International Football
TODAY IN HISTORY: DANE GUN DOWNS SUPER EAGLES
BY KUNLE SOLAJA
Till date, it remains Nigeria’s worst defeat in all 21 World Cup matches the Super Eagles ever played.
Never since the 30 October 1955 Jalco Cup encounter in which the then Gold Coast (now Ghana) beat Nigeria’s Red Devils 7-0 in Accra had a Nigerian national team been so humiliated in a competitive encounter as it happened on this date 28 June 1998 at the France ’98 World Cup.
Even though an earlier 5-1 loss to Algeria at the opening match of the 1990 Africa Cup of Nations could be heavier, it was not as devastating as the loss to Denmark eight years later.
So much was expected from the Nigerian national team that the entire France ’98 followers were shocked when the team was beaten 4-1 by Denmark.
But this time, the world had expected Nigeria, which had beaten two European sides, Spain by 3-2 and Bulgaria by 1-0 to do the same to Denmark and set up for the first time, in the World Cup a quarterfinal clash of reigning Olympic champions and World Cup holders.
The players that won the Atlanta ‘96 Olympic gold medal composed the bulk of the Super Eagles. Brazil, the current World Cup holders had already scaled into the quarterfinals.
But the clash was not to be. Nigeria crumbled miserably 4-1 on a night the duo of Uche Okechukwu and Rashidi Yekini played their last international matches.
The match was barely three minutes old when Peter Moller put Denmark ahead. Brian Laudrup added the second in the 12th minute. When Ebbe Sand put in the third in the 60th minute, it turned to be the fastest goal by a substitute player in the World Cup history.
He was just 18 seconds on the pitch after coming in as a substitute for Peter Moller.
“It is a shame to lose like this”, remarked Victor Ikpeba. He was the first Nigerian to come out of the dressing room after they had kept reporters waiting for more than 30 minutes.
In the days they won matches, the Super Eagles marched out to the “Mixed Zone” to meet reporters within seconds of conclusion of the games.
For the Nigerians, reaching the quarter-finals of the France ’98 World Cup could have been a dream, but that night, it was more than nightmares for the Super Eagles who were the obvious favourites over the hitherto unsung Danish team that re-enacted its flaming form of the early stage of Mexico ’86, scoring at will.
The 4-1 defeat of Nigeria brought back the memories of Mexico ’86 in which the Danes went goal-berserk beating, for instance, Uruguay 6-1.
Glorious Danes! They did their homework well providing antidotes to every Nigerian strategy.
“We knew the Nigerians are skilful and often like to attack … so we closed the midfield tightly”, said Bo Johansson, the Swedish coach of Denmark.
For Nigeria, everything went awry. Poor goalkeeping, clumsy defenders, unimaginative midfielders, wingless flank men and clay-footed attackers, were the spectacle the Super Eagles presented the French crowd who cheered the Nigerians all the way, even in the face of obvious humiliating defeat.
Poor Austin Okocha, perhaps the only imaginative player in the Nigerian squad. He was struggling bravely to redeem a hopeless situation.
Coach Bora Milotinovic, obviously bereft of ideas, sat glued to the bench as if the pressure of the rampaging Danes had consumed him.
The Super Eagles looked spineless. Upfront, Victor Ikpeba was lost, roving aimlessly. Garba Lawal was deserted by imagination, unable to take any direct shot at goal, even when the field was clear for him.
He preferred to make unserviceable passes. Nwankwo Kanu was irritating. He put every foot wrong and everyone concluded he was not psyched up for the World Cup.
After 20 minutes, he was no better than a wandering passenger on the field. His substitution was forced on Bora. Even then, Yekini did not prove to be an alternative. He was clumsy with the ball.
Mutiu Adepoju had a fairly good game, playing in the unfamiliar position of right full back and having to support a glaringly feeble attack. The defence ruined an already bad situation.
Not even the hitherto celebrated Inter Milan ace, Taribo West could rise above average. He was heavy, very heavy like a pregnant woman due for delivery. He had obviously burnt himself out in the tough Italian league.
Goalkeeper Peter Rufai appeared to have blurred vision. Within three minutes of the game’s kick off, Peter Moller had put his side ahead.
After the match, Col. Abdulmumuni Aminu the then chairman of NFA sat glued to his seat, even five minutes after the state-of-the-art Stade de France was nearly empty.
His dark suit over black trousers and shoes perhaps reflected the melancholy state of his mind as he glanced blankly into the dark Paris sky. Deserted on the bench, Aminu was obviously finding it difficult to come to terms that the World Cup dream was over.
