AFCON
TAKE-AWAYS IN THE UPCOMING NIGERIA-MADAGASCAR CLASH
BY KUNLE SOLAJA
Both Nigeria and Madagascar meet in Alexandria on Sunday in continuation of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt. With Madagascar defeat of Burundi on Thursday, the Sunday match has assumed greater importance that previously anticipated. As usual, Sports Village Square takes an insightful look at the encounter and comes out with the following points of interest.
- This is a match that the two topmost chieftains of CAF, Ahmad and Amaju Pinnick will naturally have vested interests. CAF president is from Madagascar and will wish his team make new marks by crossing the group stage at the very first attempt. Amaju Pinnick will want his Super Eagles to achieve a 100 per cent feat at the group stage for the first time ever.
- The match will be Nigeria’s 89th match in Africa Cup of Nations’ history. The Super Eagles have won 47 of the preceding 88 matches; lost 19 drew 22 and had scored 122 goals, conceding 84.
- The match will be the 32nd for Gernot Rohr as Nigeria’s manager.
- Gernot Rohr will be lining out a team against the country of his wife who is from Madagascar.
- Guinea provides a common denominator for both teams. While Nigeria beat Guinea, 1-0, Madagascar was forced to a 2-2 draw by Guinea.
- In beating Guinea on Wednesday, Rohr had his ‘Pound of Flesh’. He was shortlisted for the Guinea national team job in July 2016, but was not given the job, which was offered, to Paul Put. He not only beat the team that refused him, he showed he is better than Paul Put.
- A draw by both Nigeria and Madagascar will see both teams through as first and second respectively from the group. But a win by Madagascar, will alter the ranking, even though, both will still qualify.
- The Sunday match is Nigeria’s third group game in the current competition. Nigeria has never lost a third match in the Africa Cup of Nations since the 3-0 loss to Zambia in 1982. The worse results since had been the 0-0 to Algeria 1n 1984 and similar score line with Egypt in 1988.
- A win for Nigeria on Sunday makes it the first time Super Eagles will secure 100% record in Africa Cup of Nations’ group stage involving three matches.
- If fielded, Ahmed Musa who had his 80th cap in the match against Guinea, will be 19 games to clocking the milestone 100th cap.
- If fielded, Mikel Obi will be having his 89th cap, 11 more to get enlisted in the famed ‘Century Club’.
- Madagascar were close to recording an upset in duel with Nigeria 40 years ago when Bendel Insurance of Nigeria and AS Sotema clashed in the then African Winners’ Cup, now merged with CAF Cup and renamed CAF Confederation Cup. Bendel Insurance won the first leg in match of the quarterfinals encounter, 2-0 in Madagascar only to surprisingly lose by the same margin at the National Stadium, Lagos. Bendel however survived 5-3 by penalties.
- Also another Benin City team, Bendel United beat Madagascar’s FC BFV 4-1 in the semifinals of the African Cup Winners Cup 30 years ago and forced a goalless draw in Madagascar.
- Like most national football team in Africa, Madagascar’s team has a nickname. The team is called Barea, a specie of humped cattle which part of the country’s coat of arm.
- Madagascar conceded eight goals in 2019 AFCON qualifying; more than any other team that qualified for the tournament.
- Madagascar were the first team to qualify and for the first time, doing so with two matches to spare, after a lone goal victory over Equatorial Guinea last October in Antananarivo. Njiva Rakotoharimalala’s first half strike was all Nicolas Dupuis’ charges needed to achieve the biggest moment in their football history.
- This will be the fifth encounter of Madagascar and Nigeria at national team level. In the previous four matches, Madagascar has never scored a goal against the Super Eagles and had conceded five.
