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AFCON

VIDEO OF 1ST NIGERIA NATIONAL TEAM AS SUPER EAGLES CLOCK 70 ON WEDNESDAY

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BY KUNLE SOLAJA

Nigeria national football team facing Guinea this Wednesday have more than just the three points and possible qualification for the next round of the Africa Cup of Nations to fight for.

Victory over Guinea will be an icing on the 70th anniversary of the team which was first composed on June 26, 1949.

The first official group photograph of the Nigerian national team taken at the Everton Ground in 1949

It was on that date that the Selection Committee of the then Nigeria Football Association, (NFA) announced the names of 17 of the 18 players that composed Nigeria’s first national team, the famed UK Tourists.

The maiden crest of the Nigerian national team

The 18th player, Okoronkwo Kanu whose surname was often anglicized as Kanoo was added five days later. Even though his choice was controversial as he was perceived to have passed his prime, he was the most learned of the lot and acted as the team secretary.

While the others played barefooted, he was the only one withlightly soled canvas shoes.

The bare feet of the players of Nigeria’s first national team in 1949

The Nigerian first ever national team was selected after the existing three regions – North, West and East as well as the then Lagos and Districts Football Association were asked to present the best players in their region for inter-regional matches.

On June 26, 1949 the names of the players selected from those matches were announced as the first Nigerian national team composed to go on a goodwill tour of the United Kingdom.  That was the beginning of what is now the Super Eagles.

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Thirteen of the 18 players were from Lagos clubs. Two, Isaac Akioye and Olisa Chukwurah, were from the West. Two were from the East and one from the North.

Led by Captain Donald H. Holley, the NFA Chairman, the team travelled out of the country on August 16, 1949 and arrived Liverpool on Monday August 29.  While on board of the Elder Dempster ship, MV Apapa, the players kept fit by running round the deck four times every morning and evening during the two-week voyage.

The tour by the Nigerian team to the UK was the first by any black or African country. It was later followed by those of Gold Coast (now Ghana) in 1951, Uganda in 1956 and The Caribbean in 1959.

For their matches, the Nigerian team wore olive green jerseys atop white shorts. Symbolically, it is the olive green shirt that current Super Eagles have inadvertently adopted as their second strip.

RELATED STORY: https://www.sportsvillagesquare.com/2019/06/24/as-super-eagles-clock-70-20-amazing-facts-ahead-of-nigeria-guinea-afcon-match/

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While in the UK, the Nigerian team played nine matches against British amateur clubs. Those matches are however not regarded as official games. Nigeria’s first Grade A match was played on October 8, 1949 with Sierra Leone while the UK Tourists made a stopover in Freetown in their return voyage.

Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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AFCON

Present and Past as CAF Coaches Symposium unites Rohr, Peseiro and Eguavoen

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The on-going CAF AFCON Cote d’Ivoire 2023 Coaches Symposium in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire has brought together, the last three coaches that handled the Nigeria national football team.

Gernot Rohr, Jose Peseiro and Austin Eguavoen are part of the the elite coaches currently gathered in Abidjan.

Gernot Rohr whose tenure of 5 years and 55 matches is the longest ever by any coach in Nigeria, is currently handling Nigeria’s Africa Cupof Nations and World Cup qualifying rivals, Benin Republic. He was succeeded in the interim by Austin Eguavoen who is currently having another interim stint.

Peseiro left his position after the Africa Cup of Nations

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AFCON

Rwanda newspaper gives 5 lessons gleaned from Rwanda-Nigeria clash

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The goalless outing of Rwanda and Nigeria in Tuesday’s Africa Cup of Nations’ qualifying match has thrown up some lessons, according to New Times, the leading newspaper in Rwanda.

New Times reckons that both teams put up a great show as Amavubi showed their pedigree against one of the giants in African football. It then pointed out the five elements that shaped the game.

Amavubi played with total confidence

No African country comes close to Nigeria in terms of “big players” country. Almost all their players are playing for top clubs in Europe’s top leagues but that did not deter Frank Spittler’s men.

They played with total confidence and self-belief. At a point in the game, Rwanda and APR FC left-back Claude Niyomugabo was mesmerizing former Chelsea and Lazio player Ola Aina who is now with Nottingham forest to the point that he was booked his jersey when he couldn’t match his pace.

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Confidence among Rwandan players was high and it helped them to get goalless draw results.

Bizimana, the midfield controller

The Amavubi skipper pocketed Nigerian midfield led by Wilfred Ndidi. He run a one-man show in the middle of the pitch as he was unplayable.

His passes and tackles were superb. He track-backed several times as deep as his own penalty box to win balls.

Lookman’s danger left Rwandan defense shaking

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Victor Osimhen is arguably Nigeria’s star man but it is clear that Ademola Lookman is the most dangerous player in the team.

He could hold on the ball, dribble, shoot and pass. The Atalanta winger was the best player for the visitors as he gave Amavubi a tough time before being substituted in the 89th minute for Taiwo Awoniyi.

Amavubi’s attacking problem

“The only problem with my team is in attack. You could see the difference between my attackers and the Nigerian attackers but that is what we have now. Maybe it is the Nigerian attackers who should have played against the Nigerian defenders. We created some chances but couldn’t score.”

These were some of the comments made by Amavubi head coach Torsten Spittler in the post-match press conference.

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Rwanda looked solid both at the back and in midfield but the likes of Innocent Nshuti and Gilbert Mugisha weren’t up to the task in attack.

They wasted three good chances that could have resulted in goals.

Goal scoring is a problem for Amavubi and Spittler is ready to find an antidote. The German gaffer was, however, happy that his team was able to create chances which is a sign of improvement.

Fiacre Ntwari’s heroics

The Amavubi shot stopper was the hero of the day for Rwanda, and he has showed why he is among the best goalkeepers in Africa now.

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Against a rampaging Nigerian attack of Victor Boniface, Osimhen, Lookman, Awoniyi and Samuel Chukwueze among others, Ntwari pulled as many as nine superb saves to keep his side in the game.

The Kaizer Chiefs shot stopper was very cool in the posts as he prevented the Nigerian attackers from scoring.

Ntwari, is gradually carving a niche for himself and he is proving to be a key component of the Amavubi set up.

 

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AFCON

Austin Eguavoen remains the ‘Big Boss’, says NFF

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BY KUNLE SOLAJA

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has clarified the position of interim manager of the Super Eagles, Austin Eguavoen. “He is still in charge”, the NFF Head of Communications, Ademola Olajire told Sports Village Square, this Wednesday.

Austin Eguavoen who is the Technical Director at the NFF was drafted to handle the Super Eagles when the negotiation with Germany’s Bruno Labbadia broke down.  Eguavoen, a former Super Eagles player and later coach was drafted to  rescue the situation.

It was claimed that having executed the Super Eagles’ immediate assignments, his job was done. But the  NFF spokesman has clarified that nothing has changed from the initial announcement concerning Eguavoen.

“He remains with the team and his is an employee of the NFF which has drafted him to the Super Eagles. He remains there until the federation takes another decision.

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 “He was surprised when we landed from our Kigali trip and I showed the trending news on the social media.”

  The Super Eagles’ next assignment will be on MatchDay 3 of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers next month when the team hosts Libya in Uyo.

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