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102-577: The genesis of club football in Uganda was an idea copied from England by Balamaze Lwanga and Polycarp Kakooza. The objective was to improve Uganda's performances in the Africa Cup of Nations after disappointing results in the finals in 1962 (fourth-place finish) and 1968 (lost all three group stage matches), both held in Ethiopia. The intention was to start a Uganda National League (the forerunner of

204-596: A World Cup qualifier match in 1960. However both national teams had already engaged in competitive matches dating back to 1950. The national teams of these two West African countries were formed during the time in which both remained protectorates of the British Empire . At that time the modern-day nation of Ghana was known as the Gold Coast . Nigeria , prior to adopting the national colours of green and white, wore scarlet tops over white shorts and were known as

306-411: A "knock-out" stage. On 20 July 2017, the 2019 edition of the tournament was moved from January to June and all future tournaments were expanded from 16 to 24 teams. Egypt is the most successful nation in the cup's history, winning the tournament seven times, with Cameroon winning five times and Ghana four times. Three trophies have been awarded during the tournament's history; the current trophy

408-456: A 1–0 victory against Senegal in the final. The title was Algeria's second ever and first since 1990. Nigeria came third after beating Tunisia 1–0 in their third-place decider match. The prize money awarded to the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations winner amounted to $ 4.5 million while runners-up Senegal got $ 2.5 million. Match days 3 and 4 of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers , which was slated from 25 to 30 March 2020, were postponed due to

510-552: A 1–4 loss to Denmark . This is currently the only World Cup that Nigeria qualified for without playing Argentina in the tournament finals. In 2000 they returned to the Cup of Nations and were the runner-up and subsequently finished in third place at the 2002, 2004 and 2006 Africa Cup of Nations . The 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan saw Nigeria again qualify with optimism. With a new squad and distinctive pastel green kits,

612-558: A biennial to a quadrennial tournament, and the switching of the Africa Cup of Nations from even to odd-number years, meant that some previous Africa Cup of Nations champions such as Egypt , Zambia , and Ivory Coast (winners of the 2010, 2012, and 2015 tournaments respectively) were deprived from participating in the Confederations Cup tournament . In 2011, Morocco won the bid to host the 2015 edition , and Libya won

714-495: A consequence Ethiopia were handed a bye straight to the final. Hence only two matches were played, with Egypt being crowned as the first continental champion after defeating hosts Sudan in the semi-final by 2–1 and Ethiopia in the final by a score of 4–0. Two years later in 1959, Egypt hosted the second ANC in Cairo with the participation of the same three teams. Host and defending champions Egypt again won, after defeating Sudan in

816-460: A decades-long ban was lifted with the end of apartheid in the country, which had been followed by a failed attempt to qualify in 1994. The number of final-round participants in 1996 was expanded to 16, split into four groups. However, the actual number of teams playing in the final was only 15, because Nigeria withdrew from the tournament at the final moment for political reasons. Bafana Bafana won their first title on home soil, defeating Tunisia in

918-689: A few hundred meters from the crash site of the 1993 air disaster of their national team. The 2013 tournament was won by Nigeria, beating first time finalists Burkina Faso. In 2014–15, the West African Ebola virus epidemic disrupted the tournament. All football activities in Liberia were suspended, and the Antoinette Tubman Stadium in Monrovia was converted into an Ebola treatment unit. The 2015 Africa Cup of Nations

1020-432: A group with Sudan , and the then United Arab Republic . They did not advance to the next stage. The team's first major success was a gold medal in the 2nd All-Africa games in 1973 led by captain, Victor Oduah. The team went on to achieve 3rd-place finishes in the 1976 and 1978 African Cup of Nations to follow. In 1980, with plaayers such as Segun Odegbami and Best Ogedegbe , the team, led by Christian Chukwu , won

1122-482: A low cross from Chidi Odiah . However, goals from Lee Jung-Soo and Park Chu-Young gave South Korea a 2–1 lead, which looked to be enough for South Korea to advance into the round of 16. However, Nigeria got a chance in the 66th minute, on the end of a pass from Ayila Yussuf that was fed through the South Korean defense was none other than Yakubu , once the pass found Yakubu's foot about four yards away from

