African Cup of Nations Preview: Nigeria

There now nine days until African Cup of Nations kick off, which means nine more teams still to preview. We’ve already given Group A and three quarters of Group B the once over, and now we finish up the “Group of Death” with a look at Nigeria.

The Super Eagles have a German coach who’s been doing a bit of complaining, an incredible amount of strikers, nine players from England, a slightly arrogant midfielder just out of his teens, a worrying lack of quality keepers and one bona fide genius. So keep on reading and meet Nigeria.

Nickname: The Super Eagles

Jersey: All green with white shoulder strips, green short and socks (home.) All white (away.)

Geography: “Nigeria is situated at the extreme inner corner of the Gulf of Guinea on the west coast of Africa. It borders with Chad to the northeast, Cameroon to the east, Benin to the west, Niger to the northwest and by the Atlantic Ocean (Gulf of Guinea) to the south.” - The Africa Guide

History: Nigeria qualified for three consecutive World Cups (1994, 1998 and 2002) before failing to get to Germany in 2006. They have also won the African Cup of Nations twice (1980 and 1994) and apart from 1996 (pulled out) and 1998 (disqualified) Nigeria have made at least the semi-finals at every African Cup of Nations since 1988. Not too shabby.

Manager: German coach Berti Vogts has seen a few ups and downs. He won Euro ‘96 with Germany, but had an absolute nightmare during his two years as Scotland manager. Vogts has been Nigeria manager for almost exactly one year (he started mid-January 2007) but has recently had a few arguments with the Nigerian FA. “If football in Nigeria was organised as in Germany the team would be unbeatable,” he said recently. “Even Brazil would have to watch out for Nigeria.”

FIFA World Ranking (December 2007): 20th. Nigeria are the highest ranked team at the African Cup of Nations.

Expectations: They’re expecting to win it. As are Group B rivals Cote d’Ivoire. The two play each other in the Group B opener, so tune it in to see who lands an early blow.

Pros: Every single outfield player earns his money in a European league, with no less than nine players lighting up the top two English leagues. The Super Eagles are particularly strong up front, with the searing pace of both Obafemi Martins (Newcastle, pictured) and the less famous but more in-form John Utaka (Portsmouth) to choose from, or the power of Ayegbeni Yakubu (Everton) or the pure class and creativity that is Nwankwo Kanu (also Portsmouth, see below.) In midfield, gifted prodigy John Obi Mikel (or Mikel John Obi?) played in the last AFCON as an 18 year old and is back for his second appearance aged just 20. He’s now a regular at Chelsea in the Premier League, so this could be his year to emerge as a dominant midfield force on the international scene. Nigeria are also solid at the back, particularly Everton giant Joseph Yobo, who’s capable of dominating central defence, and Marseille left back Taye Taiwo, who needs a license to carry his left foot. It’s that dangerous.

Cons: Goalkeeping won’t be Nigeria’s forte, but with so much outfield talent Vogts can hope it’s not too much of a problem. Though Mikel’s talent is beyond doubt, there are still question marks about his attitude. He’s had a few run-ins with the Nigerian FA over his refusal to play U-23 games, and Berti Vogts temporarily suspended him for failing to attend a game against Uganada during qualification. It’s also possible that Nigeria are top heavy, with too much talent going forward and not enough in midfield. This would explain Vogt’s decision to name seven (7!) strikers in his African Cup of Nations squad.

Player to Watch: Even after all these years, Nwankwo Kanu is still a joy to watch. He’s got that rare combination of gifts that makes him both a striker and a playmaker, and is also one of those great players that knows how to use his bag of magic tricks effectively, rather just to show off. Enjoy this highlight reel, and let’s hope we see more of the same in Ghana.

Team Blog? Yes. Emmanuel is following the Super Eagles closely on the Nigeria blog. He’s also the administrator of the Naija Football Fans Forum.

Fixtures: In Group B with Mali, Côte d’Ivoire, Benin
Nigeria vs Côte d’Ivoire (Sekondi, January 25th, 17:00)*
Nigeria vs Mali (Sekondi, January 25th, 19:30)
Nigeria vs Benin (Selondi, January 29th, 17:00)

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Dele Aiyenugba (Bnei Yehuda, Israel), Austin Ejide (Bastia, France), Vincent Enyeama (Hapoel Tel Aviv, Israel)

Defenders: Rabiu Afolabi (Sochaux, France), Onyekachi Apam (Nice, France), Ifeanyi Emeghara (Steaua Bucharest, Romania), Obinna Nwaneri (FC Sion, Switzerland), Danny Shittu (Watford), Taye Taiwo (Olympique Marseille, France), Joseph Yobo (Everton),

Midfielders: Richard Eromoigbe (Levski Sofia, Bulgaria), Dickson Etuhu (Sunderland), John Obi Mikel (Chelsea), Onyekachi Okonkwo (FC Zurich, Switzerland), Seyi Olofinjana (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Ike Uche (Getafe, Spain)

Forwards: Yakubu Aiyegbeni (Everton), Nwankwo Kanu (Portsmouth), Stephen Makinwa (Lazio, Italy), Obafemi Martins (Newcastle United), Obinna Nsofor (Chievo Verona, Italy), Peter Odemwingie (Lokomotiv Moscow, Russia), John Utaka (Portsmouth).