BY KUNLE SOLAJA.

SUMMARY

*Nigeria never lost a competitive match on October 8

*Nigeria first international match was on October 8, 1949

*Nigeria first qualified for the World Cup following an October 8 match with Algeria in 1993

Mexico have booked their place in the quarter-finals of the ongoing FIFA U20 World Cup in Chile, following a commanding 4-1 victory over hosts Chile in the early hours of Wednesday.

With the win, the North Americans will now await the outcome of the Round of 16 clash between Nigeria and Argentina, which takes place later tonight at the Estadio Nacional Julio Martínez PrádanosinSantiago.

Nigeria will be aiming to repeat history against the Albiceleste, having stunned them 2-0 on home soil in their previous meeting two years ago.

But beyond recent records, the Super Eagles’ U20 side will also be drawing inspiration from a remarkable tradition — the ‘Magic of October 8’ — a date that has consistently brought Nigeria good fortune in football.

October 8: A Date Steeped in Nigerian Football History

It was on October 8, 1949, that Nigeria played their first-ever international match, defeating Sierra Leone 2-0 in Freetown. Since then, matches played on this date have often carried a touch of destiny for the nation.

In 1963, the team earned a 2-2 draw away to Liberia, maintaining their unbeaten streak on October 8, shortly after Nigeria had, through protest, overturned a result against Guinea to qualify for their first-ever Africa Cup of Nations.

Perhaps the most iconic result came 26 years after Nigeria’s debut international match, when the Green Eagles thrashed Egypt 4-0 in Lagos on October 8, 1977, during the final stage of the World Cup qualifiers for Argentina ’78.

That defeat remained Egypt’s heaviest in a World Cup qualifier until Ghana’s 6-1 rout in 2013.

The tradition continued in 1993, when Nigeria held Algeria 1-1 in Algiers on October 8 to qualify for their first-ever FIFA World Cup, becoming the first English-speaking African nation to reach the global showpiece.

Even FIFA appeared to acknowledge the date’s mystique — lifting a provisional ban on Nigeria on October 8, 2010.

Nigeria’s Record on October 8

• 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 (Nigeria qualify for USA ’94)
• 2005 – Abuja (World Cup Qualifier): Nigeria 5–1 Zimbabwe
• 2010 – FIFA provisionally lifts ban on Nigeria
• 2011 – Abuja (AFCON Qualifier): Nigeria 2–2 Guinea (unbeaten but missed 2012 AFCON ticket)

With such an impressive record, Nigerian fans will be hoping the October 8 magic shines once again when their U20 side face Argentina — and possibly sets up a thrilling quarter-final showdown with Mexico.

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Russia-based forward Olakunle Olusegun is still awaiting an entry visa to South Africa, creating the possibility that Nigeria may prosecute the encounter with only 21 available players.

Friday’s crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying encounter at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane, South Africa.

Head Coach Eric Sekou Chelle will have a total of 20 players available for Wednesday’s second training session, as the Super Eagles intensify preparations for the tie against the Crocodiles.

By Tuesday night, 18 players had checked into the team’s camp at The Ranch Hotel in Polokwane, with Portugal-based defender Zaidu Sanusi and Spain-based forward Jerome Akor Adams expected to join on Wednesday. United States-based midfielder Alhassan Yusuf Abdullahi is due to arrive on Thursday.

Chelle has had to adjust his squad following injuries to Bright Osayi-Samuel and Cyriel Dessers, prompting the late inclusion of Zaidu Sanusi and Christantus Uche of Crystal Palace. Earlier, a knock to wing-back Felix Agu had reduced the initial 23-man roster to 22.

Team captain William Ekong lacing his boots for training in Polokwane on Tuesday

Friday’s Matchday 9 fixture will kick off at 6pm South Africa time (5pm Nigeria time) at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium, as the Super Eagles aim to strengthen their position in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying race.

