International Football
Strengths and weaknesses of Nigeria’s possible World Cup playoff opponents
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
By being among the top five African countries in the last monthly ranking conducted by Fifa, the Super Eagles have avoided four of the toughest possible opponents in the play off for the Qatar 2022 holding in March next year.
The tough teams Nigeria have avoided are Senegal, Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria.
But that is not to say that the other five teams in the playoff are easy takes. The Super Eagles will face one of the following: Egypt, Ghana, Cameroon, Mali and DR Congo.
Like Sports Village Square reliably gathered from Reuters, the date for the draw for the playoff has not been decided.
It is envisaged to hold in January, possibly after protests by two last day eliminated sides, South Africa and Benin Republic may have been cleared.
All the same, none of the five potential home-and-away opponents of Nigeria is an easy take. They are all tricky sides. Sports Village Square analyse each of them.
Egypt
The Pharaohs of Egypt belong to the class of super powers in the continent. Their record speaks clear.
Currently ranked number 44 in the world and sixth in the continent, they are the most successful African sides in the African Cup of Nations, having won a record seven times.
Paradoxically, their records in the World Cup belie their strength in the continent. Despite being the first African country to feature in the World Cup, they have only featured three times in 21 editions.
They seem to be afflicted when it comes to the World Cup. They have never made a back-to-back appearance at the World Cup.They hold the record for the longest gap between two appearances and the oldest player to have ever played at the World Cup.
After their first appearance in 1934, they have to wait for 56 years before another appearance at Italia ’90.
From Italia ’90, it took another 28 years before they qualified for Russia 2018. Will another ten of years elapsed before another World Cup qualification?
Poor historical background may be their sole disadvantage. But the strength of the team with which Nigeria will open their Africa Cup of Nations 2021 with is immense.
Nigerian teams have traditionally been poor travellers to Egypt and have never defeated the country in their territory.
Now under Portuguese coach, Carlos Queiroz who led Portugal to defeat Nigeria at the Under 20 World Cup in 1989, Egypt boast of key players like Mohamed Salah, Mohamed Elneny, Ahmed Hegazi and Mohamed El Shennawi.
If drawn against Egypt, the Super Eagles will do well to make the result a manageable one in the first leg with the hope of finishing up in Nigeria.
Nigeria-Egypt Head-to-Head
P W D L F A
Egypt 19 7 7 5 33 26
Nigeria 19 5 7 7 26 33
- 13 Dec. 1959 (OQ.) Nigeria 2-6 Egypt
- 1 Jan. 1960 (OQ.) Egypt 3-0 Nigeria
- 29 Nov. 1960 (F) Nigeria 1-2 Egypt
- 24 Nov. 1963 (ACN) Egypt 6-3 Nigeria
- 14 Jan. 1973 (2AAG) Nigeria 4-2 Egypt
- 14 Mar. 1976 (ACN) Nigeria 3-2 Egypt
- 8 Oct. 1977 (WCq) Nigeria 4-0 Egypt
- 21 Oct. 1977 (WCq) Egypt 3-1 Nigeria
- 15 Mar. 1980 (ACN) Nigeria 1-0 Egypt
- 18 Feb. 1983 (F) Nigeria 0-0 Egypt
- 20 Feb. 1983 (F) Nigeria 1-1 Egypt
- 14 Mar. 1984 (ACN) Egypt 2-2 Nigeria *(7 – 8 penalty shoot-out).
- 20 Mar. 1988 (ACN) Egypt 0-0 Nigeria
- 5 Mar. 1990 (ACN) Egypt 0-1 Nigeria
- 30 Mar. 1994 (ACN) Egypt 0-0 Nigeria
- 25 Nov. 2002 (F) Nigeria 1- 1 Egypt
- 12 Jan. 2010 (ACN) Egypt 3-1 Nigeria
- 25 Mar. 2016 (ACNq) Nigeria 1-1 Egypt
- 29 Mar. 2016 (ANCq) Egypt 1-0 Nigeria
- 26 Mar. 2019 (F) Nigeria 1-0 Egypt
Ghana
Ghana Black Stars have been long time rivals of the Nigerian national sides even in the colonial era. Fixtures with Ghana, although lately latent, command high tension.