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1224-748: A new African record, not being defeated for 19 consecutive Cup of Nations matches, since a 2–1 loss against Algeria in Tunisia in 2004 , and a record 9 consecutive win streak. In May 2010, it was announced that the tournament would be moved to odd-numbered years from 2013 in order to prevent the tournament from taking place in the same year as the World Cup . It also meant there were two tournaments within twelve months in January 2012 ( co-hosted by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea ) and January 2013 ( hosted by South Africa ). The change of FIFA Confederations Cup from

1326-457: A one-goal margin ( 2–1 in 1994 , 1–0 in 2002 , 1–0 in 2010 , 3–2 in 2014 and 2–1 in 2018 ) and have been tightly contested. To date, Nigeria has recorded two wins against Argentina's six, with the victories occurring during friendly matches . Nigeria came close to defeating Argentina in their first meeting, during which they held a lead for some minutes of the match. This was followed by a Confederations Cup match in 1995 which saw Nigeria hold

1428-463: A penalty shootout that saw each side make 11 attempts to determine the winner. Ivory Coast set a record for the competition by holding each of their opponents scoreless in the six matches of the final tournament. The 12-team, three-group format was used again two years later, where hosts Tunisia were humiliated by their first-round elimination. Nigeria , who had just qualified to the World Cup for

1530-407: A presence travelling abroad to support Nigeria in away matches. However, the club's efforts at improving the atmosphere at Nigeria's home and away matches are beset by funding issues, corruption and infighting. The club's current head, Rafiu Ladipo, has drawn criticism from its membership and is under pressure to defer the leadership to one of his deputies. A regular sight at Nigerian home matches

1632-400: A qualifying tournament. The number of participants in the final tournament reached 16 in 1998 (16 teams were to compete in 1996, but Nigeria withdrew, reducing the field to 15, and the same happened with Togo 's withdrawal in 2010), and until 2017, the format had been unchanged, with the 16 teams being drawn into four groups of four teams each, with the top two teams of each group advancing to

1734-597: A result of the COVID-19 pandemic , the CAF postponed all AFCON qualifiers indefinitely. Subsequently, on 30 June 2020, CAF rescheduled the 2021 African Cup of Nations to 2022, to take place from 9 January to 6 February 2022. The qualifiers resumed on 9 November 2020. The 2021 AFCON started on 9 January 2022, and Nigeria was the only team in the tournament to win all three group stage matches after defeating Egypt 1–0, Sudan 3–1, and Guinea-Bissau 2–0. However, Nigeria lost 1–0 in

1836-423: A system that remained in use for the finals until 1992. The Democratic Republic of Congo won its first title, beating Ghana in the final. Starting with the 1968 tournament, the competition was regularly held every two years in even-numbered years; this ended with the 2012 tournament, which was followed by a tournament in 2013, and successor editions in each odd-numbered year. Ivory Coast forward Laurent Pokou led

1938-681: Is also their brass and percussion band, whose rendition of well-known Highlife songs provides Nigerian home matches with a unique feel. In Nigeria, these performers are occasionally conspicuous with their military uniforms or they may be members of the Football Supporters Club. A popular chant among supporters from all over the country, after a goal scored, is "Oshe Baba!", which means "Thank you father!" in Yoruba . Many important matches have been played against various nations who have been occasional rivals. Of these nations, Ghana

2040-511: Is called the "Super Falcons", and Nigeria's underage male teams are nicknamed the "Flying Eagles" & the "Golden Eaglets". The Nigerian football federation currently has an active deal with the parent company of AIT and Ray Power Radio. Internationally, Nigeria's qualifiers and African Cup matches are regularly broadcast abroad by the multi-platform international sports network, beIN Sports and South African broadcaster SuperSport . Nigeria's international friendlies are regularly scheduled in

2142-463: Is made up of a technical adviser who serves as the coach in charge of full international matches and a chief coach who serves as the first assistant coach. The second assistant coach is in charge of the home-based team as well as the CHAN tournament and other home based competitions. Other positions also include the technical assistant and the goalkeeper trainer. The following players were called up for

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2244-523: Is nearly unrivaled on the African continent. Their rivalry began in 1960 and since then, Nigeria has proved to be a more dominating team, but in all three AFCON Final matches in 1984, 1988 and 2000, Cameroon prevailed over Nigeria. Nigeria has qualified for six FIFA World Cup finals, advancing from the group stage three times (1994, 1998 and 2014), getting knocked out in the round of 16 all three times, while Cameroon has qualified eight times, advancing from

