AFCON
HOW NIGERIA’S INTERNATIONAL DEBUT ANNIVERSARY BRINGS LUCK
BY KUNLE SOLAJA
It is 71 years today since the Nigerian national football team made international debut, beating Sierra Leone 2-0 in Freetown on 8 October 1949.
Ever since, especially for 66 years till 2015, the 8 October had offered a sort of magic for the Nigerian national football team.
Only once in eight instances did the 8 October ‘magic’ fail to favour the Nigerian national team. Sports Village Square recalls that that was in 2015 when the team in Ahmed Musa’s debut as Nigeria captain, lost 2-0 to DR Congo in a friendly match at Vise, Belgium.
Otherwise, www.sportsvillagesquare.com points out, it had been Nigeria all the way on a 8 October date. The facts speak clear. It was on that date that the national team played its first full international in 1949.
It was on that date in 1993 that the Super Eagles first qualified for the FIFA World Cup after being held to a 1-1 draw by Algeria in Algiers.
It was also the first time that a Nigerian team had avoided a defeat against Algeria at the 5th July Stadium in Algiers and thus became the first Anglophone African team at the World Cup.
Even FIFA inadvertently paid tribute to 8 October when it provisionally lifted a Nigerian ban on 8 October 2010.
There is more! It was on 8 October 1977 that the then Green Eagles inflicted a 4-0 defeat on Egypt in Lagos in a World Cup qualifier.
Up till 15 October 2013 when Egypt lost 6-1 to Ghana, the defeat by Nigeria was the heaviest cup-tie loss recorded by Egypt, Africa’s most successful Nations Cup champions.
Before the 1977 4-0 defeat of Egypt, Nigeria had in 1963 played a friendly match with Liberia in Monrovia. The ‘8 October Magic’ was active, even in an away match.
Nigeria drew 2-2 in their very first encounter with Liberia. Another memorable 8 October match for Nigeria was the 5-1 defeat of Zimbabwe in Abuja in 2005.
Even though the 1-0 defeat of Rwanda by Angola on that same day neutralise Nigeria’s win in the 2006 World Cup qualifiers, it was all the same a win by Nigeria and an Africa Cup of Nations’ ticket was obtained as a consolation.
Avoiding a defeat on a 8 October date at least saw the Super Eagles coming out of their last competitive match at the now MKO Abiola National Stadium with a 2-2 draw with Guinea in 2011.
How did the 8 October become a Nigerian football milestone? Sports Village Square recalls that on this date in 1949, the Nigerian national team played their first full international match in Freetown against Sierra Leone.
It was during the return journey of the famed UK Tourists, Nigeria’s first national football team selection which played nine matches against amateur clubs during the goodwill visit to the United Kingdom.
For the records, those matches in the UK are not regarded as official matches as they were not played against national teams.
Also, even though there had been inter colonial matches between Lagos selected sides and their Accra counterparts from the then Gold Coast (now Ghana), those matches were not full internationals as attested to in the NFA Handbook 1959 by Reginald Banham Allen, then the Secretary of the then Nigeria Football Association who pointed out that it was the 8 October 1949 match that is Nigeria’s first international match.
Nigeria won the match 2-0, the first goal being an own goal by Sierra Leone skipper, Ashman who deflected into his net, a cross by Nigeria’s left winger, Titus Okere.
Thus, Sports Village Square pontificate that Nigeria’s first international goal was obtained by an opponent hitting the wrong target! It happened just before half time.
In the second half, Sierra Leone had a penalty award, the first ever to be conceded by Nigeria in an international match.
It was taken by Wallace Johnson. Isaac Akioye, who later rose to become a Director of Sports in the National Sports Commission (NSC) saved the kick to become the first Nigerian goalkeeper to save a penalty kick!
When Tesilimi Balogun later scored the second goal to give Nigeria a 2-0 win, he became the first ever Nigerian scorer at an international goal.
What a delightful and pace setting that 8 October 1949 date later became. Sports Village Square recalls that the 8 October became a ‘magical’ date in Nigeria’s football history:
- 1949 – Freetown (Friendly): Sierra Leone 0-2 Nigeria
- 1963 – Monrovia (Friendly): Liberia 2-2 Nigeria
- 1977 – Lagos (World Cup qualifier): Nigeria 4-0 Egypt
- 1993 – Algiers (World Cup qualifier): Algeria 1-1 Nigeria* qualified for World Cup
- 2005 – Abuja (World Cup/Afcon qualifier): Nigeria 5-1 Zimbabwe * qualified for Afcon
- 2010 – FIFA, in apparent respect for 8 October, provisionally lifted a ban imposed on Nigeria.
- 2010 – Abuja (Afcon qualifier): Nigeria 2-2 Guinea.
Eritrea marked their long-awaited return to continental football with a 2-0 victory over Eswatini in the first leg of their preliminary round clash in the Africa Cup of Nations 2027 qualifiers on Wednesday.
Playing in Meknes, Morocco, the Eritreans secured a late win to take a strong advantage into the return leg next week.