The Black Stars have been early football superpowers in Africa and were the first to win eternally, a trophy for the Africa Cup of Nations following their hattrick achieved in the 1963, 1965 and the 1978 editions. They followed up with a fourth title in 1982.
But like Egypt, they have not had good runs in the qualification for the World Cup.
But they are perhaps the African sides with the nearest opportunity of getting into a World Cup semi-finals before their dream run in the 2010 was punctuated by poor marksmanship from the penalty spot.
Currently ranked 52 in the world seventh in Africa they boast of top players like Andrew Ayew, Jordan Ayew and Thomas Partey.
Nigeria have played more matches with Ghana more than with any other country. The pendulum however skewed in favour of Ghana.
Eternal rivalry will play a key factor if the Super Eagles are drawn to play Ghana in the World Cup qualifying playoff.
They are the team against which Nigeria played their first ever World Cup qualifying match on 28 August 1960. Nigeria lost the match 4-1 in Accra.
They have had to meet at the World Cup qualifying series for the 1970, 1974 and 2002 editions.
Nigeria-Ghana Head-to-Head
P W D L F A
Ghana 57 19 19 16 87 62
Nigeria 57 16 19 22 62 87
- 20 Oct.1951 (JalcoCup) Nigeria 5-0 Ghana
- 11 Oct.1953 (JalcoCup) Ghana 1-0 Nigeria
- 30 Oct.1954 (JalcoCup) Nigeria 3-0 Ghana
- 30 Oct.1955 (JalcoCup) Ghana 7-0 Nigeria
- 27Oct.1956 (JalcoCup) Nigeria 3-0 Ghana
- 27 Oct.1957 (JalcoCup) Ghana 3 -3 Nigeria
- 25 Oct.1958 (JalcoCup) Nigeria 3-2 Ghana
- 10 Oct. 1959 (OQ.) Nigeria 3 -1 Ghana
- 26 Oct. 1959 (OQ.) Ghana 4-1 Nigeria
- 22 Nov.1959 (JalcoCup) Ghana 5 -2 Nigeria
- 28 Aug. 1960 (WCq) Ghana 4-1 Nigeria
- 10 Sept. 1960 (WCq) Nigeria 2 -2 Ghana
- 9Oct.1960 (Nkrumah Cup) Nigeria 0-3 Ghana
- 29 Oct.1960 (Zik Cup) Nigeria 1-1 Ghana
- 8 April. 1961 (ACNq) Nigeria 0 -0 Ghana
- 30 Apr. 1961 (ACNq) Ghana 2-2 Nigeria
- 17 Dec. 1961 (F) Ghana 5 -1 Nigeria
- 10 Nov.1962 (F) Nigeria 0 -0 Ghana
- 23 Feb.1963 (Nkrumah Cup) Ghana 5-0 Nigeria
- 30 Oct.1965 (Zik Cup) Nigeria 0-4 Ghana
- 7 Nov.1965 (Zik Cup) Ghana 3-0 Nigeria
- 28 Jan.1967 (Zik Cup) Nigeria 2-2 Ghana
- 12 Feb.1967 (Zik Cup) Ghana 2-0 Nigeria
- 22 Oct.1967 (Zik Cup) Ghana 2-1 Nigeria
- 23 Dec1967 (Zik Cup) Nigeria 2 -2 Ghana
- 10 May 1969 (WCq) Nigeria 2-1 Ghana
- 18 May 1969 (WCq) Ghana 1-1 Nigeria
- 8 Jan.1973 (2AAG.) Nigeria 4-2 Ghana
- 10 Feb. 1973 (WCq) Nigeria 2-3 Ghana *Awarded 2- 0 to Ghana
- 25 Feb. 1973 (WCq) Ghana 0-0 Nigeria
- 11 Aug. 1974 (Festival) Nigeria 1-1 Ghana
- 17 Aug. 1974 (Festival) Nigeria 0-1 Ghana
- 24 Aug1975 (Festival) Ghana 1-2 Nigeria
- 30 Aug.1975 (Festival) Ghana 3-0 Nigeria
- 4 Sept.1977 (Ecowas) Nigeria 2-1 Ghana
- 8 Mar. 1978 (ACN) Ghana 1-1 Nigeria
- 21 July 1978 (3AAG) Ghana 0-0 Nigeria
- 1 May1983 (ECA.anniv) Ghana1-0 Nigeria
