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VIDEO & PHOTOS: STRANGE & FASCINATING FACTS OF ALGERIA – NIGERIA WORLD CUP QUALIFYING MATCH

Published

7 years ago

November 5, 2017

BY KUNLE SOLAJA.

When Nigeria faces Algeria in Constantine on Friday, it will be 13 years four months and 21 days since the Super Eagles last lost a World Cup qualifying match. This translates to 4,891 days of an unbeaten streak across 34 matches.

The dead rubber match will be the 20^th encounter of both teams since their first clash at the second All Africa Games in Lagos in 1973. That maiden encounter ended 2-2 draw, Algeria being the only team Nigeria did not beat on the road to win its first continental honour – the gold medal of the football event of the All Africa Games.

In significance, Friday’s match may not have much value as Nigeria’s Super Eagles are already qualified for the Russia 2018 World Cup, while Algeria have since crashed out two match days before now.

It is therefore not a star attraction in the mould of the Cote d’Ivoire versus Morocco clash which is a winner-takes-all episode.

But Sports Village Square analysis will reveal that the Algeria-Nigeria encounter has great significance for eternal storage. Here are some of the insightful points of the encounter.

Nigeria was the last team Algeria faced to qualify for the World Cup for the first time in 1981. Algeria beat Nigeria 0-2 in Lagos on October 10, 1981 and 2-1 in Constantine on October 30, 1981 to qualify for 1982 World Cup.

Algeria was the last team Nigeria faced to qualify for the World Cup for the first time in 1993. Needing just a draw, the Super Eagles played 1-1 draw with Algeria on October 8, 1993 to become the first Anglophone country in Africa to qualify for the World Cup.

Nigeria will be attempting to extend the Super Eagles’ unbeaten run to 35 matches in the World Cup qualifying series. This is the longest in Africa. Nigeria last lost a World Cup qualifying match in Luanda on June 20, 2004 when Angola had a 1-0 win in the race to Germany 2006. Nigeria’s record is the second longest unbeaten run globally after that of Spain’s 59. Nigeria’s 34 unbeaten run is even four ahead that of World Cup holders, Germany. Next to that are those of Cote d’Ivoire and Switzerland both at 25 matches each.

Both Algeria and Nigeria were the last two African teams standing at the Brazil 2014 World Cup.

Both teams lost to European sides on the same day at the Brazil 2014 Round of 16 encounters. Nigeria lost 0-2 to France; Algeria lost 1-2 to Germany. If the two African teams had won their Round of 16 matches, they would have clashed in the quarter finals, thus an African team could had gotten to the semi finals. It would have also been the first time two African teams clashed at the World Cup.

Former Nigeria’s strongman of defence, Bright Omokaro, got his nickname of “Ten-Ten” when he hacked down an Algerian player who could neither return to the field nor be substituted and that evened the line-up after Nigeria’s Ademola Adeshina had been red-carded. Maverick Nigerian radio commentator, the late Ernest Okonkwo screamed: “Omokaro has made it ten-ten.” From then, ‘Ten-Ten’ became the nickname of the hard tackling defender.

It is another clash of Rabah Madjer and Alloy Agu, the two captains of the 1990 Africa Cup of Nations final match which Algeria won 1-0. Rabah Madjer who captained the Algerian team is now the head coach. Agu who also captained Nigeria in the match is in the technical crew of the Super Eagles as the goalkeeper trainer.

Since the third round of the World Cup qualifying series began in Africa last year October, Algeria, the initial highest ranked African team and hot favourites to top the Group 2 which was aptly tagged “Group of Death”, has not won any match in the series, losing all, and drawing just the opener against Cameroon. Will Nigeria achieve a double over Algeria as Zambia did?

Both Algeria and Nigeria have green as their dominant national colours.

ALGERIA FLAG NIGERIA FLAG

Their names have almost the same alphabets, and sounding almost the same. The differences in the names of Algeria and Nigeria are just the first two alphabets of their respective names.

The Constantine encounter will be the 20^th of both countries overall, but the eighth in World Cup qualifying series.