NIGERIA-MADAGASCAR HEAD-TO-HEAD
P W D L GF GA
Nigeria 4 3 1 0 5 0
Madagascar 4 0 1 3 0 5
- 7 Oct. 2000 (Afconq) Madagascar 0-0 Nigeria
- 2 June 2001 (Afconq) Nigeria 1-0 Madagascar
- 5 Sept. 2010(Afconq) Nigeria 2-0 Madagascar
- 3 Sept. 2011(Afconq) Madagascar 0-2 Nigeria
What a turn-around! After four previous competitive matches without a win, the Super Eagles have regained their winning mentality after a 3-0 defeat of Benin Republic in their opening 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying series.
The win also put the Super Eagles at the top of the Group D after both Libya and Rwanda played 1-1 draw last Thursday.
It is also the biggest win by the Super Eagles since their 2023 6-0 win over Sao Tome & Principe last year September.
Great man Ademola Lookman, he put in two goals straightening the possibility of his emerging as 2024 African Footballer of the Year.
The current title holder, Victor Osimhen proved his mettle coming off the bench in the second half to double Nigeria’s lead after Lookman’s late first half goal.
The Super Eagles will now honour their next fixture against Rwanda on Tuesday with the hope of consolidating their lead.
Benin Republic with no points and a deficit of three goals are rooted at the bottom of the log.
BY JOSEPH ODOEKWU
The National Chairman of the Nigerian Football Supporters Club (NFSC), Rev. Samuel Ikpea has called on all Nigerians to rally round and pray for the Super Eagles ahead of Saturday’s Morocco 2025 AFCON qualifier against Benin Republic in Uyo.
Ikpea who is mobilizing support for the Super Eagles ahead of the clash in Uyo said that whatever Benin Republic come with both spiritually and physically in the game, we will surely overcome them.
“In the NFSC we have Christians, Muslims as well as those who believe in traditional worship and we respect the rights of freedom of worship of every member and all Nigerians.
“When we are faced with this kind of crucial game, we call on everyone to pray through their various believes because we foresee that Benin Republic are most likely coming to fall back on ‘black magic’ to enable them perfect a back-to-back victory over our Super Eagles after beating us 2-1 in our last meeting in a World Cup qualifier”
“We cannot underestimate the efficacy of the black magic” Ikpea further stressed, “but we believe that when we come together we can neutralize it’s efficacy.
“This is no time to sleep, we all have to rally round and do our best to support our Super Eagles because they cannot do it alone without the prayers and support of all Nigerians.
“While charging Nigerians to be positive with the team, we at the NFSC have done everything positive to overturn whatever plans they are coming with and we enjoin everyone to toe that path through prayers”.
Meanwhile, the Super Eagles camp is bubbling with training in Uyo, as team Coach Austin Eguavoen, has been working hard to perfect tactics with the boys and ensure the Super Eagles soar on Saturday.
The Super Eagles have not won a qualifying match for any competition since their 6-0 defeat of Principe & Sao Tome on 10th September 2023 in Uyo. That was their last qualifying match for Cote d’Ivoire 2023 played in 2024.
Since then, they have played four World Cup qualifying matches without a win despite being the overwhelming favourites at those matches.
A forensic analysis of their World Cup qualifying since that of Qatar 2022 will reveal they had played seven consecutive matches without a win starting from their 1-1 home draw with Cape Verde in Lagos which qualified them for the play off. In the play off with Ghana, the Super Eagles drew the two matches.
In the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, they have gone four matches, getting three draws and a loss. The prospect of their getting a straight qualification from the group is doubtful as they have a mountain to climb by winning the remaining six matches, three of which are away duels of which are most likely to be played in South Africa, the home ground of their main rivals.
Zimbabwe and Lesotho play their home matches in South Africa and Nigeria also still have an away duel with Bafana Bafana.
The qualification series of AFCON 2025 presents the Super Eagles a new beginning. Starting from the semi-finals of the AFCON in Cote d’Ivoire, the team has won none of their four competitive matches in regulation time. The players have a date with destiny in Uyo this Saturday to wipe off the sagging image they have had in recent time.
A win will give the team the confidence expected in anticipation for future fixtures.
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