- 15 Oct. 1983 (OQ.) Nigeria 0 -0 Ghana
- 30 Oct. 1983 (OQ.) Ghana 1-2 Nigeria
- 5 March 1984(ACN) Ghana 1-2 Nigeria
- 27 Jul. 1986 (F) Ghana 2 -0 Nigeria
- 2 Sept.1990 (ACNq) Ghana 1-0 Nigeria
- 13 April 1991 (ACNq) Nigeria 0-0 Ghana
- 23 Jan. 1992 (ACN) Ghana 2-1 Nigeria
- 9 March 1994 (F) Nigeria 0-0 Ghana
- 28 Aug. 1999 (F) Nigeria 0-0 Ghana
- 11 Mar. 2001(WCq) Ghana 0-0 Nigeria
- 29 Jul.2001 (WCq) Nigeria 3-0 Ghana
- 3 Feb. 2002 (ACN) Ghana 0-1 Nigeria
- 15 Dec. 2002 (F) Ghana 0-1 Nigeria
- 30 May 2003 (LG Cup) Nigeria 3-1 Ghana
- 23 Jan. 2006 (ACN) Ghana 0-1 Nigeria
- 6 Feb 2007 (F) Ghana 4-1 Nigeria
- 3 Feb 2008 (ACN) Ghana 2-1 Nigeria
- 28 Jan. 2010 (ACN) Ghana 1-0 Nigeria
- 11 Oct. 2011 (F) Ghana 0-0 Nigeria
Cameroon
Although in head-to-head confrontations, Nigeria have edge over Cameroon, no match-up with the Indomitable Lions is ever considered an easy one. Until the 4 June 2021 defeat of the Super Eagles in a friendly match, the Nigerian side had had a three-decade of not losing any match in regulation time to Cameroon.
One of the biggest wins over Cameroon was in the qualifying series for the 2018 World Cup when the Indomitable Lions crumbled miserably in a 4-0 defeat in Uyo.
But the team had since regained their composure and are considered one of the most dreaded sides on the continent.
Besides, they were the first African sides to scale the group stage in the World Cup when they got to the quarter finals at Italia ‘90.
With seven appearances at the World Cup, they ranked among the most frequent African teams at the global event.
Nigeria-Cameroon Head-to-Head
P W D L F A
Nigeria 24 14 6 4 41 21
Cameroon 24 4 6 14 21 41
- 8 Dec.1962 (Nkrumah ) Nigeria3-1 Cameroon
- 1 Jan.1963 (Nkrumah) Cameroon 1-2 Nigeria
- 22 July 1966 (F) Cameroon 1-2 Nigeria
- 7 Dec.1968 (WCq) Nigeria 1-1Cameroon
- 22Dec.1968 (WCq) Cameroon 2-3 Nigeria
- 13 Feb.1972 (F) Cameroon 1-2 Nigeria
- 22 Jan. 1975 (F) Nigeria 1-0 Cameroon
- 2 Feb. 1980 (F) Nigeria 0 -0 Cameroon
- 18 Mar.1984 (ACN) Cameroon3-1 Nigeria
- 17 Mar. 1988(ACN) Cameroon 1-1Nigeria
- 27 Mar.1988 (ACN) Cameroon 1-0 Nigeria
- 10 June1989 (WCq) Nigeria 2-0 Cameroon
- 27 Aug.1989 (WCq) Cameroon 1-0Nigeria
- 25 Jan.1992 (ACN) Cameroon 1-2 Nigeria
- 7 Aug.1997 (LGCup) Cameroon 0-1Nigeria
- Feb.2000 (ACN) Nigeria 2-2 Cameroon *(3-4 penalty-shootout).
- 1June2003 (LGCup)Nigeria 3-0 Cameroon *aet
- Feb.2004 (ACN) Cameroon 1-2 Nigeria
- 11 Oct. 2015 (F) Nigeria 3-0 Cameroon
- 1 Sept. 2017 (WCq) Nigeria 4-0 Cameroon
- 4 Sept. 2017 (WCq) Cameroon 1-1 Nigeria
- 6 July 2019 (CAN) Nigeria 3-2 Cameroon
- 4 June 2021 (F) Cameroon 1-0 Nigeria
- 8 June 2021(F) Cameroon 0-0 Nigeria
Mali
Of the 10 group leaders now in the playoff for the World Cup qualification, Mali are the only sides without any previous appearance at the World Cup.