Head-to-Head: ALGERIA vs. NIGERIA

P W D L F A

Nigeria 19 8 4 7 27 22

Algeria 19 7 4 8 22 27

10 January 1973 (2AAG) Nigeria 2-2 Algeria
28 March 1978 (3AAG) Algeria 1-0 Nigeria
22 March 1980 (CAN) Nigeria 3-0 Algeria
10 October 1981 (WCq) Nigeria 0-2 Algeria
30 October 1981 (WCq) Algeria 2-1 Nigeria
10 March 1982 (CAN) Algeria 2-1 Nigeria
11 March 1984 (CAN) Algeria 0-0 Nigeria
15 January 1988 (Oq) Algeria 1-0 Nigeria
30 January 1988 (Oq) Nigeria 2-0 Algeria
23 March 1988 (CAN) Algeria 1-1 Nigeria *(8 -9 penalty shoot-out)
2 March 1990 (CAN) Algeria 5-1 Nigeria
16 March 1990 (CAN) Algeria 1-0 Nigeria
13 July 1993 (WCq) Nigeria 4-1 Algeria
8 October 1993 (WCq) Algeria 1-1 Nigeria
21 January 2002 (CAN) Algeria 0-1 Nigeria
3 July 2004 (WCq) Nigeria 1-0 Algeria
8 September 2005 (WCq) Algeria 2-5 Nigeria
30 January 2010 (CAN) Algeria 0-1 Nigeria
12 November 2016 (WCq) Nigeria 3-1 Algeria

When both teams met in Uyo last year’s November, it was Nigeria’s milestone of 100^th World Cup qualifying match and 50^th home game.

The November 12, 2016 match in Uyo was Nigeria’s 100th World Cup qualifying match.

When they meet again on November 10 in Constantine, it will be Algeria’s 95^th World Cup qualifying match and Nigeria’s 104^th, the second highest in Africa after Morocco’s 111^st.

Austin ‘Jay Jay’ Okocha scored 16 goals for Nigeria in his entire career. The first of the goals was a converted free kick against Algeria in a July 13, 1993 World Cup match in Lagos which Nigeria won 4-1.

Austin Jay Jay Okocha’s brother, Emma Okocha made his international debut in a match with Algeria on March 2, 1990.

The Okocha Brothers: Emma ‘Jay Jay’ Okocha and Austin ‘Jay Jay ‘ Okocha scored land mark goals against Algeria.

Emma Okocha’s only goal for Nigeria was scored against Algeria in the opening match of the 1990 Africa Cup of Nations in Algiers. Nigeria lost 5-1.
Algeria was the team Nigeria beat to win its first Africa Cup of Nations title in 1980. The then Green Eagles won 3-0 on March 22, 1980.
Nigeria’s Skipper Christian Chukwu lifts the Africa Cup of Nations trophy after a 3-0 defeat of Algeria on March 22, 1980 in Lagos.

Nigeria was the country Algeria beat in 1990 to win its only Africa Cup of Nations title till date. Algeria beat Nigeria 1-0 in the final match played in Algiers on Match 16, 1990.

Nigerian football legend, Segun Odegbami played his last international match when Nigeria faced Algeria in Constantine on October 30, 1981.Nigeria lost the match 2-1.

Segun Odegbami unfamiliarly put on shirt number 9 in his very last international match, a World Cup qualifying match with Algeria on October 30, 1981.

Rabah Madjer, Algeria greatest football icon will have his baptism of fire as Algeria’s coach when the team faces Nigeria on Friday.

Rabah Madjer, captain of Algeria in confrontation with Nigeria’s Isaac Semitoje during the 1990 Africa Cup of Nations final match. Madjer will be leading Algeria to face Nigeria, this time as a coach.
Former Nigeria’s captain, Christian Chukwu’s last match for Nigeria was against Algeria on October 10, 1981 in a World Cup qualifying duel which Nigeria shockingly lost 0-2 at home. It was also the case for Thompson Usiyen, one of Nigeria’s potent strikers in the seventies.

Algeria was a victim of an alleged World Cup match fixing episode in Gijon Spain in a West Germany versus Austria match. Two years later, Algeria and Nigeria were alleged to have played an “accord match” in a Group B Africa Cup of Nations match in Bouake, Cote d’Ivoire. The referee of the match, Karim Camara of Guinea, had to issue a yellow card to the captains of both sides, Stephen Keshi for Nigeria and Ali Feghani for Algeria.

Dateline: Bouake, Cote d’Ivoire March 11, 1984 – Guinean referee, Karim Camara issues a yellow card to skippers Stephen Keshi of Nigeria and Ali Feghani of Algeria. The gesture is actually a general caution to both teams for ‘unsporting’ behaviour.

Algeria once beat Nigeria silly, 5-1 in Algiers, Algeria. Nigeria also once beat Algeria silly 5-2 in Oran, Algeria.

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BREAKING! Odegbami stranded in London as saboteurs cause travel chaos in France before Opening Ceremony

Published

15 hours ago

July 26, 2024

Kunle Solaja

Travellers from Sydney, Australia, wait outside the Gare Montparnasse train station as they try to search for other trains after their trip was affected when vandals targeted France's high-speed train network with a series of coordinated actions that brought major disruption, ahead of the Paris..

Nigeria legendary former footballer, Segun Odegbami is among thousands of people unable to travel by train to Paris to witness the novel Opening Ceremony that Paris 2024 intends to put up.
Ahead of the formal opening of the Games, arson attack has caused travel chaos thwarting athletes’ travel plans to Paris.