2346-456: Is widely considered Nigeria's primary rival as the two sides have met one another more than any other opponent, as well as being two of the most successful national teams in Africa. Nigeria has enjoyed periods of success. The most notable of these periods are the early contests during the 1950s, and matches that took place in the early 2000s. FIFA lists the first official match between the two as

2448-504: The 1974 edition (it won its first as the Democratic Republic of Congo ) came after facing Zambia in the final. For the only time to date in the history of the competition, the match had to be replayed as the first contest between the two sides ended in a 2–2 draw after extra time. The final was re-staged two days later with Zaire winning 2–0. Forward Mulamba Ndaye scored all four of Zaire's goals in these two matches: he

2550-610: The 1986 Africa Cup of Nations hosted by Egypt . Nigeria appeared again in the African Cup of Nations in 1992 and 1994, they finished third in 1992 and won the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations , which was the second time they won the tournament. Nigeria finally reached the World Cup for the first time in 1994 after years of struggling to get there. They were managed by Clemens Westerhof . Nigeria topped their group which included Argentina , Bulgaria , and Greece . Nigeria defeated Bulgaria 3–0, lost to Argentina 1–2, and reached

2652-429: The COVID-19 pandemic . The 2021 Africa Cup of Nations tournament, hosted by Cameroon , and was postponed to 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic . The Confederation of African Football increased the cash prize for the winner from $ 4.5 million to $ 5 million for 2021 Africa Cup of Nations while the second-best team will get $ 2.75 million. Senegal won the tournament for the first time after beating Egypt on penalties in

2754-667: The Godswill Akpabio International Stadium . They went on to beat Cameroon 5–1 home and away in a back to back contest. The Super Eagles of Nigeria became the first African team to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup after beating Zambia 1–0 in Uyo . On 3 June 2018, coach Gernot Rohr unveiled a 23-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup . Nigeria lost their first match of the tournament 0–2 to Croatia in Kaliningrad , before they won 2–0 in

2856-670: The Mandela National Stadium . Notes : Africa Cup of Nations The Africa Cup of Nations , commonly abbreviated as AFCON and officially known as the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations for sponsorship reasons, is the main biennial international men's association football competition in Africa . It is sanctioned by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and

2958-487: The UEFA European Championship , with qualifying groups of four to seven teams depending on the editions where each selection plays a round-trip opposition against each of its opponents, the qualified country being decided according to its classification within its group. Only the hosts received an automatic qualification spot, with the other 23 teams qualifying through a qualification tournament . At

3060-472: The final by a score at of 2–1 . The field grew to include nine teams for the third ANC in 1962 in Addis Ababa , and for the first time there was a qualification round to determine which four teams would play for the title. Host Ethiopia and reigning champion Egypt received automatic berths and were joined in the final four by Nigeria and Tunisia . Egypt made its third consecutive final appearance, but

3162-404: The final . The number of teams and the format of each final tournament have varied over the years. In most tournaments, the tournament consists of a round-robin group stage followed by a single-elimination knockout stage. Since the 1962 edition , this competition has been held in two phases: a qualification phase (or called the elimination phase) and a final tournament. The host country of

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3264-634: The penalty shoot-out was adjudged not to have crossed the goal-line by the referee. The team withdrew from two African Cup of Nations between 1963 and 1974, due to political instability and in 1996. In 1976, they came back to the Cup of Nations with third-place finishes in both the 1976 and 1978 Africa Cup of Nations . Nigeria hosted the 1980 Africa Cup of Nations and also won their first Cup of Nations' Title that year in Lagos . Ghana came out as runners-up three times and had one group stage elimination, between 1982 and 1990. They also failed to qualify for

3366-520: The penalty shootout to become champions. In 1990, the 1990 African Cup of Nations was the 17th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, the football championship of Africa (CAF). It was hosted by Algeria . Just like in 1988, the field of eight teams was split into two groups of four. Algeria won its first championship, beating Nigeria in the final 1–0. Nigeria lost once again as they made their third final appearance in four tournaments, this time falling to host Algeria . The 1992 Cup of Nations expanded

