International Football
LEAVING NIGERIA WAS MY BIGGEST MISTAKE SAYS WESTERHOF
BY KUNLE SOLAJA
The architect of the famed golden era of the Super Eagles, Clemens Westerhof, last six years ago made a sensational visit to Nigeria and hours later, was briefly a guest of editor-in-Chief of www.sportsvillagesquare.com at his Lagos home.
The Dutch tactician, who clocked 74 during the visit, took the Super Eagles to their highest level of achievement till date.
Besides Nigeria’s winning the Africa Cup of Nations Cup for the first time outside the country’s shores, he is also the only coach of Nigeria to have achieved the top three levels of the competition – runners up at his first attempt at Algeria ’90 and second runners up at Senegal ’92 before achieving the ultimate at Tunisia ’94.
He was the first coach to qualify Nigeria for the World Cup when the Super Eagles pulled a stunning 1-1 draw with Algeria in Algiers to win the triangular league that involved Cote d’Ivoire and Algeria.
Under him, Nigeria had their best position in the monthly FIFA ranking when the Super Eagles ranked fifth in April 1994. That was 26 years ago.
Westerhof, who came to Nigeria with a Dutch television crew to shoot a documentary on his exploits with the Super Eagles, believed an encore was in the offing.
He went into a little historical analysis to back his optimism.
In 1993, Nigeria won the U-17 World Cup in Asia and also qualified for the following year’s World Cup on the American continent.
In 2013 in Asia (Dubai), the Golden Eaglets were again victorious, while the Super Eagles got bound for the World Cup on the American continent, that time in Brazil.
“In the year of the World Cup, I won the Africa Cup of Nations with Nigeria, before heading for the World Cup,” he recalled glowingly.
“I believe Keshi should attempt to do better than I did 20 years ago at the World Cup.
“This means he has to take his team beyond the second round. He must go to the quarterfinals and possibly get to the last four,” said Westerhof.
He was to repeat the same challenge two days later at the occasion of his 74th birthday when he met with Stephen Keshi and two of the other players that made his 23-man team to the historic World Cup in 1994.
The other two former players were Peter Rufai and Daniel Amokachi.
Hear Westerhof’s charge to the late Keshi: “You are just at my level if you just get to the next round after also becoming an African champion. You have to get to the quarterfinals to get better than me.
“I will be happier if you get to the last four,” he told Keshi. Two days earlier, he remarked that Keshi needed to build the right team with the right players and right combination.
He observed that Nigeria had more overseas players now than during his era two decades earlier. “In my days, they were about 10 or 12. Now they are in hundreds.
“If Keshi selects the right ones spread across Italy, Belgium, England and Germany and if he is able to make the right combination of the best, he will certainly make a big mark at the World Cup”, Westerhof remarked before Brazil 2014.
He defined the right players and combination as a set of players playing as a team and fighting for each other for results and not those playing individually for personal glory.
He looked forward to a tactically disciplined side that was devoid of distractions. He insisted that Keshi should be left alone to select his players.
“He is the boss. He decides who he wants to feature. He decides those in the right frame of mind to achieve his goal.
“He has qualified the team for the World Cup. He is a champion of Africa. So, he is the right man for the job,” remarked Westerhof.
He charged Keshi to take interest also in the off-field attitude of the players while in camp. He gave an example of how he had to take a seat by the elevator of the hotel camp of the Super Eagles in their last home game in the USA ’94 World Cup qualifying series.
“I sat all night to ensure that no player sneaked out. I did it because I wanted to win. And we won (against Cote d’Ivoire) 4-1. The players had rested and were in the right frame of mind.”
Soccer chiefs from Europe and South America will hold a final meeting before a Thursday deadline to decide whether and where this month’s “Finalissima” between Spain and Argentina will be played, with London emerging as the leading candidate after doubts over Doha, multiple sources told Reuters on Tuesday.
The match between European champions Spain and Copa America holders Argentina had been scheduled for March 27 at Lusail Stadium in Doha.
However, it has become increasingly unlikely that Qatar will host the fixture after the Qatar Football Association suspended soccer tournaments indefinitely following U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran and retaliatory missiles fired at the Arabian Peninsula.
The Spanish FA (RFEF) has been pushing for a swift resolution, mindful that the March international break is viewed as vital preparation ahead of the June-July World Cup in North America.
“I know that negotiations are underway,” Spain coach Luis de la Fuente told Spanish Public Radio (RNE) on Monday. “The first thing, as a society, is to stop the conflict, but once you are immersed in it and you don’t know how long it will last, the solution would be, as long as you can’t play there, to find another venue as soon as possible.
Wembley Stadium staged the previous edition in 2022, when Argentina beat Italy, but it is set to host England v Uruguay on March 27. London, however, has other stadiums capable of staging the showpiece, leaving the English capital as the most likely alternative should Doha be ruled out, sources confirmed.
ALTERNATIVE OPPONENTS CONSIDERED
While keen to face Argentina and high-profile players such as Lionel Messi, sources told Reuters that Spain had made clear their priority was not to waste the last window of international fixtures before the World Cup and they were already contemplating alternative opponents.