High-speed trains around France were hit by several “malicious acts” this Friday that heavily disrupted traffic on the day of the high-risk opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics.

Arsonists attacked the French high-speed rail network early Friday, paralyzing travel to Paris from across the rest of France and Europe for some 800,000 people, including Olympic athletes heading to the grand opening ceremony of the Games in the evening.

French officials condemned the attacks as “criminal actions,” though they said there was no sign of a direct link to the Games. Prosecutors in Paris opened a national investigation saying the crimes — among them property damage threatening the nation’s “fundamental interests” — could carry sentences of 10 to 20 years.

“It’s a hell of a way to start the Olympics,” said Sarah Moseley, a 42-year-old traveler waiting at the Gare du Nord station in Paris as she learned that her train to London was delayed by the rail chaos.

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Colombian football president arrested

Published

2 weeks ago

July 16, 2024

Kunle Solaja

The president of the Colombian Football Federation, Ramón Jesurun,

The president of the Colombian Football Federation, Ramón Jesurun, was arrested in Miami following an incident at the Copa America final on Sunday, according to a police report released on Monday.

According to a Miami-Dade County police report, Jesurun was arrested on Sunday night for “battery on an officer/employee” at the Hard Rock Stadium, where the 2024 Copa America final was played. Colombia lost 1-0 to Argentina in extra time thanks to a Lautaro Martinez goal.

Chaos reigned around the 65,300-capacity multi-sport stadium in the US suburb of Miami Gardens, north of Miami, Florida.

Many fans (some without tickets) rushed the gates of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins stadium, pushing people to the ground and trying to sneak into the stadium through large air conditioning vents, causing several delays totalling 80 minutes.

Jesurun, 71, was unable to enter the field with his son and other family members after the game for the awards ceremony, where Jesurun’s son reportedly confronted a security guard who denied them access.

Jesurun, a CONMEBOL vice-president and CONMEBOL representative on the FIFA Council, was also involved in the altercation before police officers intervened, according to Colombian newspaper El Tiempo.

Miami-Dade police said 27 arrests were made and 55 people were ejected from the stadium during the match.

“I am extremely proud of our officers’ response to a volatile situation and their hard work to keep our community safe, as well as our law enforcement partners who provided critical support,” said Police Chief Stephanie Daniels.

“As part of the comprehensive analysis of last night’s game, we will review the protocols in place to ensure an orderly, safe and secure environment for all future events.”

In the wake of the scandal in the southern United States, where CONMEBOL decided to stage the Copa America despite the fact that the United States is not a member of the confederation but belongs to CONCACAF, the South American body said it had proposed procedures to the security organisers that were not used.

“Fans without tickets went to the vicinity of the stadium, which delayed the normal access of those who had tickets, slowed down the entry and led to the gates being closed,” CONMEBOL said in a statement, attempting to distance itself from the organisation’s responsibilities (for which it is responsible as the tournament’s organiser, although it has ceded them to the United States and its security forces).

“In this situation, CONMEBOL was subject to the decisions made by the authorities of the Hard Rock Stadium, in accordance with the contractual responsibilities established for the security operation.

“In addition to the provisions established in the said contract, CONMEBOL recommended to these authorities the procedures tested in events of this magnitude, which were NOT taken into account.”

“We regret that the acts of violence perpetrated by ill-intentioned people have marred a final that should have been a great celebration of sport,” concluded the organisation, led by Paraguayan Alejandro Domínguez.

-insidethegames

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Manu Garba proud of Eaglets as team countenances Niger Republic

Published

2 months ago

May 17, 2024

Kunle Solaja

Coach Manu Garba has asserted that he is proud of the Golden Eaglets after Thursday’s scoreless encounter with their Burkina Faso counterparts in the Group B opener of the WAFU B U17 Championship.

Five-time champions Nigeria created several scoring chances particularly late in the game at the Accra University Stadium, but failed to utilise even one that could have earned them the three points and handed them early leadership of the pool.

However, Garba said the boys played a cohesive game in their first-ever international outing and deserve credit for their display.

“We are proud of our team’s performance. Although we didn’t secure the win that we hoped for, our players showed great teamwork and sportsmanship. We look forward to our next match and the opportunity to continue growing and improving.

“The boys will get better with experience and exposure.”

Against the Burkinabes, the Eaglets showed flair and fluency, but a heavy downpour in the final 15 minutes of the game disrupted the general flow of play, with the pitch waterlogged and effective control and passing impossible.

The Golden Eaglets go up against their counterparts from the Niger Republic on Sunday evening (6pm Ghana time; 7pm Nigeria) with renewed hope and vigour to pick up the three points that will enhance their chances of a place in the last four.