They are however one of the tricky teams in West Africa that can not be easily waved aside.
Despite being in the same subcontinent region with Nigeria, fixtures with Mali are rare. But Sports Village Square recalls that the Lagos National Stadium was opened with a 3-0 defeat of Mali on 4 December 1972.
Nigeria and Mali have met only nine times. The Malians were the Super Eagles’ stepping stone into the final match of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations which the team won.
They were previously coached by Nigeria’s Stephen Keshi. Mali are number 54 in the world and ninth in Africa by the current Fifa ranking. Their star players include: Kalifa Coulibaly, Moussa Djenepo and Amadou Haidara.
Nigeria-Mali Head-to-Head
P W D L F A
Nigeria 9 5 3 1 14 5
Mali 9 1 3 5 5 14
- 22 Nov. 1972 (F) Mali 2 -1 Nigeria
- 4 Dec. 1972 (F) Nigeria 3-0 Mali
- 14 Jul. 1978 (3AAG) Mali 1-3 Nigeria
- 18 Dec. 1983 (WAFU) Nigeria 0 -0 Mali * (4-5 penalty shoot-out).
- 24 Jan. 2002 (ACN) Mali 0 -0 Nigeria
- 9 Feb. 2002 (ACN) Mali 0-1 Nigeria
- 3 Feb. 2004 (ACN) Mali 1-2 Nigeria
- 25 Jan. 2008 (ACN) Mali 0-0 Nigeria
- 6 Feb. 2013 (ACN) Mali 1-4 Nigeria
DR Congo
Of the 10 group leaders now in the playoff for the World Cup qualification, DR Congo are the only sides outside the top 10 in the continent where they place 12th behind Burkina Faso and South Africa.
No nation in the continent has changed names more than DR Congo that had previously been called Congo Kinshasa, later Zaire and since 1996, DR Congo.
In the past, Congo DR have been ranked as high as 28 in the FIFA rankings. When they qualified for the 1974 World Cup in West Germany, they became the first Sub-Saharan African team to feature at global event.
Sports Village Square however recalls that they are the African sides with the most scandalous result when they crumbled 9-0 to the then Yugoslavia.
Should the Super Eagles be drawn against them, it will be a tricky match-up. Nigeria won their first Africa Cup of Nations match beating the then Zaire 4-2 in a Group match at Ethiopia 1976.
Fixtures of Nigeria and DR Congo is rare. They have met just nine times. But results have always been in favour of Nigeria. The Congolese however broke the apparent myth surrounding Nigeria’s matches on 8 October when they beat the Super Eagles 2-0 in Belgium in 2016.
Before then, Nigeria never lost a game on a 8 October date which is also the anniversary of Nigeria’s first international match and also, the first time the country qualified for the World Cup (8 October 1993).
Nigeria DR Congo Head-to-Head
P W D L F A
Nigeria 9 5 1 3 16 14
DR Congo 9 3 1 5 14 16
- 5 Nov.1966 (F) Nigeria 3-2 DR Congo
- 27 Nov. 1966 (F) DR Congo 1-0 Nigeria
- 13 Dec. 1969 (F) DR Congo 5-0 Nigeria
- 1Mar.1976 (ACN) DR Congo 2-4 Nigeria
- 19 Jan1992 (ACN) DR Congo 0 -1 Nigeria
- 2 April1994 (ACN) DR Congo 0-2 Nigeria
- 3 Mar. 2010 (F) Nigeria 5-2 DR Congo
- 8 Oct. 2015 (F) DR Congo 2-0 Nigeria
- 28 May 2018 (F) Nigeria 1-1 DR Congo
International Football
Former Brazil coach Tite taking break to take care of mental, physical health
Former Brazil coach Tite said he is taking an indefinite career break in order to take care of his mental and physical health.
The 63-year-old, who led Brazil to the 2019 Copa America title, was hospitalised due to a heart issue last August. He was sacked by Flamengo the following month and had most recently been linked with the Corinthians job.
“I realised that there are times when you have to understand that, as a human being, I can be vulnerable and admitting that will certainly make me stronger,” Tite said in a statement posted on his son Matheus Bachi’s Instagram on Tuesday.
