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WILL ARGENTINA SPOIL MIKEL OBI’S 80TH INTERNATIONAL CAP?

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Published

8 years ago

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BY KUNLE SOLAJA.

Super Eagles’ skipper, Mikel Obi may this Tuesday get the opportunity of  playing his 80th  international game when Nigeria face Argentina for the eighth time.

With that, Mikel will become the fifth most capped Nigerian international. Incidentally, all those before him were also skippers of the Nigerian national teams.

Those that attained the 80th match milestone before now were Muda Lawal on June 16, 1985; Nwankwo Kanu on June 20, 2009; Joseph Yobo on September 3, 2011 and Vincent Enyeama on June 5, 2013.

Nigeria did not lose the matches in which those players made their 80th appearance. That is the burden Mikel Obi possibly carry as he is expected to lead Nigeria against a strong opposition like Argentina and also under an inclement weather condition which is expected to drop to almost freezing point.

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When Muda Lawal had his 80th cap, Nigeria played a goalless draw with Cote d’Ivoire on June 16, 1985.

The result was the same for Nwankwo Kanu as he came off the bench to replace Kalu Uche in a World Cup qualifying match with Tunisia to earn his 80th cap.

The match played in Rades, Tunisia ended goalless. It was even more remarkable for Joseph Yobo when he earned his 80th cap in Antananarivo, Madagascar, the home country of the current CAF President who was his nation’s FA president at the time.

In the September 3, 2011 Africa Cup of Nations duel, Nigeria did not just have a 2-0 away win, Yobo, a defender opened scoring! When on June 5, 2013 Vincent Enyeama made his 80th appearance for Nigeria in Nairobi, Kenya, he had a clean sheet and Nigeria won the away World Cup qualifier 1-0.

Will Mikel’s 80th cap also be marked on a sweet note for Nigeria?  Sports Village Square recalls that the record books are replete with tales of broken dreams in milestone games.

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While the likes of Diego Forlan had victories to tell on their milestones as his Uruguay’s 2-1 defeat of Nigeria in the 2013 FIFA Confederation Cup tie at Salvador, Brazil marked his 100th international appearance, that of  Yobo was soiled.

It was on the day that Yobo clocked 100th match that Nigeria crashed out of the World Cup just as Enyeama’s 100th cap celebration was spoilt in front of home crowd in Uyo when Uganda shocked Nigeria 0-1.

Only last Thursday, Northern Ireland’s captain, Steven Davis had the marking of his 100th cap spoilt by a home defeat to Switzerland in a European play-off match for Russia 2018. On Sunday, his team eventually crashed out.

 

 

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 MIKEL OBI’S PREVIOUS 79 MATCHES

  1. August 17, 2005 (F-Tripoli) LIBYA 0 – 1 NIGERIA. (sub)

 

  1. January 27, 2006 (AFCON-Port Said) ZIMBABWE 0 – 2 NIGERIA. (sub) 1 goal

 

  1. February 4, 2006 (AFCON-Port Said) TUNISIA 1 – 1  NIGERIA* 5-6 pens

 

  1. February 7, 2006 (AFCON-Alexandria) COTE D’IVOIRE 1 – 0 NIGERIA. (sub)

 

  1. September 2, 2006 (AFCONq-Abuja) NIGERIA 2 – 0 NIGER. (sub)

 

  1. February 6, 2007 (F-London) GHANA 4 – 1 NIGERIA.

 

  1. March 24, 2007 (AFCONq-Abeokuta) NIGERIA 1 – 0 UGANDA.

 

  1. September 8, 2007 (AFCONq- Warri) NIGERIA 2 – 0 LESOTHO.

 

  1. October 14, 2007 (F- Mexico City) MEXICO 2 – 2 NIGERIA.

 

  1. January 21, 2008 (AFCON- Sekondi) COTE D’IVOIRE 1 – 0 NIGERIA.

 

  1. January 25, 2008 (AFCON- Sekondi) MALI 0 – 0 NIGERIA.

 

  1. January 29, 2008 (AFCON- Sekondi) BENIN 0 – 2 NIGERIA. (1 goal)

 

  1. February 3, 2008 (AFCON- Accra) GHANA 2 – 1 NIGERIA. (sub)

 

  1. May 27, 2008 (F- Graz) AUSTRIA 1 – 1 NIGERIA.

 

  1. June 1, 2008 (WCq- Abuja) NIGERIA 2 – 0 SOUTH AFRICA.

 

