Governing Bodies

Flashback: Strengths and weaknesses of Nigeria’s possible World Cup playoff opponents

Published

3 years ago

January 22, 2022

BY KUNLE SOLAJA.

By being among the top five African countries in the last monthly ranking conducted by Fifa, the Super Eagles have avoided four of the toughest possible opponents in the play off for the Qatar 2022 holding in March next year.

The tough teams Nigeria have avoided are Senegal, Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria.

But that is not to say that the other five teams in the playoff are easy takes. The Super Eagles will face one of the following: Egypt, Ghana, Cameroon, Mali and DR Congo.

All the same, none of the five potential home-and-away opponents of Nigeria is an easy take. They are all tricky sides. Sports Village Square analyse each of them.

Egypt

The Pharaohs of Egypt belong to the class of super powers in the continent. Their record speaks clear.

Currently ranked number 44 in the world and sixth in the continent, they are the most successful African sides in the African Cup of Nations, having won a record seven times.

Paradoxically, their records in the World Cup belie their strength in the continent. Despite being the first African country to feature in the World Cup, they have only featured three times in 21 editions.

They seem to be afflicted when it comes to the World Cup. They have never made a back-to-back appearance at the World Cup.They hold the record for the longest gap between two appearances and the oldest player to have ever played at the World Cup.

After their first appearance in 1934, they have to wait for 56 years before another appearance at Italia ’90.

From Italia ’90, it took another 28 years before they qualified for Russia 2018. Will another ten of years elapsed before another World Cup qualification?

Poor historical background may be their sole disadvantage. But the strength of the team with which Nigeria will open their Africa Cup of Nations 2021 with is immense.

Nigerian teams have traditionally been poor travellers to Egypt and have never defeated the country in their territory.

Now under Portuguese coach, Carlos Queiroz who led Portugal to defeat Nigeria at the Under 20 World Cup in 1989, Egypt boast of key players like Mohamed Salah, Mohamed Elneny, Ahmed Hegazi and Mohamed El Shennawi.

If drawn against Egypt, the Super Eagles will do well to make the result a manageable one in the first leg with the hope of finishing up in Nigeria.

Nigeria-Egypt Head-to-Head

P W D L F A

Egypt 20 7 7 6 33 27

Nigeria 20 6 7 7 27 33

13 Dec. 1959 (OQ.) Nigeria 2-6 Egypt
1 Jan. 1960 (OQ.) Egypt 3-0 Nigeria
29 Nov. 1960 (F) Nigeria 1-2 Egypt
24 Nov. 1963 (ACN) Egypt 6-3 Nigeria
14 Jan. 1973 (2AAG) Nigeria 4-2 Egypt
14 Mar. 1976 (ACN) Nigeria 3-2 Egypt
8 Oct. 1977 (WCq) Nigeria 4-0 Egypt
21 Oct. 1977 (WCq) Egypt 3-1 Nigeria
15 Mar. 1980 (ACN) Nigeria 1-0 Egypt
18 Feb. 1983 (F) Nigeria 0-0 Egypt
20 Feb. 1983 (F) Nigeria 1-1 Egypt
14 Mar. 1984 (ACN) Egypt 2-2 Nigeria *(7 – 8 penalty shoot-out).
20 Mar. 1988 (ACN) Egypt 0-0 Nigeria
5 Mar. 1990 (ACN) Egypt 0-1 Nigeria
30 Mar. 1994 (ACN) Egypt 0-0 Nigeria
25 Nov. 2002 (F) Nigeria 1- 1 Egypt
12 Jan. 2010 (ACN) Egypt 3-1 Nigeria
25 Mar. 2016 (ACNq) Nigeria 1-1 Egypt
29 Mar. 2016 (ANCq) Egypt 1-0 Nigeria
26 Mar. 2019 (F) Nigeria 1-0 Egypt
11 Jan. 2022 (ACN) Nigeria 1-0 Egypt

Ghana

Ghana Black Stars are one of the underperformed teams of the on-going Africa Cup of Nations and crashed out at the group stage. They have been long time rivals of the Nigerian national sides even in the colonial era. Fixtures with Ghana, although lately latent, command high tension.

