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VIDEO: TODAY IN HISTORY: IT’S 31 YEARS SINCE CAMEROON LAST BEAT SUPER EAGLES
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
Perhaps, it is one of the longest unbeaten streaks between two rivals in football. The football rivalry of the national teams of Nigeria and Cameroon is never doubted as both have mutual respect for each other.
But despite the fears that Nigerian football followers of have in Super Eagles’ fixtures against the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon, the Super Eagles have most times been dominant, making the tag ‘Indomitable Lions’ a mere paradox.
It is 31 years today since Cameroon last beat the Super Eagles in either regulation or even after extra time. The Africa Cup of Nations final match of 2000 in Lagos ended 2-2 at both regulation time and after extra time. The penalty shootout was just a tie-breaker, making the last time Cameroon beat Nigeria in regular play to be 1989.
That was in Yaoundé on 27 August 1989 in Group C World Cup qualifiers for Italia ’90.
The encounter is packed with memorable incidents for eternal storage. First it was Dutchman Clemens Westerhof debut for Nigeria. It was the first players’ open mutiny against the national football governing body, the then NFA.
Not all, it was the first time a coach insisted on boarding a plane should a particular player be allowed in, even if the player in question would be a mere spectator.
Also, it was the last match Waidi Akanni played for the Super Eagles before he ventured to the United States for studies at the Howard University.
Lastly, the nation was at the brink of another on-field tragedy as goalkeeper David Ngodigha passed out after 12 minutes of the epic match and had to be replaced by Aloysius Agu.
After watching from the stands, the Super Eagles previous two World Cup qualifying matches with Gabon in Libreville on 25 June 1989 and Angola on 12 July 1989 in Lagos, Dutchman, Clemens Westerhof on this date 27 August 1989 made his debut for the Super Eagles as they lined out for their last Group C World Cup Italia ’90 match against Cameroon in Yaoundé.
Nigeria, in need of a draw to advance to the last qualifying and knockout stage lost 1-0 and crashed out. Significantly, that was the last time Cameroon beat Nigeria in regulation time till date.
On the eve of the match, drama unfolded at the Presidential Wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport as the players refused to come out of their Durbar Hotel (now Golden Tulip) in Lagos to the Airport.
Samson Siasia was later sent to lay their grievances which were money-related. Grievances over allowances and match bonuses had always existed, but that was the first time it was brought up in the open.
Since the players feared the potentially volatile match could be their last in the World Cup qualifying series they wanted all outstanding allowances paid.
At the time, the NFA officials, the supporters’ club members and the press crew were all waiting at the presidential wing for the early flight aboard the Nigerian Air force Hercules C-130 aircraft.
Later, a car pulled up and Siasia emerged to inform the gathering that the players would not leave their hotel until their allowances were paid. Officials had to dash to the players for lengthy rounds of negotiations.
With the players’ mutiny resolved, then began another drama as the new coach, Westerhof insisted that first choice goalkeeper, Peter Rufai must be dropped from the trip. He had his way.
The two of them obviously had a feud even before Westerhof’s arrival in Nigeria. There were 25 matches before Westerhof decided to field Rufai in goal.
The Dutchman said he was glad that the man who later became Nigeria’s on field captain at the USA ’94 World Cup was among his former players who came to honour him at his 74th birthday celebration in Lagos in 2014.
Back to the Yaoundé match, David Ngodigha started the match as the goalkeeper but had to be substituted by Aloysius Agu after just 12 minutes when he passed out after a collision with a Cameroon attacker.
Memories of the previous match involving Samuel Okwaraji started flooding.
He was later revived. In the 31st minute of the match, Francois Omam-Biyik with a header, scored the only goal that knocked out Nigeria and made Cameroon to advance to the last knockout two-legged qualifying encounter for Italia ‘90.
He was to also repeat the feat in the opening match of Italia ’90 when his glancing header in the 66th minute enabled Cameroon beat Argentina.
By Kunle Solaja, MetLife Stadium, New Jersey
Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez etched his name into FIFA World Cup history on Sunday after becoming only the sixth player ever to be sent off in a World Cup final.
Fernandez was shown a straight red card in the third minute of added time during Argentina’s final against Spain after a reckless challenge on Spanish defender Pau Cubarsí. The dismissal came after the Argentine had earlier been booked for simulation, capping a frustrating evening for the midfielder.
His red card also means Argentina have now produced two players who have been sent off in World Cup finals, more than any other nation.