3468-652: The "Red Devils". The two sides played for several rivalry and tournament cups during this period in which full international competition was barred to them. The encounter between these two teams is commonly known as the Jollof Derby . Nigeria's neighbours to the east, Cameroon , have also played Nigeria a number of times over the years. The teams have met three times in the final of the African Cup of Nations with Cameroon winning each time. Both carry histories of continental success and World Cup representation that

3570-562: The 1930s, Nigeria played its first official game in October 1949, while still a British colony . The team played warm-up games in England against various amateur teams including: Bromley , Dulwich Hamlet , Bishop Auckland , and South Liverpool . Nigeria's match against Marine A.F.C. at Rossett Park drew 6,000 spectators, a record for the small ground. Nigeria first appeared in the Africa Cup of Nations in 1963, when they were drawn in

3672-532: The 1968 and 1970 tournaments in scoring, with six and eight goals respectively, and his total of 14 goals remained the all-time record until 2008. Play was covered for television for the first time during the 1970 tournament in Sudan, as the hosts lifted the trophy after defeating Ghana – who were playing their fourth consecutive final. Six nations won titles from 1970 to 1980: Sudan , Congo-Brazzaville , Zaire , Morocco , Ghana, and Nigeria. Zaire's second title in

3774-420: The 6th minute. In its second game Nigeria led early on by a goal from Kalu Uche . A red card against Sani Kaita gave Greece the advantage. Greece scored the equaliser late in the first half and Nigeria conceded the second goal in the second half and lost the game 2–1. In their last group stage match against South Korea , Nigeria took an early lead in the 12th minute off of a great finish by Kalu Uche after

3876-678: The Africa Cup of Nations consecutively and have become two-time champions (two consecutive titles) or three-time champions (three consecutive titles). Bold indicate tournament hosts There are currently six post-tournament awards Nigeria national football team The Nigeria national football team represents Nigeria in Men's international football . Governed by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), they are three-time Africa Cup of Nations ( AFCON ) winners, with their most recent title in 2013 . In February 2024,

3978-609: The Africa Cup of Nations. In July 2017, two changes were proposed: switching the timing of the competition from January to the Northern Hemisphere summer and expanding from 16 to 24 teams (effective from the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations ). On 20 July 2017, the CAF Executive Commission approved the propositions at a meeting in Rabat, Morocco . Algeria won the African Cup of Nations 2019 , achieving

4080-558: The African Cup for the first time in Lagos . Nigeria Olympic Men's football team won the football event at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta , beating Mexico, Brazil and Argentina in the process. They were runners-up in the same event at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, losing to Argentina in a rematch of the 1996 Final of the event. In 1984 , 1988 and 2000 , Nigeria reached the Cup of Nations final, losing to Cameroon . Three of

4182-419: The African level after defeating Ghana 1–0 in the final, retaining the gold-plated cup indefinitely and extending its record to seven continental titles (including when Egypt was known as UAR between 1958 and 1961). Egypt became the first African nation to win three consecutive cups and joined Mexico , Argentina , and Iran who also won their continent cup three times in a row. On 31 January 2010, Egypt set

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4284-416: The CAF introduced a rule that limited the number of overseas players in each team to two. The rule persisted until 1982. The 1968, competition 's final tournament format expanded to include eight of the 22 teams entered in the preliminary rounds. The qualifying teams were distributed in two groups of four to play single round-robin tournaments , with the top two teams of each group advancing to semi-finals,

4386-419: The CAF participated in the final tournament, namely Egypt , Ethiopia and Sudan ( South Africa was excluded just after its foundation due to Apartheid ). In 1962, new nations were affiliated and forced CAF to set up a qualifying phase for the final tournament in the form of knockout matches. This system was used until the 1992 edition , when the organization of the qualifying phase became closer to that of

4488-412: The Ethiopia team emerged as victors, first beating Tunisia and then downing Egypt in extra time . In 1963, Ghana made its first appearance as it hosted the event and won the title after beating Sudan in the final. They repeated that as they became champions two years later in Tunisia —equalling Egypt as two-time winners—with a squad that included only two returning members from the 1963 team. In 1965,

4590-454: The NFF. Nigeria's campaign in the 2014 FIFA World Cup opened with a disappointing 0–0 draw against Iran . Four days later the team played their second game against Bosnia and Herzegovina . A controversial 29th-minute Peter Odemwingie goal gave Nigeria their first World Cup match win since 1998. They faced Argentina another four days later: a 3rd minute Lionel Messi goal for the opposition