“I’m passionate about what I do and I’ll continue to be so, but after talking to my family and observing the signals my body was giving off, I decided that the best thing to do now is to take a break from my career to look after myself for as long as it takes.
“As has become public, there was a conversation in progress with Corinthians, but it will have to be paralysed by a difficult but necessary decision.”
Tite, who stepped down as Brazil coach after their quarter-final exit from the 2022 World Cup, has previously coached a string of Brazilian sides including Gremio, Atletico Mineiro and Palmeiras.
-Reuters
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Brazil have sacked head coach Dorival Jr, the country’s football confederation (CBF) said on Friday after the five-time world champions were thrashed 4-1 away to fierce rivals Argentina in a humiliating qualifying loss in Buenos Aires.
The 62-year-old was appointed in January 2024 after the team spent a year under two caretaker coaches as the Brazilian FA were unable to lure Italian Carlo Ancelotti from Real Madrid.
“The Brazilian Football Confederation informs that coach Dorival Jr is no longer in charge of the Brazilian national team,” the confederation said in a statement.
“The management thanks (Dorival) and wishes him success in continuing his career … the CBF will work to find his replacement,” it added.
Dorival was handed the job after his success with Flamengo in 2022 where he won the Copa Libertadores and Brazilian Cup, a trophy he lifted again the next year with Sao Paulo.
However, he never seemed to get to grips with the national team job and failed to earn the trust of Brazil’s demanding fans after winning only seven of his 16 games in charge.
Sources told Reuters the CBF was not confident in Dorival’s work, considering there had been little to no progress since a lacklustre Copa America campaign when Brazil were knocked out in the quarter-finals by Uruguay last year.
Still, the CBF was willing to wait and see until the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Ecuador and Paraguay in June to reassess the situation following the end of the European season and the Club World Cup in the U.S. in June and July.
But after Brazil slumped to their heaviest-ever loss in a qualifier when they were thrashed by Argentina this week, CBF president Ednaldo Rodrigues decided to pull the trigger.
IDEAL CANDIDATE
Sources told Reuters Ancelotti was still the ideal candidate but he is under contract with Real until July 2026 and there is no indication he would leave the European and Spanish champions.
Brazilian media have reported that Al Hilal’s Portuguese coach Jorge Jesus is the favourite to replace Dorival.
Brazil have been in unfamiliar territory for over two years since crashing out of the 2022 World Cup against Croatia on penalties in the quarter-finals, a heartbreaking elimination that led to the exit of long-time manager Tite.
Their humbling defeat in Buenos Aires was the latest of a series of negative records Brazil have set under caretakers Ramon Menezes and Fernando Diniz and with Dorival in charge. They had never conceded four goals in a World Cup qualifier.
Brazil are in the midst of their worst-ever World Cup qualifying campaign. They are fourth in the South American standings with 21 points, a point above sixth-placed Colombia who currently occupy the final direct qualifying berth.
Never have Brazil lost so many games, conceded so many goals or set so many negative records in the qualifying competition. They have lost five of their 14 games and conceded 16 goals.
Brazil’s 1-0 defeat by Argentina in the Maracana late in 2023 was their first-ever qualifying loss on home soil.
They also lost to Colombia for the first time, saw the end of their unbeaten run against Uruguay stretching back over two decades and were defeated by Morocco and Senegal, having never previously lost to an African nation.
-Reuters
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International Football
England’s German manager Tuchel will not sing the English anthem in his first game
England manager Thomas Tuchel said he would have to “earn the right” to sing the national anthem, God Save the King, after announcing his 26-man squad on Friday ahead of the team’s World Cup qualifiers.
Tuchel, who was appointed as Gareth Southgate’s successor in October and named his first squad to face Albania and Latvia this month, said he would not sing the anthem in his first games in charge.
“It means a lot to me, I can assure you, but I can feel that because it is so meaningful and it is so emotional and it is so powerful, the national anthem, that I have to earn my right to sing it,” the 51-year-old German told a news conference.
Former caretaker manager Lee Carsley was criticised last year for not singing the anthem during his tenure.
However, Tuchel added that while he is proud to be in charge of the team and knows the words to the anthem, he plans to earn the right with results.
“Maybe I have to dive more into the culture and earn my right from you, from the players, from the supporters, so everyone feels like ‘he should sing it now, he’s one of our own, he’s the English manager, he should sing it’,” he said.
-Reuters
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