After a closely contested encounter, Eritrea broke the deadlock in the 81st minute through Siem Eyob-Abraha, whose corner kick evaded everyone in the box and went straight into the net.
The victory was sealed deep into stoppage time when talisman Ali Suleiman produced a moment of brilliance. The forward embarked on a dazzling run down the left before unleashing a powerful shot into the roof of the net to double Eritrea’s lead.
Despite their win, Eritrea could have extended their advantage earlier, but Suleiman missed from the penalty spot after Eswatini goalkeeper Mlamuli Makhanya dived low to his right to make a crucial save.
The match marked Eritrea’s first appearance in AFCON qualification in nearly two decades, with their last outing coming against Eswatini in 2007, where they finished second in their qualification group.
The two sides will meet again in Eswatini for the second leg on Tuesday, where Eritrea will aim to protect their lead and advance to the next stage.
The winner of the tie will progress from the preliminary round to join 42 other teams in the group phase of qualification.
The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations will be co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, marking the tournament’s return to East Africa for the first time in over 50 years.
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
The journey to the Africa Cup of Nations 2027 begins this week as 12 nations battle for six available spots in the preliminary round of qualifiers.
The opening phase of the race for AFCON PAMOJA 2027, set to be jointly hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, will see the continent’s lowest-ranked teams, based on FIFA rankings at the time of the draw, compete over two legs for a place in the group stage qualifiers.
Race for Six Places
Following the success of the 2025 tournament in Morocco, a new qualification cycle gets underway with fixtures spread across Southern, Eastern and Central Africa.
The preliminary round promises closely contested encounters, with teams aiming to gain an early advantage before decisive return legs.
Among the standout fixtures:
- Eritrea face Eswatini in Meknes before the return leg in Lobamba
- Lesotho and Seychelles meet twice in Bloemfontein
- Djibouti and South Sudan clash in back-to-back matches in Juba
- Somalia take on Mauritius across two legs in Mozambique and Saint Pierre
- Chad battle Burundi between N’Djamena and Bujumbura
- São Tomé and Príncipe face Ethiopia, with matches in El Jadida and Dire Dawa
The six winners from these ties will advance to join 42 other teams in the group stage qualifiers.
Some ties present unusual dynamics, notably Djibouti versus South Sudan, where both legs will be played in Juba, giving South Sudan a potential home advantage in both fixtures.
Similarly, Lesotho and Seychelles will contest both legs in Bloemfontein, adding another interesting twist to the qualification format.
Qualification Format and Timeline
The next phase will feature a group stage involving 13 groups of three or four teams. The 13 group winners qualify automatically. They will be joined by three best runners-up. The remaining 10 runners-up compete in a playoff round for the final qualifying spots
Key qualification windows are scheduled for:
- September 21–30, 2026: Match Day 1 and 2
- October 1–6, 2026: Match Day 3 and 4
- November 9–17, 2026: Match Day 5 and 6.
The finals, scheduled from June 19 to July 18, 2027, will mark a historic moment as the first Africa Cup of Nations to be hosted by three countries. It will also be the last to hold under the two-year cycle.
As the preliminary round kicks off, smaller footballing nations have a rare opportunity to build momentum and dream of reaching the continent’s biggest stage.
For the 12 teams involved, the message is clear: the road to AFCON 2027 starts now—and only half will take the next step.
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
By Kunle Solaja.
The CAS Director General Matthieu Reeb has stated that the tribunal is prepared to handle the Senegal case against CAF and Morocco efficiently.
“CAS is perfectly equipped to resolve this type of dispute, with the assistance of expert and independent arbitrators,” he said.
“We understand that teams and fans are eager to know the final decision, and we will ensure that arbitration proceedings are conducted as swiftly as possible, while respecting the right of all parties to a fair hearing.”
CAS noted that proceedings will remain confidential while ongoing, with further updates to be provided only when key milestones, such as a hearing date, are confirmed.
The case now sets the stage for a potentially landmark legal battle over the outcome of one of Africa’s biggest football competitions, with the final status of the AFCON 2025 title hanging in the balance.
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
- World Cup1 week ago
EXCLUSIVE! Late Filing, Unpaid Fee Doom Nigeria’s Protest Against DR Congo
- World Cup4 days ago
FIFA Cancels Thousands of Hotel Rooms in World Cup Host Cities Amid U.S. Immigration Concerns
- AFCON1 week ago
Morocco Awarded AFCON 2025 Title as CAF Appeal Board Sanctions Senegal
- MLS1 week ago
Messi scores 900th career goal, joins Ronaldo in elite club
- CAF Champions League3 days ago
Ten-man Zamalek hold on in dramatic Otoho clash to reach semi-finals
- World Cup2 days ago
Absent Giants: Big Football Nations Missing from the 2026 World Cup
- AFCON4 days ago
Guinea FA Dismisses ‘Walkout’ Claims in 1976 AFCON Clash with Morocco
- Nigerian Football4 days ago
NFF Extraordinary Congress to Set Stage for September Elections in Yenagoa