4692-528: The Nigerian state flag as well as the eagle which adorns the country's coat of arms. There had been deliberations for a while heading to the 1988 Africa Cup of Nations, where they were still called the Green Eagles, but at a reception after the tournament, the team's name was officially changed to the "Super Eagles". Today, only the senior men's national team uses the nickname. The women's national team

4794-487: The Nigerian national football team was ranked 28th in the FIFA rankings . The team has qualified for six of the last eight FIFA World Cups , missing only the 2006 and 2022 editions . They have reached the round of 16 on three occasions. Their first World Cup appearance was in the 1994 edition . The team is a member of FIFA and Confederation of African Football (CAF). After playing other colonies in unofficial games since

4896-595: The Quarter-finals in the FIFA World Cup . On 24 June 2016, The Confederation of African Football released the draw for the 3rd round of the World Cup qualifiers which saw Nigeria grouped in what was described as a "group of death"; alongside Zambia , Algeria , and Cameroon . Nigeria started their group stage matches with a 2–1 win over Zambia in Ndola and defeated Algeria 3–1 in their second match at

4998-580: The South Americans to a 0–0 draw . Below full international level, their Olympic teams also faced off in the gold medal match in 1996 (3–2 to Nigeria) , and 2008 (1–0 to Argentina) . The final of the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship was also played between them; both Argentina goals in their 2–1 win were scored by Lionel Messi , who would go on to find the net for the senior team in the 2014 and 2018 World Cup fixtures. The match-up holds some importance to many Nigerian football fans who regard

5100-464: The Super Eagles to capture their first championship. After the 1980 edition , Algeria reached the semi-finals of every edition except the 1986 cup until they eventually won the competition in 1990 . Ghana's fourth continental title came in the 1982 cup tournament , where they beat host Libya in the final. The match ended in a 1–1 draw after 120 minutes and Ghana national football team won

5202-437: The Super Eagles were expected to build on its strong performances in the 2000 and 2002 African Cup of Nations . Nigeria was drawn into group F with powerhouses Sweden , Argentina , and England . The first game against Argentina started with a strong defense that kept the first half scoreless. In the 61st minute, Gabriel Batistuta breached the Nigerian defense to put Argentina in the lead 1–0, and Argentina would go on to win

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5304-549: The Super Eagles. Several international matches are played in other stadiums across the country. However, since the construction of Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo , Akwa Ibom State , most of the Super Eagles' important home matches have been played there. The following is a list of football match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.    Win    Draw    Loss    Fixture The current Nigerian (Super Eagles) managerial staff

5406-500: The UK through independent organisers are marketed to the country's large population of Nigerian expatriates . Though the club is most notable at Nigeria's home matches wearing green-themed embroidered outfits specific to the club along with wigs, hats and large sunglasses while dancing, singing, playing drums and trumpets, as well as carrying pom poms, culturally significant objects, inflatable beachballs, and waving flags; they have also shown

5508-553: The Uganda Super League) to create the foundation for a strong national team. At the same time, the identification of players from the grassroots would be made easier and systematic. Because there were no clubs to form a league, institutions and districts were contacted to form teams. The 1968 inaugural top-flight league was composed of Prisons, Army, Coffee, Express, Jinja, Masaka, Mbarara, and Mbale. There were three institutions and four districts and one club. The league

5610-552: The Unity Cup indefinitely after they became three-time champions in 2000. In 2001, the third trophy was revealed, a gold-plated cup designed and made in Italy . Cameroon, permanent holders of the previous trophy, were the first nation to be awarded the new trophy after they won the 2002 edition. Egypt won the gold-plated cup indefinitely after they became three-time champions in 2010. Unlike previous winners who would have then taken

5712-544: The ball in the net, past the French goal-keeper but the goal was ruled off-side by the linesman. Nigeria held them off until the 79th minute when a cross and a Paul Pogba header gifted France the lead. An accidental own goal by Super Eagles Captain Joseph Yobo in injury time put the result beyond any doubt: Nigeria was out. This is the third time Nigeria is eliminated in the round of 16 and they were not still able to enter