21 SUPER EAGLES TO BATTLE LESOTHO IN POLOKWANE

Goalkeepers: Stanley Nwabali (Chippa United, South Africa); Amas Obasogie (Singida Blackstars, Tanzania); Adeleye Adebayo (Volos FC, Greece)

Defenders: William Ekong (Al-Kholood, Saudi Arabia); Calvin Bassey (Fulham FC, England); Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (Hull City, England); Zaidu Sanusi (FC Porto, Portugal); Bruno Onyemaechi (Olympiakos, Greece); Benjamin Fredericks (Dender FC, Belgium)

Midfielders: Alex Iwobi (Fulham FC, England); Frank Onyeka (Brentford FC, England); Alhassan Yusuf Abdullahi (New England Revolution, USA); Wilfred Ndidi (Besiktas FC, Turkey); Christantus Uche (Crystal Palace, England)

Forwards: Ademola Lookman (Atalanta BC, Italy); Samuel Chukwueze (Fulham FC, England); Victor Osimhen (Galatasaray FC, Turkey); Simon Moses (Paris FC, France); Tolu Arokodare (Wolverhampton Wanderers, England); Terem Moffi (OGC Nice, France); Jerome Akor Adams (Sevilla FC, Spain)

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The Cape Verde Islands are one win away from a World Cup place that confirms the promise they have shown in recent years but would have been scarcely believable 20 years ago.

The wind-swept island archipelago, off the west coast of Africa, with a population of around 600,000, will become the second smallest country after Iceland to qualify if they win one of their last two qualifiers over the next week.

They are away to Libya on Wednesday before a home clash with Eswatini on Monday in which to ensure top spot in Group D and beat much-fancied Cameroon to the automatic qualifying spot for next year’s tournament in North America.

Cape Verde reached the last stages of qualification for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil but were deducted points for erroneously fielding a suspended player, thereby missing out on the playoffs where they would also have been two games away from reaching the finals.

In their debut Africa Cup of Nations finals appearance in 2013, Cape Verde reached the quarter-finals, prompting their coach to burst into song at the post-match press conference, and they did so again at the last edition in the Ivory Coast, unlucky to be eliminated on penalties.

Two decades ago, however, they had barely played any international football, averaging two games a year from 1986, when they joined FIFA, to 1990 when they competed in the World Cup qualifiers for the first time ranked 182nd in the world.

The progress since has been rapid, driven by actively finding players from the Diaspora around the world.

TALENT IDENTIFICATION PAYING OFF

“The football association devised new strategies around identifying and recruiting talent throughout the large Cape Verdean communities,” said U.S.-based agent Tony Araujo, who was born on the islands and worked closely with the team over decades.

“The talent identification and global recruitment process started to pay off huge dividends around 2013, when they qualified for their first Cup of Nations final.”

Scarce natural resources and an arid landscape have long caused migration from the islands, stretching back to the Portuguese colonial period.

Migrants left in droves for Portugal as well as other destinations, like the U.S. eastern seaboard and Dutch port of Rotterdam.

The squad for this week’s fixtures has six Dutch-born players plus others born in Portugal, France, and Ireland. Shamrock Rovers’ Roberto “Pico” Lopes, who will play in central defence, was among many scouted and approached, some more creatively than others.

“I set up a LinkedIn profile when I was in college but never really looked at it,” Lopes told Reuters.

“I got a message from the then coach Rui Aguas, but he wrote to me in Portuguese. I thought it was spam and took no notice.

“Then about nine months later, he messaged me back, saying, ‘Hi Roberto, have you had a chance to consider what I said to you?’ I copied the message into Google Translate. And it basically said that, ‘we’re looking at getting new players into the Cape Verde squad and would you be interested in declaring for Cape Verde? I was absolutely buzzing with that! I was like, ‘yep, 100% I’d love to be a part of the squad’,” he recalled.

In the past, it was hard for the team to attract top European-based Cape Verdean talent, Araujo said.

SUCCESS HAS ATTRACTED NEW PLAYERS

“But with new waves of recent success, a lot more European-based talents are inclined to choose Cape Verde to showcase their talents at the international level.”

Victory in Tripoli on Wednesday will be tough, but if unsuccessful they will be heavily fancied to secure qualification on Monday with home success against the Swazis.

Beating Cameroon last month set off celebrations across the islands, and those will surely be repeated with vigour should they secure a World Cup spot.

-Reuters

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