Group F: Argentina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iran and Nigeria
Team Nigeria
The Nigerian national football team nicknamed, Super Eagles, represents Nigeria in international football association.
The team is controlled by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF,) the governing body of football in Nigeria.
During April 1994, Super Eagles were ranked 5th in the FIFA World Rankings, the highest ranking achieved by an African football team.
They Nigerian team is the current Africa Cup of Nations champions. After playing other colonies in unofficial games since the 1930s, Nigeria played its first official game in October 1949, while still a British colony.
The Super Eagles played warm-up games in England against various amateur teams like Dulwich Hamlet, Bishop Auckland and South Liverpool.
The team’s first major success was a gold medal in the 2nd All-Africa games, with 3rd place finishes in the 1976 and 1978 African Cup of Nations to follow.
In 1980 the Nigerian team had players like Leyton Orient’s John Chiedozie and Tunji Banjo, and the Muda Lawal/Christian Chukwu, who led Super Eagles to its first trophy in Lagos.
In 1984 and 1988, Nigeria reached the Cup of Nations final, losing both matches to Cameroon.
Three of the four African titles won by Cameroon have been won by defeating Nigeria.
Missing out to Cameroon on many occasions has created an intense rivalry between both nations.
Nigeria finally reached the World Cup for the first time in 1994, with the team being managed by Clemens Westerhof.
In its first game Nigeria defeated Bulgaria 3–0, lost to Argentina 1–2, and qualified for the second round after a 2–0 victory over Greece.
In the second round Nigeria played Italy and took the lead with a goal from Amunike in 25 minutes.
Nigeria was within two minutes of qualifying for the quarterfinals of the 1994 World Cup in the game against Italy but Roberto Baggio scored to send the game to extra-time.
Baggio again scored the eventual winning goal in the extra-time.
In 1998 Nigeria returned to the World Cup alongside Cameroon, Morocco, Tunisia, and South Africa.
Optimism was high due to the magnificent performance of head coach Bora Milutinović, and the return of some key members in the 1994 squad.
In the final tournament, Nigeria was drawn in Group D which included Spain, Bulgaria and Paraguay
Nigeria caused a major upset by defeating Spain 3–2 after coming back twice from being 1–0 and 2–1 down.
The Eagles qualified for the second round with a win against Bulgaria and a lost to Paraguay.
The team’s hopes of surpassing the 1994 performance were shattered after a 1–4 loss to Denmark.
The 2002 World Cup in Korea and Japan again saw Nigeria qualify with a higher confidence, due to its past performance in the World Cup.
With a new squad and distinctive pastel green kits the Super Eagles were expected to build on its strong performances in the 2000 and 2002 African Cup of Nations.
Nigeria was drawn in Group F with powerhouses Sweden, Argentina, and England.
The first game against Argentina started with a strong defense that kept the first half scoreless.
In the 61st minute, Gabriel Batistuta breached the Nigerian defense to score the only goal in the match.
Nigeria’s second game against Sweden saw them take the lead but later lost 2–1.
Nigeria then drew 0–0 with England and bowed out in the first round.
On 14 November, 2009 Nigeria qualified for the 2010 World Cup after defeating Kenya by 3–2 in Nairobi.
In the final of the tournament, the Super Eagles lost its opening match against Argentina 1–0 at Ellis Park Stadium, following a Gabriel Heinze header in the 6th minute.
In its second game, Nigeria lost by 2-1 scoreline against Greece.
The Super Eagles drew 2–2 with South Korea in the final group match of the tournament which eventually caused their elimination.
On 30 June, 2010 following the team’s early exit and poor showing, President of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan, suspended the national football team from international competition for two years.
This suspension put the team at risk of being banned from international football by FIFA for reasons of political interference.
On 5 July, 2010 the Nigerian government rescinded its ban of the national football team from FIFA/CAF football competitions, but the sanction of suspension was applied by FIFA some three months after.
On 4 October, 2010 Nigeria was indefinitely banned from international football due to government interference following the 2010 World Cup.
Days later, however, the ban was “provisionally lifted” until 26 October, the day after the officially unrecognised National Association of Nigerian Footballers (NANF) dropped its court case against the NFF.
The Super Eagles started its 2014 World Cup campaign in Group F which included Malawi, Kenya and Namibia.
Nigeria were massive favourite to reach the final play-off round of the qualifying stages.
The Super Eagles in their qualifying matches drew three times, once against each opponent, with the most worrying result a 1-1 at home to Kenya when only a second half injury time goal by Nnamdi Oduamadi won them a point.
Once in the two-legged play-off, the Eagles drew the lowest-ranked team in Ethiopia and despite the improvement of the east Africans, Nigeria were seldom threatened in winning away 2-1 and at home 2-0.
After impressing on their way to the second round in each of their first two FIFA World Cup appearances, 1994 and 1998, the Super Eagles have struggled since: going out at the group stage three times while taking just two points from their last eight matches in the finals.
A muddled South Africa 2010 campaign under Lars Lagerback did little to bolster Nigeria’s reputation, but Brazil 2014 offers another chance for the reigning African champions to soar.
With the head Coach, Stephen Keshi, who has earned a reputation as a no-nonsense boss and also not afraid to choose in-form domestic players at the expense of more well-known stars, a policy that paid handsome dividends as Nigeria won the 2013 edition of the CAF Africa Cup of Nations.
Keshi has kept a relatively stable spine of the team since then, with Chelsea’s John Obi Mikel, leaving his mixed past with the Eagles behind to become the lynchpin of the side.
In goal, Vincent Enyeama is an important veteran, while Victor Moses, Ahmed Musa and Emmanuel Emenike are key parts of a deep attack.
It must be pointed out that the Nigeria national team has produced some of the finest players in football.
These include the likes of Jay Jay Okocha, Nwankwo Kanu, and Rashidi Yekini.
Source: Ghana | todaygh.com | EVANS OBIRI APPIAH