The Black Stars have been early football superpowers in Africa and were the first to win eternally, a trophy for the Africa Cup of Nations following their hattrick achieved in the 1963, 1965 and the 1978 editions. They followed up with a fourth title in 1982.

But like Egypt, they have not had good runs in the qualification for the World Cup.

But they are perhaps the African sides with the nearest opportunity of getting into a World Cup semi-finals before their dream run in the 2010 was punctuated by poor marksmanship from the penalty spot.

Currently ranked 52 in the world seventh in Africa they boast of top players like Andrew Ayew, Jordan Ayew and Thomas Partey.

Nigeria have played more matches with Ghana more than with any other country. The pendulum however skewed in favour of Ghana.

Eternal rivalry will play a key factor if the Super Eagles are drawn to play Ghana in the World Cup qualifying playoff.

They are the team against which Nigeria played their first ever World Cup qualifying match on 28 August 1960. Nigeria lost the match 4-1 in Accra.

They have had to meet at the World Cup qualifying series for the 1970, 1974 and 2002 editions.

Nigeria-Ghana Head-to-Head

P W D L F A

Ghana 57 19 19 16 87 62

Nigeria 57 16 19 22 62 87

20 Oct.1951 (JalcoCup) Nigeria 5-0 Ghana
11 Oct.1953 (JalcoCup) Ghana 1-0 Nigeria
30 Oct.1954 (JalcoCup) Nigeria 3-0 Ghana
30 Oct.1955 (JalcoCup) Ghana 7-0 Nigeria
27Oct.1956 (JalcoCup) Nigeria 3-0 Ghana
27 Oct.1957 (JalcoCup) Ghana 3 -3 Nigeria
25 Oct.1958 (JalcoCup) Nigeria 3-2 Ghana
10 Oct. 1959 (OQ.) Nigeria 3 -1 Ghana
26 Oct. 1959 (OQ.) Ghana 4-1 Nigeria
22 Nov.1959 (JalcoCup) Ghana 5 -2 Nigeria
28 Aug. 1960 (WCq) Ghana 4-1 Nigeria
10 Sept. 1960 (WCq) Nigeria 2 -2 Ghana
9Oct.1960 (Nkrumah Cup) Nigeria 0-3 Ghana
29 Oct.1960 (Zik Cup) Nigeria 1-1 Ghana
8 April. 1961 (ACNq) Nigeria 0 -0 Ghana
30 Apr. 1961 (ACNq) Ghana 2-2 Nigeria
17 Dec. 1961 (F) Ghana 5 -1 Nigeria
10 Nov.1962 (F) Nigeria 0 -0 Ghana
23 Feb.1963 (Nkrumah Cup) Ghana 5-0 Nigeria
30 Oct.1965 (Zik Cup) Nigeria 0-4 Ghana
7 Nov.1965 (Zik Cup) Ghana 3-0 Nigeria
28 Jan.1967 (Zik Cup) Nigeria 2-2 Ghana
12 Feb.1967 (Zik Cup) Ghana 2-0 Nigeria
22 Oct.1967 (Zik Cup) Ghana 2-1 Nigeria
23 Dec1967 (Zik Cup) Nigeria 2 -2 Ghana
10 May 1969 (WCq) Nigeria 2-1 Ghana
18 May 1969 (WCq) Ghana 1-1 Nigeria
8 Jan.1973 (2AAG.) Nigeria 4-2 Ghana
10 Feb. 1973 (WCq) Nigeria 2-3 Ghana *Awarded 2- 0 to Ghana
25 Feb. 1973 (WCq) Ghana 0-0 Nigeria
11 Aug. 1974 (Festival) Nigeria 1-1 Ghana
17 Aug. 1974 (Festival) Nigeria 0-1 Ghana
24 Aug1975 (Festival) Ghana 1-2 Nigeria
30 Aug.1975 (Festival) Ghana 3-0 Nigeria
4 Sept.1977 (Ecowas) Nigeria 2-1 Ghana
8 Mar. 1978 (ACN) Ghana 1-1 Nigeria
21 July 1978 (3AAG) Ghana 0-0 Nigeria
1 May1983 (ECA.anniv) Ghana1-0 Nigeria
15 Oct. 1983 (OQ.) Nigeria 0 -0 Ghana
30 Oct. 1983 (OQ.) Ghana 1-2 Nigeria
5 March 1984(ACN) Ghana 1-2 Nigeria
27 Jul. 1986 (F) Ghana 2 -0 Nigeria
2 Sept.1990 (ACNq) Ghana 1-0 Nigeria
13 April 1991 (ACNq) Nigeria 0-0 Ghana
23 Jan. 1992 (ACN) Ghana 2-1 Nigeria
9 March 1994 (F) Nigeria 0-0 Ghana
28 Aug. 1999 (F) Nigeria 0-0 Ghana
11 Mar. 2001(WCq) Ghana 0-0 Nigeria
29 Jul.2001 (WCq) Nigeria 3-0 Ghana
3 Feb. 2002 (ACN) Ghana 0-1 Nigeria
15 Dec. 2002 (F) Ghana 0-1 Nigeria
30 May 2003 (LG Cup) Nigeria 3-1 Ghana
23 Jan. 2006 (ACN) Ghana 0-1 Nigeria
6 Feb 2007 (F) Ghana 4-1 Nigeria
3 Feb 2008 (ACN) Ghana 2-1 Nigeria
28 Jan. 2010 (ACN) Ghana 1-0 Nigeria
11 Oct. 2011 (F) Ghana 0-0 Nigeria

