AFCON

Milestone Goal Awaits Super Eagles In Their 100th AFCON Match –

Published

8 months ago

January 21, 2024

Milestone Goal Awaits Super Eagles In Their 100th AFCON Match -

BY KUNLE SOLAJA.

Super Eagles need to win their Monday match for a realistic chance of topping Group A and remain in Abidjan where their Round of 16 opponent will be any of the third placed teams in groups C, D or E.

Their last group match against Guinea Bissau is their 100^th match since their debut in 1963.

The century match is not the only milestone ahead. Winning the match entails scoring of goals. Super Eagles first goal on Monday will be the team’s 140^th since their 1963 debut.

Therefore, who ever opens scoring for the Super Eagles will be registering the team’s 140^th goal in the history of the Africa Cup of Nations.

Nigeria’s haul is currently 139. When Asuquo Ekpe scored against Egypt in Kumasi in 1963 to bring scoreline to 3-1 in an eventual 6-3 loss, he became the first Nigerian to score at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Obinna Nsofor scored Nigeria’s 100^th goal when he found the net in the sixth minute of a quarter-final match with Tunisia on 6 February 2006 in Port Said in Egypt. The match ended 1-1 and Nigeria went ahead 5-6 penalties.

Nwankwo Kanu’s spot kick, which was he hesitatingly took as the only person who had not taken partook in the penalty shootout, happened to be the last of the kicks.

It was the only time the former African Footballer of the Year found the net in five editions of the Africa Cup of Nations.

Austin Jay Jay Okocha scored the milestone 1,000^th goal in the Africa Cup of Nations history when he converted from the penalty spot in the 4-0 defeat of South Africa in 2004 in Tunisia.

Nigeria’s Africa Cup of Nations milestone goals

No.	Scorer	Match	Goal	Date
1^st	Asuquo Ekpe	Egypt 6-3 Nigeria	1-3	Nov. 24, 1963
10^th	Muda Lawal	Guinea1-1 Nigeria	0-1	Mar. 9, 1976
20^th	Eyo Martins	Uganda 2-1 Nigeria	1-1	Mar. 14, 1978
30^th	Stephen Keshi	Ethiopia 3-0 Nigeria	1-0	Mar. 7, 1982
40^th	Muda Lawal	Cameroon 3-1 Nigeria	0-1	Mar. 18,1984
50^th	Rashidi Yekini	Zambia 0-2 Nigeria	2-0	Mar. 12, 1990
60^th	Rashidi Yekini	Gabon 0-3 Nigeria	3-0	Mar. 26, 1994
70^th	Victor Ikpeba	Tunisia 2-4 Nigeria	1-3	Jan. 23, 2000
80th	Julius Aghahowa	Algeria 0-1 Nigeria	1-0	Jan 21, 2002
90^th	John Utaka	Benin 1-2 Nigeria	1-2	Feb. 4, 2004
100^th	Obinna Nsofor	Tunisia 1-1 Nigeria	0-1	Feb. 4, 2006
110^th	Obinna Nsofor	Algeria 0-1 Nigeria	1-0	Jan. 30, 2010
120^th	Ahmed Musa	Mali 1-4 Nigeria	1-4	Feb. 6, 2013
130^th	Odion Ighalo	Tunisia 0-1 Nigeria	0-1	Jul. 17, 2019
140^th	????	Guinea Bissau v. Nigeria	????	Jan. 22, 2024

AFCON

Hurray, Super Eagles back to winning ways!

Published

7 hours ago

September 7, 2024

Kunle Solaja

What a turn-around! After four previous competitive matches without a win, the Super Eagles have regained their winning mentality after a 3-0 defeat of Benin Republic in their opening 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying series.

The win also put the Super Eagles at the top of the Group D after both Libya and Rwanda played 1-1 draw last Thursday.

It is also the biggest win by the Super Eagles since their 2023 6-0 win over Sao Tome & Principe last year September.

Great man Ademola Lookman, he put in two goals straightening the possibility of his emerging as 2024 African Footballer of the Year.

The current title holder, Victor Osimhen proved his mettle coming off the bench in the second half to double Nigeria’s lead after Lookman’s late first half goal.

The Super Eagles will now honour their next fixture against Rwanda on Tuesday with the hope of consolidating their lead.

Benin Republic with no points and a deficit of three goals are rooted at the bottom of the log.

AFCON

‘Oh Come All Ye Faithful!’, Rev Ikpea calls on football fans to rally round Super Eagles

Published

14 hours ago

September 7, 2024

Kunle Solaja

BY JOSEPH ODOEKWU

The National Chairman of the Nigerian Football Supporters Club (NFSC), Rev. Samuel Ikpea has called on all Nigerians to rally round and pray for the Super Eagles ahead of Saturday’s Morocco 2025 AFCON qualifier against Benin Republic in Uyo.

Ikpea who is mobilizing support for the Super Eagles ahead of the clash in Uyo said that whatever Benin Republic come with both spiritually and physically in the game, we will surely overcome them.

“In the NFSC we have Christians, Muslims as well as those who believe in traditional worship and we respect the rights of freedom of worship of every member and all Nigerians.

“When we are faced with this kind of crucial game, we call on everyone to pray through their various believes because we foresee that Benin Republic are most likely coming to fall back on ‘black magic’ to enable them perfect a back-to-back victory over our Super Eagles after beating us 2-1 in our last meeting in a World Cup qualifier”

“We cannot underestimate the efficacy of the black magic” Ikpea further stressed, “but we believe that when we come together we can neutralize it’s efficacy.

“This is no time to sleep, we all have to rally round and do our best to support our Super Eagles because they cannot do it alone without the prayers and support of all Nigerians.

“While charging Nigerians to be positive with the team, we at the NFSC have done everything positive to overturn whatever plans they are coming with and we enjoin everyone to toe that path through prayers”.

Meanwhile, the Super Eagles camp is bubbling with training in Uyo, as team Coach Austin Eguavoen, has been working hard to perfect tactics with the boys and ensure the Super Eagles soar on Saturday.

AFCON

Will Super Eagles regain their winning mentality?

Published

16 hours ago

September 7, 2024

Kunle Solaja

The Super Eagles have not won a qualifying match for any competition since their 6-0 defeat of Principe & Sao Tome on 10^th September 2023 in Uyo. That was their last qualifying match for Cote d’Ivoire 2023 played in 2024.

Since then, they have played four World Cup qualifying matches without a win despite being the overwhelming favourites at those matches.

A forensic analysis of their World Cup qualifying since that of Qatar 2022 will reveal they had played seven consecutive matches without a win starting from their 1-1 home draw with Cape Verde in Lagos which qualified them for the play off. In the play off with Ghana, the Super Eagles drew the two matches.

In the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, they have gone four matches, getting three draws and a loss. The prospect of their getting a straight qualification from the group is doubtful as they have a mountain to climb by winning the remaining six matches, three of which are away duels of which are most likely to be played in South Africa, the home ground of their main rivals.

Zimbabwe and Lesotho play their home matches in South Africa and Nigeria also still have an away duel with Bafana Bafana.

The qualification series of AFCON 2025 presents the Super Eagles a new beginning. Starting from the semi-finals of the AFCON in Cote d’Ivoire, the team has won none of their four competitive matches in regulation time. The players have a date with destiny in Uyo this Saturday to wipe off the sagging image they have had in recent time.

A win will give the team the confidence expected in anticipation for future fixtures.