Nigeria at the World Cup

Nigeria

Vital Statistics:

World Cup appearances – 3

Best World Cup – Round of 16; 1994 & 1998

FIFA World Ranking – 22

Nicknames – Super Eagles

Group – B

After failing to qualify for the 2006 World Cup, the Nigerians finally have something to cheer about and will be quietly confident of progressing further than just the group stages of the competition. The Nigerians have only made three appearances in the World Cup proper, but they have, however, bypassed their respective group in two of the three and will have high hopes of achieving at least the same feat after being drawn in a a group they could quite easily progress from yet it is a competitive Group B. Argentina look to have top spot in the group sewn up before the tournament has even kicked off but Nigeria could find themselves in a battle for the second qualifying position with South Korea & Greece… A battle the Nigerians could be victorious in.

Nigeria head into the South African finals as only the third best African side behind Cameroon & Ivory Coast. They do, however, pack a punch with some decent individuals; Chelsea’s John Obi Mikel, Everton’s Joseph Yobo, while it’s in their attacking department where Nigeria boast their best chance of a successful World Cup campaign. Hoffenheim’s Chinedu Obasi, Wolfsburg’s Obafemi Martins & Everton’s Yakubu, all provide Nigeria with a powerful offensive line up. The problem, though has been with their inconsistent nature, with their big name players often shying away in the big games. The players won’t encounter a more intimidating setting than a World Cup so it’s crucial the manager cuts out these lapses in concentration and consistency if the Nigerians wish for a fruitful summer.

Manager: Shaibu Amodu

Captain: Joseph Yobo  

Key Player: Yakubu

Betting Brief:

We think it’s safe to say that Nigeria won’t be winning the summers showcase event but they could be a decent punt to progress from their group at the expense of South Korea & Greece. Like most African nations the Nigerians are a strong side in physical stature, but they are also a agile bunch who can get around the field at some pace. However, their lack of world class quality is a huge negative and they’ll do well to qualify for Round 2, which would be seen as a worthy achievement back home

The bookies, though haven’t completely disregarded Nigeria in the outright market, although their quote of 100/1 with most firms does mean very few think they have serious claims for the crown itself. It’s not as if they don’t have players with experience, with many in the Nigerian squad plying their trade all across Europe, but classy individuals are few and far between and we think every victory, if any, will be celebrated just as emphatically as if they won the tournament itself by the natives back home… but winning the World Cup is out of the question. 

Outright Odds: 100/1 PaddyPower

Pro’s/Con’s:

An abundance of pace and strength are what Nigeria have to offer but what they boast in physical stature they lack in technical ability and tactical know-how. They will show plenty of endeavour and enthusiasm on the pitch but that won’t equate into a successful run I’m afraid. However, they can counter-attack at a rate of knots and will pose a threat on the break. This is especially so as the vast majority of their big talent is up front, with Martins, Obinna, Obasi & Yakubu all capable of chipping in with a few goals, it’s just about the service and the regularity of it.

A big negative for us is their manager, not that we know an awful lot about him. However, Amodu doesn’t have a glistening managerial CV, with all his managerial experience coming in the African continent, and there has to be serious doubts over his tactical knowledge and awareness. He has, however, been able to guide Nigeria to World Cup qualification so perhaps he does know how to get the best out of this Nigeria squad.  

How they got to South Africa?:

Nigeria scraped through African qualifying by the skin of their teeth, securing their spot in the finals by a narrow one point margin. However, it’s worth pointing out that they didn’t lose a single game during qualifying, avoiding defeat in all six of their qualifiers. They also owe a great deal to Mozambique of whom did the dirty work for Nigeria by beating Tunisia in the final set of qualifiers. The 1-0 defeat of Tunisia paved the way for Nigeria to finish qualifying top of the group after a thrilling 3-2 victory in Kenya. Like we said, Nigeria scraped through to South Africa and owe a lot of it to luck and good fortune.

World Cup Group B - Table

World Cup Fixtures and Results