International Football
AFTERMATH OF POT ALLOCATION, NIGERIA MAY DRAW FAMILIAR FOES
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
The possibility of Nigeria facing Argentina again in the World Cup looms large on Thursday as FIFA allocated qualified teams into four pots for the final draw coming up at Moscow’s State Kremlin Palace on December 1.
Expectedly, Nigeria, ranked 42 has fallen into the last pot along with seven other teams- Serbia, Australia, Japan, Morocco, Panama, Korea Republic and Saudi Arabia.
In principle, teams in the same pot will not meet at the group stage. The principle of drawing the teams into the groups will remain unchanged. This means that no teams from the same confederation, with the exception of UEFA, which could have up to two teams in the same group, will be drawn into the same group.
With three African teams in Pot 3, Nigeria will therefore draw an opponent only from the following Pot 3 teams: Denmark, Iceland, Costa Rica, Sweden and Iran. With the exception of Europe, teams from the same continent are not put in the same group.
Europe sometimes had two teams owing to their higher number of teams than other continents. FIFA decided that only sporting principles were applicable in the allocation of teams into pots.
The three teams in Pot 3 are Tunisia, Egypt and Senegal. The top seeds along with hosts, Russia are in Pot 1. They are Germany, Brazil, Portugal, Argentina, Belgium, Poland and France. Nigeria will draw one of those teams on December 1.
Argentina is the only team in Pot 1 that Nigeria ever faced at the World Cup. Spain leads Pot 2 which also has the last team to qualify, Peru. Others in the Pot are Switzerland, England, Colombia, Mexico, Uruguay and Croatia.
Sports Village Square recalls that Spain and England are the only teams in Pot 2 that Nigeria faced at the World Cup.
But outside that, Nigeria had met Uruguay at the FIFA Confederation Cup in Brazil in 2013, Switzerland in a friendly match on November 20, 2007 in Zurich. Nigeria won the encounter, 1-0 through a goal scored by Taiye Taiwo,
Apart from the goalless outing at the World Cup 2002, Nigeria had also met England in a friendly match on November 16, 1994. In fact it is exactly 23 years this Thursday that the match was played on the sacred turf of old Wembley.
Nigeria had met Colombia twice in the past. The first was in Cali on November 19 2008. Nigeria lost 0-1. When Nigeria met Colombia again in the preparation for South Africa 2010, the encounter in Milton Keyne in England ended 1-1.
Mexico had met Nigeria five times in the past. The first time was a 1-1 draw at the then Intercontinental Cup (now FIFA Confederations Cup) in Riyadh Saudi Arabia. Mexico excelled 5-4 on penalties. Next was the 2-1 defeat of Nigeria in Dallas, in the 1995 US Cup, before a 2-2 draw in Mexico City on October 10, 2007 and another 2-2 draw on June 1, 2013. Both sides met again in another friendly match that ended goalless in Georgia, United States on March 6, 2014.
The Pot 3 is led by Denmark, the team that knocked Nigeria out at the Round of 16 at France ’98. Also in Pot 3 is Iceland. The only encounter Nigeria had with the country was on August 22, 1981 in Reykjavik. Nigeria lost the friendly match 0-3. It was in the preparation to face Algeria in the final qualifying series for Spain 1982 World Cup.
Costa Rica is the only team in Pot 3 that Nigeria had never met. Sweden, Tunisia, Egypt and Senegal are other teams in the Pot 3. Sweden beat Nigeria 2-1 at World Cup 2002.
| POT 1 | POT 2 | POT 3 | POT 4 |
| Russia | Spain | Denmark | Serbia |
| Germany | Peru | Iceland | Nigeria |
| Brazil | Switzerland | Costa Rica | Australia |
| Portugal | England | Sweden | Japan |
| Argentina | Colombia | Tunisia | Morocco |
| Belgium | Mexico | Egypt | Panama |
| Poland | Uruguay | Senegal | Korea Republic |
| France | Croatia | Iran | Saudi Arabia |
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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Nigeria’s Super Eagles were held to a 2-2 draw by FIFA World Cup-bound Jordan in an eventful international friendly in Antalya on Tuesday night, with the contest overshadowed by a late red card to Alex Iwobi.
Iwobi, making his 98th appearance for the national team, was sent off in the closing stages, capping a dramatic encounter in which Nigeria surrendered a first-half lead and finished the game with ten men.
The match, played at the Mardan Sports Complex, brought Nigeria’s March international window to a close, but it proved anything but routine as both sides delivered a fiercely contested and entertaining clash.
Jordan, ranked 64th in the world and enjoying strong recent form, struck first in the 17th minute through Mousa Tamari. A well-worked free-kick routine caught the Nigerian defence napping, allowing the forward to fire home the opener.
