television. They are fast, exciting while being a fairer means of tie-breaking than the toss of a coin.

But the Italians will not like to believe this after the Azzuris lost the USA’94 World Cup final through penalty shoot-out and had gone out through the same process at home in the Italia’90 World Cup semi final.

They again crashed out of France’98 through penalty kicks. But for the extra time goal with which the Koreans defeated them in 2002 in the Round of 16, one will have to go back 20 years (Mexico’86) to get the last time the Italians lost a knock-out match in the World Cup without resorting to penalties.

 Their prayers were answered at Germany 2006 when they beat France in the final via penalty shoot-out.

Penalty kicks at the Africa Cup of Nations finals

• 2017 – Quarter final match between Senegal and Cameroon decided by penalties. So also was the semi finals involving Burkina Faso and Egypt.
• 2015 – 3^rd place match between DR Congo and Equatorial Guinea was decided by penalties just the final match between Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana.
• 2013 – Quarter final match between South Africa and Mali decided by penalties. So also was the semi finals involving Burkina Faso and Ghana.

• 2012 – Final match decided by penalty shoot-out, while Drogba lost penalty in regulation time.
• 2010 – Quarter final duel between Nigeria and Zambia was decided by penalty shoot-out.
• 2006 – Nigeria involved in penalty shoot-out in the quarter finals against Tunisia.  Final match between Egypt and Cote d’Ivoire was decided on penalties, so also was the  quarter final match of Cote d’Ivoire and Cameroon.
• 2004 – Penalty shoot-out decided Nigeria’s fate in the semi finals.
• 2002 – Penalty loss by Wilson Oruma in 117^th minute of the extra time against Senegal in the semi-finals decided Nigeria’s fate. Final match of Cameroon and Senegal decided by penalties.
• 2000 – Penalty shoot-out decided Nigeria’s fate and the final match.
• 1994 – Penalty shoot-out played crucial role in Nigeria’s march to the final after regulation time 2-2 draw with Cote d’Ivoire in the semi finals.
• 1992 – Penalty shoot-out decided the final match of Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire.
• 1988 – Penalty shoot-out propelled Nigeria to the final after 1-1 draw with Algeria in the semi-finals. Penalty for Cameroon decided Nigeria’s fate in the final.
• 1986 – Penalty shoot-out decided the final match of Egypt and Cameroon.
• 1984 – Penalty shoot-out took Nigeria to the final after regulation time 2-2 draw with Egypt in the semi finals.
• 1982 – Penalty shoot-out decided the final match of Ghana and Libya.