Cameroon

Although in head-to-head confrontations, Nigeria have edge over Cameroon, no match-up with the Indomitable Lions is ever considered an easy one. Until the 4 June 2021 defeat of the Super Eagles in a friendly match, the Nigerian side had had a three-decade of not losing any match in regulation time to Cameroon.

One of the biggest wins over Cameroon was in the qualifying series for the 2018 World Cup when the Indomitable Lions crumbled miserably in a 4-0 defeat in Uyo.

But the team had since regained their composure and are considered one of the most dreaded sides on the continent.

Besides, they were the first African sides to scale the group stage in the World Cup when they got to the quarter finals at Italia ‘90.

With seven appearances at the World Cup, they ranked among the most frequent African teams at the global event.

Nigeria-Cameroon Head-to-Head

P W D L F A

Nigeria 24 14 6 4 41 21

Cameroon 24 4 6 14 21 41

8 Dec.1962 (Nkrumah ) Nigeria3-1 Cameroon
1 Jan.1963 (Nkrumah) Cameroon 1-2 Nigeria
22 July 1966 (F) Cameroon 1-2 Nigeria
7 Dec.1968 (WCq) Nigeria 1-1Cameroon
22Dec.1968 (WCq) Cameroon 2-3 Nigeria
13 Feb.1972 (F) Cameroon 1-2 Nigeria
22 Jan. 1975 (F) Nigeria 1-0 Cameroon
2 Feb. 1980 (F) Nigeria 0 -0 Cameroon
18 Mar.1984 (ACN) Cameroon3-1 Nigeria
17 Mar. 1988(ACN) Cameroon 1-1Nigeria
27 Mar.1988 (ACN) Cameroon 1-0 Nigeria
10 June1989 (WCq) Nigeria 2-0 Cameroon
27 Aug.1989 (WCq) Cameroon 1-0Nigeria
25 Jan.1992 (ACN) Cameroon 1-2 Nigeria
7 Aug.1997 (LGCup) Cameroon 0-1Nigeria
Feb.2000 (ACN) Nigeria 2-2 Cameroon *(3-4 penalty-shootout).
1June2003 (LGCup)Nigeria 3-0 Cameroon *aet
Feb.2004 (ACN) Cameroon 1-2 Nigeria
11 Oct. 2015 (F) Nigeria 3-0 Cameroon
1 Sept. 2017 (WCq) Nigeria 4-0 Cameroon
4 Sept. 2017 (WCq) Cameroon 1-1 Nigeria
6 July 2019 (CAN) Nigeria 3-2 Cameroon
4 June 2021 (F) Cameroon 1-0 Nigeria
8 June 2021(F) Cameroon 0-0 Nigeria

Mali

Of the 10 group leaders now in the playoff for the World Cup qualification, Mali are the only sides without any previous appearance at the World Cup.