With Spain also due to face Egypt three days later, any change would require agreement between the RFEF and European soccer body UEFA, South American confederation CONMEBOL, global governing body FIFA and the Argentine FA (AFA).
The RFEF, AFA and UEFA did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment.
A spokesperson for South American confederation CONMEBOL told Reuters that several meetings between the parties had taken place in recent days but did not confirm Thursday’s deadline or London as the preferred venue.
Madrid was initially proposed by the RFEF but rejected by the AFA, who preferred a neutral venue rather than giving Spain home advantage.
Morocco offered to stage the game, but the RFEF was unwilling to back their Mediterranean neighbours amid tensions behind the scenes over the 2030 World Cup, which Spain, Morocco and Portugal will co-host. Both Spain and Morocco are campaigning to stage the final.
Miami was also considered, with Messi based there at Inter Miami, but Hard Rock Stadium is hosting the Miami Open tennis tournament at the same time.
-Reuters
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International Football
Spain-Argentina ‘Finalissima’ in Qatar at risk amid US, Israel attacks on Iran
The match between Spain and Argentina, tagged “Finalissima” in Doha, is in doubt after the Qatar Football Association suspended soccer tournaments indefinitely following U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran and retaliatory missiles fired at the Arabian Peninsula.
The contest between European Championship winners Spain and Copa America champions Argentina was scheduled for March 27 at Doha’s Lusail Stadium, with potential big-name draws including Lamine Yamal and Lionel Messi.
“Qatar Football Association announces the postponement of all tournaments, competitions and matches, effective from today and until further notice,” the association said in a statement on Sunday.
“The new dates for the resumption of competitions will be announced in due course through the Association’s official channels.”
The final call on whether to postpone the game rests with event organisers UEFA and CONMEBOL.
The Bahrain Football Association postponed all its matches until further notice, while the Asian Football Confederation on Sunday announced it was delaying Champions League Elite fixtures in the region.
The Asian Champions League Two, currently at the quarter-final stage, has also been impacted, along with games in the Challenge League.
Countries across the Middle East have been on high alert since Saturday, when the U.S. and Israel launched air strikes against Iran, aimed at diminishing Iran’s military capability.
Iran retaliated by attacking U.S. targets around the region, including in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
On Sunday, Qatar’s interior ministry reported a fire in an industrial zone after debris fell from an intercepted missile.
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International Football
Iran Conflict Casts Uncertainty Over Super Eagles’ Four-Nation Tournament Opener
Nigeria’s Super Eagles may face fresh uncertainty ahead of their scheduled participation in a Four-Nation Invitational Tournament in Amman, Jordan, following reports that Iran — their intended first opponents — is now at war after attacks by the United States and Israel.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) had earlier confirmed that the Super Eagles would compete in the mini-tournament during the FIFA Men’s International Window in March 2026. The competition is slated to run from March 27 to 31 in the Jordanian capital.
Under the original fixture schedule, Nigeria were due to open the tournament on Friday, March 27 against Iran’s senior national team at the 17,000-capacity Amman International Stadium. Hosts Jordan were set to face Costa Rica the same day at the 62,000-capacity King Abdullah Sports City Stadium.
However, the escalating military confrontation involving Iran has cast serious doubt over the participation of the Iranian national team and the viability of the opening fixture.
While tournament organisers in Jordan have yet to issue an official statement regarding possible changes, the developing security situation is expected to force urgent consultations between the participating federations, tournament organisers and FIFA.
The competition was designed to provide competitive match exposure during a window initially reserved for the intercontinental play-off for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Nigeria’s inclusion in the tournament had already generated debate at home, with observers questioning whether the NFF’s commitment signalled a shift in focus away from potential qualification disputes.
The new geopolitical crisis further complicates matters. International conflicts often trigger travel restrictions, airspace closures and security advisories that can directly affect national teams’ ability to assemble and travel.
Should Iran withdraw or be unable to participate, organisers may be compelled to seek a replacement team or adjust the fixture format entirely.
Nigeria are scheduled to face hosts Jordan on March 31 in their second match of the tournament, while Costa Rica and Iran were originally billed to meet the same day at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium.
Kick-off times for the four fixtures had yet to be officially announced before the outbreak of hostilities.
For the Super Eagles, the tournament was seen as an opportunity to build cohesion and test tactical adjustments ahead of future competitive engagements. Now, attention will turn to whether the event can proceed as planned — and whether Nigeria’s opening match will require a late reshuffle.
The NFF is expected to monitor developments closely and may issue further clarification in the coming days as the regional and international situation evolves.
Meanwhile, Reuters has quoted a senior Israeli official as saying that Iran’s Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is dead. But the Iranians have dismissed the claim, saying that the leader is ‘firmly commanding the field’. Both Israel and the US launched strikes on Iran.
President Donald Trump says action will give Iranians a chance to topple their rulers. Hits were reported in Israel and Gulf states as Iran retaliated. The attack has triggered fear and panics as as Iranians flee cities.
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