  1. June 7, 2008 (WCq-Freetown) SIERRA LEONE 0 – 1 NIGERIA. (sub)

 

  1. June 21, 2008 (WCq- Abuja) NIGERIA 2 – 0 EQUATORIAL GUINEA. (sub)

 

  1. February 11, 2009 (F-London) JAMAICA 0 – 0 NIGERIA.

 

  1. March 29, 2009 (WCq-Maputo) MOZAMBIQUE 0 -0 NIGERIA.

 

  1. June 20, 2009 (WCq-Rades) TUNISIA 0 -0 NIGERIA

 

  1. September 6, 2009 (WCq-Abuja) NIGERIA 2 – 2  TUNISIA

 

  1. November 14, 2009 (WCq-Nairobi) KENYA 2 – 3 NIGERIA.

 

  1. January 6, 2010 (F- Durban) ZAMBIA 0 – 0 NIGERIA. (sub)

 

  1. January 12, 2010 (AFCON- Benguela) EGYPT 3 – 1 NIGERIA. (sub)

 

  1. January 16, 2010 (AFCON- Benguela) BENIN 0 – 1 NIGERIA.

 

  1. January 20, 2010 (AFCON- Lubango) MOZAMBIQUE 0 – 3 NIGERIA.

 

  1. January 25, 2010 (AFCON- Lubango) ZAMBIA 0 – 0 NIGERIA (aet) 4-5 pens

 

  1. January 28. 2010 (AFCON- Luanda) GHANA 1 – 0 NIGERIA.

 

  1. January 30, 2010 (AFCON- Benguela) ALGERIA 0 – 1 NIGERIA. (sub)

 

  1. September 5, 2010 (AFCONq – Calabar) NIGERIA 2- 0 MADAGASCAR (sub)

 

  1. March 29, 2011 (F- Abuja) NIGERIA 3- 0 KENYA

 

  1. June 1, 2011 ( F- Abuja) NIGERIA 4- 1 ARGENTINA

 

  1. June 5, 2011 ( AFCONq- Addis Ababa)  ETHIOPIA 2-2 NIGERIA

 

  1. September 3, 2011 (AFCONq- Antananarivo) MADAGASCAR 0-2 NIGERIA

 

  1. September 6, 2011 ( F- Dhaka) ARGENTINA 3-1 NIGERIA (sub)

 

  1. October 8, 2011 ( AFCONq-Abuja) NIGERIA 2-2 GUINEA

 

  1. October 11, 2011 (F-London) NIGERIA 0-0 GHANA (sub)

 

  1. October 13, 2012 (AFCONq – Calabar) NIGERIA 6-1 LIBERIA (1 goal pen)

 

  1. January 9, 2013 (F – Faro) CAPE VERDE 0-0 NIGERIA

 

  1. January 21, 2013 (AFCON – Nelspruit) BURKINA FASO 1-1 NIGERIA

 

  1. January 25, 2013 (AFCON – Nelspruit) ZAMBIA 1-1 NIGERIA

 

  1. January 29, 2013 (AFCON – Rustenburg) ETHIOPIA 0-2 NIGERIA (sub)

 

  1. February 3, 2013 (AFCON – Rustenburg) COTE D’IVOIRE 1-2 NIGERIA

 

  1. February 6, 2013 (AFCON – Durban) MALI 1-4 NIGERIA

 

 

  1. February 10, 2013 (AFCON –  J’burg) BURKINA FASO 0-1 NIGERIA

 

  1. March 23, 2013 (WCq- Calabar) NIGERIA 1-1 KENYA

 

  1. June 5, 2013 (WCq – Nairobi) KENYA 0-1 NIGERIA

 

  1. June 12, 2013 (WCq- Windhoek) NAMIBIA 1-1 NIGERIA

 

  1. June 17, 2013 (Confed – Belo Horizonte) TAHITI 1-6 NIGERIA

 

  1. June 20, 2013 (Confed – Salvador) URUGUAY 2-1 NIGERIA (1 goal)

 

  1. June 23, 2013 (Confed – Fortaleza) SPAIN 3-0 NIGERIA

 

  1. September 7, 2013 (WCq – Calabar) NIGERIA 2-0 MALAWI

 

  1. October 13, 2013 (WCq- Addis Ababa) ETHIOPIA 1-2 NIGERIA

 