Nigeria’s Super Eagles secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Iran in an international friendly concluded on Friday in Belek, Turkey, boosting confidence ahead of upcoming competitive fixtures.
In a match played against the backdrop of geopolitical tension surrounding the Iranian team’s World Cup preparations, Nigeria showed greater composure in key moments to emerge deserved winners.
The Super Eagles took the lead in the first half after a lively start, through Moses Simon in the 7th minute.
Nigeria doubled the lead through Akor Adams in the 51st minute. Iran reduced the deficit in the 67th minute through Medhi Taremi.
The encounter was Nigeria’s first meeting with Iran since their goalless draw at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, and it provided an important test for the technical crew as they assess player combinations and tactical options.
The match also carried added attention following Iran’s pre-game protest gesture, where players wore black armbands and held schoolbags in solidarity with victims of a recent conflict-related incident.
For Nigeria, the result offers a positive platform as preparations continue, with another friendly against Jordan scheduled in the coming days. The win is expected to strengthen morale within the squad while giving the coaching crew clearer insight into the team’s readiness for future challenges.
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French soccer icon Zinedine Zidane has agreed to take over his national team’s head coaching duties following this summer’s FIFA World Cup, ESPN reported Monday.
Zidane, 53, reportedly reached a verbal agreement with the Federation Francaise de Football to replace Didier Deschamps, who has held the role since 2012.
Zidane, who managed La Liga powerhouse Real Madrid for two stints (2016-18, 2019-21), has long been expected to eventually become the skipper for France.
As a player, the dynamic midfielder won the 1998 Ballon d’Or and was a three-time FIFA World Player of the Year (1998, 2000 and 2003). He helped France win the World Cup in 1998 and finish second in 2006. He was infamously sent off during the final of the 2006 World Cup when he headbutted Italy’s Marco Materazzi in the chest.
-Reuters
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The ‘Finalissima’ match between Spain and Argentina that was scheduled to be held in Qatar has been cancelled due to the conflict in the Middle East, while the South American side rejected multiple alternatives, UEFA said on Sunday.
The U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran have affected countries throughout the Gulf, disrupting travel in some of the world’s busiest transit hubs and forcing several sporting events to be cancelled due to safety concerns.
The contest between European champions Spain and Copa America winners Argentina was scheduled for March 27 at Doha’s Lusail Stadium, where fans would have had the opportunity to watch Lionel Messi go head-to-head with Lamine Yamal.
UEFA said they held discussions with the organising authorities in Qatar and concluded that the match could not take place due to the “current political situation” in the region.
“It is a source of great disappointment to UEFA and the organisers that circumstances and timing have denied the teams of the chance to compete for this prestigious prize in Qatar,” UEFA said in a statement.
Qatar’s Local Organising Committee said airspace disruption and travel restrictions led to the cancellation of its Qatar Football Festival, where the host country, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Serbia were also set to play friendly games this month.
The Football Association of Serbia later announced they would play away in Spain on March 27 and host Saudi Arabia four days later.
OTHER ALTERNATIVES REJECTED BY ARGENTINA
The Finalissima’s cancellation was not just about Qatar’s security concerns, however, with UEFA saying they explored other feasible alternatives, but they proved to be ‘unacceptable’ to the Argentinian Football Association (AFA).
UEFA first offered to stage the match at the Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid with a 50:50 split of supporters in the stadium.
A second option was to stage the Finalissima over two legs — at the Bernabeu on March 27 and the second leg in Buenos Aires during an international window before the next Euros and Copa America in 2028.
However, the AFA rejected both options. UEFA said Argentina made a counter offer to play the game after the World Cup but Spain had no available dates.
“Ultimately, UEFA sought a commitment from Argentina that, if a neutral venue in Europe could be found, the game could go ahead on 27 March… or on the alternative date of 30 March. This proposal was also rejected,” UEFA added.
SPAIN WERE READY TO PLAY
The Spanish football federation (RFEF) said they had offered Argentina “all possible options” in collaboration with UEFA to ensure the match went ahead, adding that they had the organisational capacity to stage the clash on short notice.
“From the very outset, the Federation has expressed its absolute commitment to ensuring this match goes ahead, as it believes it brings prestige and international reputation at a crucial time in a World Cup year,” the RFEF said.
“Furthermore, it has worked tirelessly to achieve this. Spain was prepared to play, as has always been stated.”
The 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada kicks off on June 11.
The 2022 edition of the Finalissima was held at Wembley Stadium in London where Argentina beat Italy 3-0.
-Reuters
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