Nigeria responded quickly and thought they had equalised six minutes later when Raphael Onyedika finished from a Moses Simon cut-back, but the goal was controversially ruled out.
The Super Eagles eventually drew level in the 30th minute. Stand-in captain Moses Simon, earning his 97th cap, reacted fastest after Ademola Lookman’s effort was blocked, slotting home with a composed left-footed finish for his second goal in as many matches.
Nigeria went ahead four minutes before halftime when Bright Osayi-Samuel’s pinpoint cross found debutant Emmanuel Fernandez, who showed great composure to control and finish, giving the three-time African champions a 2-1 lead at the interval.
The second half took on a more physical tone, with goalkeeper Francis Uzoho forced off in the 57th minute after sustaining an injury while clearing the ball. Adebayo Adeleye replaced him between the posts.
Head coach Eric Chelle introduced Wilfred Ndidi and Alex Iwobi to shore up the midfield, but Jordan continued to press and were rewarded with an equaliser in the 77th minute.
Nigeria pushed for a winner late on, handing a senior debut to Philip Otele, while Samuel Chukwueze came on for Moses Simon. However, the closing moments were marred by Iwobi’s dismissal, leaving the Super Eagles to see out the match with ten men.
Despite the draw, the encounter offered valuable insights for the coaching crew as Nigeria continues preparations for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
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By Kunle Solaja
Match Context
- Fixture: Jordan vs Nigeria
- Venue: Antalya, Turkey
- Occasion: Four-Nation Invitational Tournament
- Kick-off: Tuesday (evening)
They would have loved facing Jamaica in Mexico today for a place at the World Cup, but fate has other plans, and Nigeria’s Super Eagles will be taking on World Cup debutants Jordan in a friendly match instead in Turkey.
The encounter promises to be a revealing contest for both sides as preparations intensify for future global assignments.
The encounter, staged as part of a four-nation tournament in Turkey, will be the third meeting between the two countries, with the head-to-head record finely poised.
History Beckons in Third Meeting
Nigeria claimed a 2-0 victory in their first clash at the National Stadium, Lagos, on 28 April 2004 during the LG Cup.
However, the tables turned in 2013 when a largely experimental Nigerian side under the late Stephen Keshi suffered a 1-0 defeat in Amman, courtesy of a Hatem Aqel penalty.
This latest meeting now serves as the decider in what has quietly become a balanced rivalry.
Jordan arrive in buoyant mood, riding on the crest of a historic achievement, which is their first-ever qualification for the FIFA World Cup (2026).
Jordan’s Al-Nashama
Their recent form underlines a team growing in confidence and tactical discipline. In the past months, Al-Nashama have:
- Held Russia (0-0)
- Defeated Dominican Republic (3-0)
- Drawn with Mali (0-0)
- Narrowly lost to Bolivia (1-0) and Albania (4-2)
- Pushed Tunisia (3-2 loss) in a competitive encounter
They also opened this invitational tournament with a 2-2 draw against Costa Rica, further evidence of their resilience.
The team’s preparations have been boosted by a morale-lifting visit from Prince Ali bin Al-Hussein, President of the Jordan Football Association, during their Antalya training camp.
Coach Jamal Al-Salami has deliberately scheduled matches against Nigeria and Costa Rica, citing their stylistic similarity to World Cup opponents such as Argentina, Austria, and Algeria.
Despite missing several key players, including star forward Mousa Ta’mari, Jordan have continued to show depth, blending senior players with youth prospects as part of a broader developmental strategy.
Nigeria head into the clash with renewed confidence after a 2-1 victory over Iran in their opening game of the tournament, with goals from Moses Simon and Akor Adams.
Unlike previous meetings, the Super Eagles are expected to field a full-strength squad, packed with Europe-based stars, something Jordanian observers have already described as a “heavyweight challenge.”
The squad boasts a blend of experience and attacking flair.
The presence of multiple attacking options gives Nigeria a clear edge going forward, while their physicality and pace could pose serious problems for the Jordanians.
Jordan are expected to adopt a compact, disciplined shape, relying on quick transitions and defensive organisation, qualities that earned them results against stronger opposition in recent friendlies.
Nigeria, by contrast, will likely dominate possession, using width and individual brilliance to break down Jordan’s defensive lines.
The key battle may lie in midfield, where Jordan’s structure will be tested against Nigeria’s blend of strength, technique, and tempo.
For Jordan, this is another step in fine-tuning a squad preparing for its historic World Cup debut—a chance to measure themselves against elite opposition.
For Nigeria, it is an opportunity to assert authority, build cohesion among its star-studded squad, and maintain momentum ahead of more competitive fixtures.
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