They are however one of the tricky teams in West Africa that can not be easily waved aside.

Despite being in the same subcontinent region with Nigeria, fixtures with Mali are rare. But Sports Village Square recalls that the Lagos National Stadium was opened with a 3-0 defeat of Mali on 4 December 1972.

Nigeria and Mali have met only nine times. The Malians were the Super Eagles’ stepping stone into the final match of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations which the team won.

They were previously coached by Nigeria’s Stephen Keshi. Mali are number 54 in the world and ninth in Africa by the current Fifa ranking. Their star players include: Kalifa Coulibaly, Moussa Djenepo and Amadou Haidara.

Nigeria-Mali Head-to-Head

P W D L F A

Nigeria 9 5 3 1 14 5

Mali 9 1 3 5 5 14

22 Nov. 1972 (F) Mali 2 -1 Nigeria
4 Dec. 1972 (F) Nigeria 3-0 Mali
14 Jul. 1978 (3AAG) Mali 1-3 Nigeria
18 Dec. 1983 (WAFU) Nigeria 0 -0 Mali * (4-5 penalty shoot-out).
24 Jan. 2002 (ACN) Mali 0 -0 Nigeria
9 Feb. 2002 (ACN) Mali 0-1 Nigeria
3 Feb. 2004 (ACN) Mali 1-2 Nigeria
25 Jan. 2008 (ACN) Mali 0-0 Nigeria
6 Feb. 2013 (ACN) Mali 1-4 Nigeria

DR Congo

Of the 10 group leaders now in the playoff for the World Cup qualification, DR Congo are the only sides outside the top 10 in the continent where they place 12th behind Burkina Faso and South Africa.

No nation in the continent has changed names more than DR Congo that had previously been called Congo Kinshasa, later Zaire and since 1996, DR Congo.

In the past, Congo DR have been ranked as high as 28 in the FIFA rankings. When they qualified for the 1974 World Cup in West Germany, they became the first Sub-Saharan African team to feature at global event.

Sports Village Square however recalls that they are the African sides with the most scandalous result when they crumbled 9-0 to the then Yugoslavia.

Should the Super Eagles be drawn against them, it will be a tricky match-up. Nigeria won their first Africa Cup of Nations match beating the then Zaire 4-2 in a Group match at Ethiopia 1976.

Fixtures of Nigeria and DR Congo is rare. They have met just nine times. But results have always been in favour of Nigeria. The Congolese however broke the apparent myth surrounding Nigeria’s matches on 8 October when they beat the Super Eagles 2-0 in Belgium in 2016.

Before then, Nigeria never lost a game on a 8 October date which is also the anniversary of Nigeria’s first international match and also, the first time the country qualified for the World Cup (8 October 1993).

Nigeria DR Congo Head-to-Head

P W D L F A

Nigeria 9 5 1 3 16 14

DR Congo 9 3 1 5 14 16

5 Nov.1966 (F) Nigeria 3-2 DR Congo
27 Nov. 1966 (F) DR Congo 1-0 Nigeria
13 Dec. 1969 (F) DR Congo 5-0 Nigeria
1Mar.1976 (ACN) DR Congo 2-4 Nigeria
19 Jan1992 (ACN) DR Congo 0 -1 Nigeria
2 April1994 (ACN) DR Congo 0-2 Nigeria
3 Mar. 2010 (F) Nigeria 5-2 DR Congo
8 Oct. 2015 (F) DR Congo 2-0 Nigeria
28 May 2018 (F) Nigeria 1-1 DR Congo

Governing Bodies

Zimbabwe sports minister among candidates for International Olympic Committee presidency

Published

5 days ago

September 16, 2024

Kunle Solaja

A total of seven candidates are running for the presidency of the International Olympic Committee with the winner replacing outgoing president Thomas Bach at elections in March 2025 in ancient Olympia, Greece.

Kirsty Coventry:

Age: 41

Country: Zimbabwe

Entry into the IOC: 2013

An Olympic swimming champion and Zimbabwe’s most successful Olympian, Coventry is Zimbabwe’s Sports Minister. She is the only woman among the candidates and the only one from Africa.