  1. November 16, 2013 (WCq- Calabar) NIGERIA 2-0 ETHIOPIA

 

  1. November 18, 2013 (F- London) ITALY 2-2 NIGERIA

 

  1. March 6, 2014(F- Georgia) MEXICO 0-0 NIGERIA

 

  1. June 4, 2014 (F- Pennsylvania) GREECE 0-0 NIGERIA

 

  1. June 7, 2014 (F- Florida) USA 2-1 NIGERIA (sub)

 

  1. n June 16, 2014 (WC- Curitiba) IRAN 0-0 NIGERIA

 

  1. June 21. 2014 (WC- Cuiaba) BOSNIA HERZEGOVINA 0-1 NIGERIA

 

  1. June 25, 2014 (WC-Porto Alegre) ARGENTINA 3-2 NIGERIA

 

  1. June 30, 2014 (WC- Brasilia) FRANCE 2-0 NIGERIA

 

  1. September 6, 2014 (AFCONq- Calabar) NIGERIA 2-3 CONGO

 

  1. September 10, 2014 (AFCONq- Cape Town) SOUTH AFRICA 0-0 NIGERIA

 

  1. October 11, 2014 (AFCONq – Khartoum) SUDAN 1-0 NIGERIA

 

  1. October 15. 2014 (AFCONq – Abuja) NIGERIA 3-1 SUDAN

 

  1. November 15, 2014 (AFCONq- Pointe Noire) CONGO 0-2 NIGERIA

 

  1. November 19, 2014 (AFCONq- Uyo) NIGERIA 2-2 SOUTH AFRICA

 

  1. October 8, 2015 (F- Vise, Belgium) DR CONGO 2-0 NIGERIA. (sub)

 

  1. October 11, 2015 (F-Vise, Belgium) CAMEROON 0-3 NIGERIA. (sub)

 

  1. November 13, 2015 (WCq- Lobamba) SWAZILAND 0-0 NIGERIA. (sub)

 

  1. March 25, 2016 (AFCONq- Kaduna) NIGERIA 1-1 EGYPT.

 

  1. March 29, 2016 (AFCONq- Alexandria) EGYPT 1-0 NIGERIA.

 

  1. September 3, 2016 (AFCONq -Uyo) NIGERIA 1-0 TANZANIA. (sub)

 

  1. October 9, 2016 (WCq -Ndola) ZAMBIA 1-2 NIGERIA.

 

  1. November 12, 2016 (WCq -Uyo) NIGERIA 3-1 ALGERIA. (sub, 1 goal)

 

  1. September 1, 2017 (WCq -Uyo) NIGERIA 4-0 CAMEROON (sub, 1 goal)

 

  1. September 4, 2017 (WCq -Yaoundé) CAMEROON 1-1 NIGERIA

 

  1. October 7, 2017 (WCq -Uyo) NIGERIA 1-0 ZAMBIA
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Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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International Football

New global players’ union launched in Madrid amid rift with FIFPRO

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Published

3 weeks ago

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April 24, 2026

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David Aganzo, general secretary of the Spanish Footballers' Association (AFE) during a press conference announcing the official launch of the Spanish Footballers' Association (AFE) in Madrid, Spain, April 23, 2026. REUTERS/Isabel Infantes

Representatives from four national players’ unions on Thursday launched a new global organisation in Madrid, which they say will strengthen footballers’ rights and improve dialogue with governing bodies.

Opening ​a new front in the battle over who speaks for players, the International ‌Footballers’ Association (AIF) was unveiled, with David Aganzo, president of Spain’s Association of Footballers (AFE) and a former head of the global union FIFPRO, appointed to lead the organisation.

Players’ unions from Brazil, Mexico and Switzerland were also represented.

The initiative ​drew a swift rebuke from FIFPRO, which said in a statement that Aganzo was ​acting out of self-interest and aligning himself with organisations linked to football governing ⁠bodies, as well as groups expelled from FIFPRO over alleged mismanagement.

Aganzo rejected the criticism, saying ​he “will not seek confrontation with FIFPRO”.

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The launch comes amid strained relations between players’ unions and football authorities, ​particularly over the expanding international match calendar.

Relations between FIFA and FIFPRO deteriorated in 2024 after the union lodged a complaint with the European Commission, arguing that the global governing body was abusing its dominant position by adding ​competitions without sufficient consultation.

