Governing Bodies
Flashback: 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.
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 20 7 7 6 33 27
Nigeria 20 6 7 7 27 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
- 11 Jan. 2022 (ACN) Nigeria 1-0 Egypt
Ghana
Ghana Black Stars are one of the underperformed teams of the on-going Africa Cup of Nations and crashed out at the group stage. They 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
World football governing body, FIFA, today clocks its 122nd anniversary, celebrating more than a century of overseeing and expanding the global game.
Founded on May 21, 1904, in Paris, France, FIFA began with just seven member associations — France, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
From that modest beginning, the organisation has grown into the most influential sports governing body in the world, with 211 member associations spread across all continents.
Over the decades, FIFA has transformed football into a truly global phenomenon through competitions such as the FIFA World Cup, Women’s World Cup, Club World Cup, youth tournaments, and developmental programmes aimed at growing the game worldwide.
The organisation has also witnessed remarkable milestones, including the expansion of the men’s World Cup from 13 teams in 1930 to 48 teams beginning from the 2026 edition to be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
FIFA’s journey has equally reflected football’s growing influence beyond sport, with the game becoming a major tool for diplomacy, social inclusion, youth empowerment, and economic development across the world.
As FIFA celebrates 122 years of existence, attention is now focused on the future of the game, technological innovations, expanded competitions, women’s football growth, and the continued globalisation of football.
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UEFA has issued a lifetime ban to Petr Vlachovsky, a Czech women’s soccer coach who secretly filmed his players, the governing body announced on Tuesday.
Czech media reported that the coach was convicted in May 2025 and initially received a suspended one-year prison sentence and a five-year domestic coaching ban for filming FC Slovacko’s players in changing rooms, the youngest of whom was 17.
In a statement, UEFA’s Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body (CEDB) said it had decided to ban Vlachovsky “from exercising any football-related activity for life” following the appointment of an Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector to investigate allegations of potential misconduct.
“The CEDB further decided to request FIFA to extend the abovementioned ban on a worldwide level and to order the Football Association of the Czech Republic to revoke Mr Petr Vlachovsky’s coaching licence,” the statement added.
FC Slovacko did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
Football players’ union FIFPRO welcomed the ban as well as UEFA’s request for world soccer governing body FIFA to impose an international ban on Vlachovsky.
“This outcome sends a strong and necessary message that abusive and inappropriate behaviour has no place in football and that safeguarding the well-being of players must remain a priority at every level of the game,” FIFPRO added in a statement.
Vlachovsky had also previously served as coach of the Czech women’s Under-19s team.
RELATED STORY: https://sportsvillagesquare.com/2026/04/08/outrage-as-male-coach-who-secretly-filmed-women-players-still-free-to-work-in-football/
-Reuters
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Southampton have been kicked out of the Championship playoff final after being found guilty of spying on semi-final opponents Middlesbrough, the English Football League said on Tuesday.
Middlesbrough, who lost 2-1 to Southampton on aggregate in the semi, have been reinstated and will face Hull City on Saturday in what is dubbed the world’s richest soccer match.
Promotion to the Premier League, even with an immediate relegation, is estimated to be worth in the region of 200 million pounds ($268.10 million) over three seasons.
Southampton, who admitted the charges, were also found guilty of filming training sessions involving Oxford United in December and Ipswich Town in April during the regular season.
They have also been deducted four points from the start of next season in England’s second tier.
“An Independent Disciplinary Commission has today expelled Southampton from the Championship play-offs after the club admitted multiple breaches of EFL regulations related to the unauthorised filming of other clubs’ training,” the EFL said.
“Southampton admitted breaches of Regulations requiring Clubs to act with the utmost good faith and prohibiting the observation of another Club’s training session within 72 hours of a scheduled match.
“The effect of today’s order is that Middlesbrough are reinstated into the 2026 play-offs and will proceed to the play-off final against Hull City. The final remains scheduled for Saturday 23 May, with the kick-off time to be confirmed.”
The EFL confirmed that Southampton could appeal against the decision and that “parties are working to try and resolve any appeal on Wednesday 20 May.
“Subject to the outcome, it could result in a further change to Saturday’s fixture,” the statement said.
‘BORO CALLED FOR SOUTHAMPTON EXPULSION
Middlesbrough had called for Southampton’s expulsion after having a training session at their Rockliffe Park site filmed 48 hours ahead of the first leg of their playoff semi-final with Southampton which ended 0-0.
The north-east club said they welcomed the decision.
“We believe this sends out a clear message for the future of our game regarding sporting integrity and conduct,” the north Middlesbrough said in a statement.
“As a club, we are now focused on our game against Hull City at Wembley on Saturday.”
Southampton were relegated from the Premier League last season and were struggling in the early part of this campaign until a storming finish in which they went unbeaten in 19 league games to finish fourth and enter the playoffs.
The south-coast club are the first to fall foul of the Football League’s regulation 127 — brought in after Leeds United were found guilty of spying on Derby County seven years ago, an offence for which they were fined 200,000 pounds.
-Reuters
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