Prince Feisal Al Hussein:

Age: 60

Country: Jordan

Entry into the IOC: 2010

Prince Feisal heads the Jordan Olympic Committee and has been an IOC executive board member since 2019. An Executive Board member of the Olympic Council of Asia, Prince Feisal has also held several posts at the Royal Jordanian Air Force.

Sebastian Coe:

Age: 67

Country: Britain

Entry into the IOC: 2020

An Olympic track and field champion and head of World Athletics, Coe also led the organisation for the 2012 London Olympics. A former Conservative Member of Parliament, Coe is also involved in sports consultancy and is a former head of the British Olympic Association.

Johan Eliasch:

Age: 62

Country: Britain

Entry into the IOC: 2024

The wealthy Swedish-born entrepreneur with a variety of business interests has headed the international skiing federation since 2021. He only joined the IOC in July at its session in the Paris Olympics.

David Lappartient:

Age: 51

Country: France

Entry into the IOC: 2022

A rising figure in world sports administration. He heads the international cycling body, UCI, and is in charge of esports within the IOC, having helped seal a 12-year deal with Saudi Arabia earlier this year for the Olympic esports Games.

Juan Antonio Samaranch:

Age: 64

Country: Spain

Entry into the IOC: 2001

The son of the late former IOC president, Samaranch has considerable IOC experience and influence in his six years as vice president and 23 as a member. He headed the coordination commission for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.

Morinari Watanabe:

Age: 65

Country: Japan

Entry into the IOC: 2018

Watanabe has headed the gymnastics federation (FIG) since 2016, having been re-elected twice since. He is the first Japanese candidate to run for the IOC presidency.

Governing Bodies

World Athletics boss, Coe and multi-millionaire Eliasch among seven candidates for IOC presidency

Published

5 days ago

September 16, 2024

Kunle Solaja

Paris 2024 Olympics - Athletics - Women's Marathon Victory Ceremony - Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France - August 11, 2024. World Athletics President Sebastian Coe and International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach during the medal ceremony REUTERS/Phil Noble/File Photo

World athletics chief Sebastian Coe, multi-millionaire and Olympic newcomer Johan Eliasch and Zimbabwe’s Sports Minister Kirsty Coventry are among seven candidates for next year’s International Olympic Committee presidency election, the IOC said on Monday.

IOC Vice President Juan Antonio Samaranch, son of the late former IOC president, international cycling chief David Lappartient, Prince Feisal Al Hussein of Jordan and international gymnastics federation head Morinari Watanabe are also in the running to succeed current president Thomas Bach.

The 70-year-old German is stepping down next year after 12 years at the helm. The election will be held at the IOC session in ancient Olympia, Greece in March 2025.

The candidates will all present their programmes, behind closed doors, to the full IOC membership in January 2025.

The IOC, with 111 members currently, is in charge of the Olympic Games and the multi-billion dollar industry linked to the world’s biggest multi-sports event.

Bach’s departure comes with the organisation in a financially robust position, having secured $7.3 billion for the years 2025-28 and $6.2 billion already in deals for 2029-2032.

The president is elected to an eight-year first term with the possibility of a second term of four years, if re-elected.

Coe, 67, only joined the IOC in 2020 after a rocky relationship between World Athletics and the IOC over Coe’s ban of Russian track and field athletes almost a decade ago following the country’s doping scandal.

A former Olympic champion with a wealth of experience in the sports world, Coe was previously head of the London 2012 Games and the British Olympic Association. He is also a former Conservative Member of Parliament.

Coventry, 41, is the only woman running for president and the former Olympic swimming champion, who is Zimbabwe’s most decorated Olympian, could become not only the first female president but also the first from Africa.

MALE PRESIDENTS

All IOC presidents have been men, with eight of the nine from Europe and one from the United States.

The 62-year-old Eliasch, head of the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS), only joined the IOC in July, with the Swedish-born British businessman’s candidacy a surprise for some.

Prince Feisal, 60, is a member of the IOC executive board, having joined the organisation in 2010, while Spaniard Samaranch, with considerable IOC experience in his six years as vice president, headed the coordination commission for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.

