BY KUNLE SOLAJA.

Super Eagles will this Sunday afternoon begin their quest for a fourth African title as they confront Equatorial Guinea at the Olympic Stadium of Epimbe at the northern end of Abidjan in Cote d’Ivoire.

In championship of this nature, winning an opening match, including in the World Cup, is always an advantage. With three first round matches; a team may not feel same pressure at their first match of the Africa Cup of Nations as they might prior to their third match.

But the opening matches may hold more importance than many realize. The in-built rule therefore for ambitious teams in any tournament  to avoid an opening match defeat.

A defeat could be devastating to the psyche of a team as did to the potentially strong Spanish side that unexpectedly lost 3-2 to Nigeria in their opening game of France ‘98 World Cup in Nantes.

Spain who were upset in the first match tried to make up and looked ahead to Paraguay and Bulgaria, and still looked good bet to still pick scale through to the round of 16.

But a scoreless draw with Paraguay made their 6 -1 pounding of Bulgaria in the last match worthless after the Super Eagles lost their last match to Paraguay in the final group match.

In Nigeria’s previous 19 opening matches at the Africa Cup of Nations, they only lost four times. In two of such instances, they could not navigate the group stage in 1963 and 2008.

For the Nigerian team who camped in Abu Dhabi which at the moment is experiencing its coldest weather, the heat and humidity level in Abidjan could be an added disadvantage coupled with the fact that today’s match will be played in the afternoon – 3pm Nigerian time.

The team trained in cold region for a tournament in hot region. They will need a lot of stamina to survive a potentially gritty Equatorial Guinea side.

They will also not expect the crowd to be on their side, considering the anticipated challenge that Nigeria will give the hosts on Thursday.

As for their opponents who are having their fourth appearance since debuting as joint hosts with Gabon in 2012, they will hope to continue their fair record of progressing to at least the quarter finals.

They were undefeated in throughout 2023 and claimed victories in their opening World Cup qualifiers against Namibia and Liberia without even conceding any goal.

At the qualifying series for Cameroon 2021, they famously defeated Tunisia 1-0. Though in the two previous encounters Nigeria had had with the Nzalang Nacionale of Equatorial Guinea ended with Nigeria’s victory home and away, reliance on form-book could be disastrous.