Aganzo denied suggestions that the new initiative was backed by FIFA president Gianni ​Infantino, but said “direct dialogue with FIFA” was essential.

AFE’s Extraordinary General Assembly approved the initiative in February with 99.8% of ‌votes ⁠cast in favour of spearheading the creation of the AIF.

The same assembly also backed AFE’s withdrawal from FIFPRO, citing what it described as a “complete lack of transparency, as well as its total lack of dialogue with international bodies.”

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“We represent over 30,000 footballers, and we come here with a ​new model aimed at safeguarding ​players’ rights and ⁠facilitating direct communication with all international bodies,” Aganzo told reporters.

“We are in contact with 15 to 20 unions already who were very aware of ​this moment and waiting for this announcement to make their move and ​join our ⁠initiative.”

He declined to identify any unions beyond those present.

Asked about a report that a senior envoy to U.S. President Donald Trump had urged FIFA to replace Iran with Italy at the upcoming World Cup, Aganzo ⁠urged caution.

“These ​are more political issues; on April 30th, I’ll be ​speaking to Gianni (Infantino) at the FIFA Congress, and we will discuss those things,” Aganzo said.

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“People who want to go to ​the World Cup have to earn their place on sporting merit.”

-Reuters

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New trial over soccer legend Maradona’s death begins in Argentina

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4 weeks ago

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April 14, 2026

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Serie A - Parma v Napoli - Stadio Ennio Tardini, Parma, Italy - April 12, 2026 Napoli fans in the stands hold up a sign of Diego Maradona in the stands before the match REUTERS/Daniele Mascolo

A new trial over the death of Argentine soccer legend Diego Maradona will begin on Tuesday, with seven members of his medical team ​charged with negligent homicide nearly a year after a previous case collapsed in ‌a mistrial.

An enduring presence in Argentina – from towering murals to tattoos, opens new tab – Maradona died on November 25, 2020, at 60, after a heart attack while he was recuperating from brain surgery to remove a blood clot.

A court in ​San Isidro, near Buenos Aires, will hear testimony from just under 100 witnesses ​as it tries Maradona’s medical team over alleged negligence in the death ⁠of the 1986 World Cup champion.

His medical team has denied wrongdoing. The defendants are ​psychiatrist Agustina Cosachov, neurosurgeon Leopoldo Luque, psychologist Carlos Angel Diaz, physician Nancy Edith Forlini, nurse ​Ricardo Almiron, head nurse Mariano Ariel Perroni, and physician Pedro Pablo Di Spagna. An eighth defendant, nurse Dahiana Madrid, will be tried in a separate jury trial, with no date yet set.

Two months into ​the first trial, which started last March, a mistrial was declared when one of three ​judges, Julieta Makintach, resigned after video surfaced showing her being interviewed by a camera crew in the ‌corridors ⁠of the courthouse and in her office as part of a documentary, in breach of judicial rules.

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The retrial will require both prosecutors and defense lawyers to reassess their strategies after the first trial aired photographs, videos, audio recordings and forensic evidence. Many witnesses, including Maradona’s ​children and his former ​wife, Claudia Villafane, ⁠have already testified.

Prosecutors argued in the initial trial that medical professionals broke treatment protocols and that the home where Maradona was recovering ​from surgery amounted to a “theatre of horror,” where necessary care was ​not provided.

The ⁠defense countered that his death was inevitable given his longstanding health problems. Maradona struggled for decades with cocaine and alcohol addiction.

The negligence charges emerged in 2021 after prosecutors appointed a medical board ⁠to ​investigate Maradona’s death. The panel concluded his medical team ​acted in an “inappropriate, deficient and reckless” manner.

-Reuters

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Senegal’s Cisse named Angola coach 24 hours after leaving Libya role

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1 month ago

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April 10, 2026

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Aliou Cisse has been named coach of ​the Angola national ‌team, the country’s football federation (FAF) announced on Thursday, 24 ​hours after the ​Senegalese left his post in ⁠Libya.

The 50-year-old coach, ​who led Senegal to ​their maiden Africa Cup of Nations title in 2022, ended ​his short stint ​with the Libyan national team on ‌Wednesday, ⁠after taking charge in March 2025.

“Welcome, Aliou Cisse, head coach of ​the Angola national ​team,” ⁠the FAF said on Facebook. Angola, which ​failed to reach ​this ⁠year’s World Cup, will start their 2027 AFCON ⁠qualifying ​campaign in ​September.

-Reuters

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