“The IOC and Olympic movement have made enormous strides over the past decade under the leadership of Mr Bach,” said Samaranch in a statement.

“The IOC now needs a new leader with deep experience of the Olympic movement who can help steer it through this period of upheaval.”

UCI chief Lappartient has been a rapidly rising figure within the sports world after joining the IOC in 2022.

The Frenchman also is in charge of esports within the IOC, having helped seal a 12-year deal with Saudi Arabia earlier this year for the Olympic esports Games.

Japan’s Watanabe, 65, has headed the gymnastics federation (FIG) since 2016, having been re-elected twice since, and is his country’s first ever candidate for the IOC presidency.

Under current rules members have to step down when they reach 70, the IOC’s age limit, unless they are given a four-year extension.

-Reuters

Governing Bodies

Storm in CAF over proposed statutes amendments

Published

6 days ago

September 15, 2024

Kunle Solaja

There is currently insinuations that proposed certain elements may have smuggled modifications to amend the Statutes of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) when the body holds its General Assembly next month in Kinshasa, Congo next month.

The confederation will be having its 46^th General Assembly on 10^th October. It is at such gatherings that amendments are made to existing rules.

According to an article authored by Mansour Loum, the editor of Sports News Africa, some national football federations have denied being party to proposed amendments which were linked to them.

One of such is coming from the Equatorial Guinea Football Federation which has denied signing proposals being circulated relating to amendments to CAF Statutes.

It is claimed that a circular dated 8 September has been sent to CAF member associations. Signed by CAF General Secretary, Véron Mosengo-Omba, it is titled: “Proposals for amendments to the CAF statutes and regulations for the application of the statutes, as well as the rules of procedure of the CAF General Assembly, presented by the national associations.”

Seven member associations were quoted as sponsoring the amendments. They are: Botswana, Comoros, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Liberia, Mauritania and Niger.

But Equatorial Guinea has denied being party to the proposed amendment which seek to remove age barrier for candidates seeking to be CAF Presidents and also removing zonal considerations in election into FIFA Council.

The current Statute stipulates that a presidential candidate must not be older than 70 as at the date of election.

Most of the national federation members are already approaching that age. In the estimation of the author of the article, Mansour Loum, the current CAF president, Patrice Motsepe, is 62 years old. With the age limit, he could, for example, only run for two more terms.

Continuing, Loum wrote that regarding the elections to the FIFA Council, each zone has a representative on the FIFA Council and candidates for these positions can only be elected by the presidents of the member associations of their group zone.

Thus, the presidents of French-speaking federations can only vote for a French-speaking representative, the English-speakers for the English-speaking group, and so on.

The distribution of seats on the FIFA Council is currently as follows:

Francophone Group – Two members

Anglophone Group – Two members

Arabophone/Lusophone/Hispanophone Group – Two members

One female member elected from among the female candidates, regardless of language groups

The modification of the grouping by zonal unions would mean that all presidents could vote for candidates outside their group, or that the candidates would also no longer be limited to a group.

Several candidates from the same group could be elected to the FIFA Council, while at the same time some groups could no longer be represented.

Equatorial Guinea disputes any request for modification. The football federation president, Venancio Tomas Ndong Micha has reportedly denied being party to the proposed amendments.

“I am writing to you to present the disagreement of the Equatorial Guinean Football Federation with part of the content of the document sent to the CAF Executive Council on September 8, 2024 signed by you (…)

“In this document, there are amendments presented by the Equatorial Guinean Football Federation (…) By this letter, we confirm that the Equatorial Guinean Football Federation has not submitted any amendments to the CAF administration for the 46th CAF Ordinary General Assembly to be held on Thursday, October 10, 2024 in Kinshasa,” he denounces.

Enough to cast doubt on this document sent by the CAF secretary general and the objective targeted. Contacted, a federation president, whose body is not mentioned in the letter, is surprised by these two requests for amendments and wonders about their intentions.

The press release from the Equatorial Guinean Football Federation has sown doubt and now he is questioning the originality of the attachments included in this document which is likely to be talked about between now and the CAF General Assembly.

– Mansour Loum