AFCON
TAKE-AWAYS IN THE UPCOMING NIGERIA-MADAGASCAR CLASH
BY KUNLE SOLAJA
Both Nigeria and Madagascar meet in Alexandria on Sunday in continuation of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt. With Madagascar defeat of Burundi on Thursday, the Sunday match has assumed greater importance that previously anticipated. As usual, Sports Village Square takes an insightful look at the encounter and comes out with the following points of interest.
- This is a match that the two topmost chieftains of CAF, Ahmad and Amaju Pinnick will naturally have vested interests. CAF president is from Madagascar and will wish his team make new marks by crossing the group stage at the very first attempt. Amaju Pinnick will want his Super Eagles to achieve a 100 per cent feat at the group stage for the first time ever.
- The match will be Nigeria’s 89th match in Africa Cup of Nations’ history. The Super Eagles have won 47 of the preceding 88 matches; lost 19 drew 22 and had scored 122 goals, conceding 84.
- The match will be the 32nd for Gernot Rohr as Nigeria’s manager.
- Gernot Rohr will be lining out a team against the country of his wife who is from Madagascar.
- Guinea provides a common denominator for both teams. While Nigeria beat Guinea, 1-0, Madagascar was forced to a 2-2 draw by Guinea.
- In beating Guinea on Wednesday, Rohr had his ‘Pound of Flesh’. He was shortlisted for the Guinea national team job in July 2016, but was not given the job, which was offered, to Paul Put. He not only beat the team that refused him, he showed he is better than Paul Put.
- A draw by both Nigeria and Madagascar will see both teams through as first and second respectively from the group. But a win by Madagascar, will alter the ranking, even though, both will still qualify.
- The Sunday match is Nigeria’s third group game in the current competition. Nigeria has never lost a third match in the Africa Cup of Nations since the 3-0 loss to Zambia in 1982. The worse results since had been the 0-0 to Algeria 1n 1984 and similar score line with Egypt in 1988.
- A win for Nigeria on Sunday makes it the first time Super Eagles will secure 100% record in Africa Cup of Nations’ group stage involving three matches.
- If fielded, Ahmed Musa who had his 80th cap in the match against Guinea, will be 19 games to clocking the milestone 100th cap.
- If fielded, Mikel Obi will be having his 89th cap, 11 more to get enlisted in the famed ‘Century Club’.
- Madagascar were close to recording an upset in duel with Nigeria 40 years ago when Bendel Insurance of Nigeria and AS Sotema clashed in the then African Winners’ Cup, now merged with CAF Cup and renamed CAF Confederation Cup. Bendel Insurance won the first leg in match of the quarterfinals encounter, 2-0 in Madagascar only to surprisingly lose by the same margin at the National Stadium, Lagos. Bendel however survived 5-3 by penalties.
- Also another Benin City team, Bendel United beat Madagascar’s FC BFV 4-1 in the semifinals of the African Cup Winners Cup 30 years ago and forced a goalless draw in Madagascar.
- Like most national football team in Africa, Madagascar’s team has a nickname. The team is called Barea, a specie of humped cattle which part of the country’s coat of arm.
- Madagascar conceded eight goals in 2019 AFCON qualifying; more than any other team that qualified for the tournament.
- Madagascar were the first team to qualify and for the first time, doing so with two matches to spare, after a lone goal victory over Equatorial Guinea last October in Antananarivo. Njiva Rakotoharimalala’s first half strike was all Nicolas Dupuis’ charges needed to achieve the biggest moment in their football history.
- This will be the fifth encounter of Madagascar and Nigeria at national team level. In the previous four matches, Madagascar has never scored a goal against the Super Eagles and had conceded five.
NIGERIA-MADAGASCAR HEAD-TO-HEAD
P W D L GF GA
Nigeria 4 3 1 0 5 0
Madagascar 4 0 1 3 0 5
- 7 Oct. 2000 (Afconq) Madagascar 0-0 Nigeria
- 2 June 2001 (Afconq) Nigeria 1-0 Madagascar
- 5 Sept. 2010(Afconq) Nigeria 2-0 Madagascar
- 3 Sept. 2011(Afconq) Madagascar 0-2 Nigeria
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
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
“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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