Sports Village Square recalls that the first-ever red card in a FIFA World Cup final was issued to Argentina’s Pedro Monzón during the 1990 final against West Germany at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome. Monzón was dismissed as Argentina went on to lose 1-0. In the same match, teammate Gustavo Dezotti was also sent off, making it the only World Cup final to feature two expulsions from the same team.
Fernandez now joins an exclusive and unwanted list of players dismissed in football’s biggest match.
The players sent off in FIFA World Cup finals are:
- Pedro Monzón (Argentina) vs West Germany, 1990
- Gustavo Dezotti (Argentina) vs West Germany, 1990
- Marcel Desailly (France) vs Brazil, 1998
- Zinedine Zidane (France) vs Italy, 2006
- John Heitinga (Netherlands) vs Spain, 2010
- Enzo Fernandez (Argentina) vs Spain, 2026
History has rarely been kind to teams reduced to 10 men in the World Cup final. Except France in 1998, when Marcel Desailly was dismissed late in a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Brazil, every team that has had a player sent off in the final has ended up on the losing side.
Fernandez’s dismissal therefore added another chapter to one of the tournament’s most exclusive and unfortunate records, reinforcing the trend that a red card in the World Cup final has almost always been accompanied by defeat.
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BY KUNLE SOLAJA, NEW YORK
Africa emerged as the most successful confederation in the group stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with an unprecedented 90 percent of its representatives advancing to the Round of 32.
Nine of the 10 African teams that started the tournament secured places in the knockout phase, giving the Confederation of African Football (CAF) the highest qualification rate among all six continental confederations.
The African nations progressing to the Round of 32 are South Africa, Morocco, Côte d’Ivoire, Cape Verde, Senegal, Egypt, Ghana, DR Congo and Algeria.
Only one African team failed to survive the group stage, underscoring the continent’s growing competitiveness on football’s biggest stage.
CAF’s 90 per cent success rate placed it ahead of South America’s CONMEBOL, which saw 83.33 per cent of its teams advance, and Europe’s UEFA, whose members recorded an 81.25 per cent qualification rate.
The figures represent a significant shift in the global football landscape, where European and South American nations have traditionally dominated World Cup competitions.
The expanded 48-team format appears to have provided African countries with greater opportunities to showcase their progress, and they responded with a series of impressive performances throughout the group stage.
Cape Verde emerged as one of the tournament’s surprise packages by reaching the knockout rounds for the first time, while South Africa, DR Congo and Algeria also celebrated historic advances.
Senegal made history by becoming the first African nation to score five goals in a World Cup match, while Morocco continued the momentum generated by their remarkable semi-final run at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
In contrast, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) endured a difficult campaign, with only 22.22 per cent of its teams progressing. The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) recorded a 50 per cent qualification rate despite having the advantage of three host nations.
Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) failed to place any team in the Round of 32.
World Cup Round of 32 Qualification Rates by Confederation
- CAF (Africa): 90%
- CONMEBOL (South America): 83.33%
- UEFA (Europe): 81.25%
- CONCACAF (North and Central America/Caribbean): 50%
- AFC (Asia): 22.22%
- OFC (Oceania): 0%
The statistics show Africa’s growing influence in world football and raise hopes that the continent could produce its strongest collective performance ever in the knockout stages of a FIFA World Cup.
With nine teams still in contention, Africa enters the Round of 32 with more representatives than any other confederation and a genuine opportunity to challenge for the latter stages of the tournament.
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BY KUNLE SOLAJA, NEW YORK.
Ecuador will look to continue their strong record against Concacaf opposition when they face Curaçao in a Group E encounter at the FIFA World Cup 2026.
The South Americans enter the match having won their last two World Cup meetings with teams from the Concacaf region and will be eager to maintain that trend as they chase a place in the knockout rounds.
For Curaçao, however, the fixture represents an opportunity to create history.
The Caribbean nation is one of the tournament’s debutants and is still searching for its first World Cup victory. After suffering a heavy defeat to Germany in their opening match, Curaçao will be desperate to demonstrate the resilience and determination that earned them a place at the expanded 48-team tournament.
A victory would make them the first of the World Cup 2026 newcomers to register a win and would provide a significant boost to their qualification hopes.
Ecuador are expected to rely on their experience at this level, but they know underestimating Curaçao could prove costly. The underdogs have already shown flashes of attacking quality despite their difficult introduction against Germany.
As the group stage begins to take shape, both teams understand the importance of securing points. Ecuador are chasing progression, while Curaçao are chasing history.
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