5814-409: The challenge as an important measuring stick for the development of Nigerian football. Argentine fans for their part, typically do not regard Nigeria as a rival. Although it means less to Argentine fans, matches against Nigeria are always seen as needing to be played with caution. The Moshood Abiola National Stadium (formerly known as National Stadium, Abuja) serves as the official home stadium of

5916-413: The country's military dictator Sani Abacha due to the criticism received from the tournament hosts South Africa and especially its president Nelson Mandela , for the execution of Ogoni activist Ken Saro-Wiwa . Nigeria was subsequently banned from entering the 1998 African Cup of Nations. In 1998 , Nigeria returned to the World Cup alongside Cameroon , Morocco , Tunisia , and South Africa . Optimism

6018-795: The creation of the Confederation of African Football was proposed during the third FIFA congress in Lisbon . There were immediate plans for a continental tournament to be held and, in February 1957, the first Africa Cup of Nations was held in Khartoum , Sudan . There was no qualification for this tournament, the field being made up of the four founding nations of CAF ( Egypt , Sudan , Ethiopia , and South Africa ). South Africa's insistence on selecting only white players for its squad due to its apartheid policy led to its disqualification, and as

6120-449: The empty goal, Yakubu pushed the ball wide of the left post to leave South Korea still ahead 2–1. Three minutes later, Yakubu was able to calmly finish a penalty to knot the score at two apiece, but Nigeria was unable to score again and the match ended in a 2–2 draw. With this result, Nigeria was eliminated from the 2010 World Cup with just one point, while South Korea advanced into the round of 16 with four points. On 30 June 2010, following

6222-463: The final of the Africa Cup three times in a row, winning the competition twice in 1984 and 1988 and losing once on penalties against Egypt in the 1986 edition , the other dominant team during this period was Algeria , along with their solid 1982 and decent 1986 World Cup appearances, the North African nation lost in the final against hosts Nigeria in the 1980 tournament allowing

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6324-412: The final tournament is automatically qualified, and in the first editions the defending champion was also qualified for the following tournament. The qualification phase has evolved over time according to the increasing number of nations affiliated to the Confederation of African Football (CAF). It was set up from 1962 , during the first two editions of the Africa Cup of Nations, the founding nations of

6426-412: The final, Super Eagles finished as runners-up, losing 2–1 to hosts Ivory Coast . The Nigeria national team has traditionally used a mostly-solid green on green primary set with white numbering, lettering, and highlights; coupled with all-white reversed secondary kits , all emblematic of the colours of the Nigerian flag. The shade of green has varied over the years. An olive drab-tinged, forest green

6528-543: The final. The South Africans would reach the final again two years later in Burkina Faso , but were unable to defend their title, losing to Egypt who claimed their fourth cup. The 2000 edition was hosted jointly by Ghana and Nigeria , who replaced the originally designated host Zimbabwe . Following a 2–2 draw after extra time in the final, Cameroon defeated Nigeria on penalty kicks. In 2002, Cameroon's Indomitable Lions won their second consecutive title. This

6630-421: The finals, the 24 teams were drawn into six groups of four teams each. The teams in each group played a single round robin. After the group stage, the top two teams and the four best third-placed teams advanced to the round of 16. The winners advanced to the quarter-finals. The winners of the quarter-finals advanced to the semi-finals. The losers of the semi-finals played in a third-place play-off, while winners of

6732-468: The first time in their history, won the tournament , beating Zambia , who a year before had been struck by disaster when most of their national squad died in a plane crash while traveling to play a 1994 World Cup qualification match. Nigerian forward Rashidi Yekini , who had led the 1992 tournament with four goals, repeated as the top scorer with five goals. South Africa hosted the 20th ACN competition in 1996, marking its first ever appearance after

6834-404: The five African titles won by Cameroon have been won by defeating Nigeria. Missing out to Cameroon on many occasions has created an intense rivalry between both nations. Three notable occasions; narrowly losing out in the 1988 African Cup of Nations , qualifiers for the 1990 World Cup , and the controversial final of the 2000 African Cup of Nations where a kick taken by Victor Ikpeba during

6936-421: The game. Nigeria's second game against Sweden saw them take the lead but later lose 2–1. Nigeria then drew 0–0 with England and bowed out in the first round. Nigeria failed to qualify for the 2006 World Cup after finishing level on points in the qualification group with Angola , but having an inferior record in the matches between the sides. In the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations , Nigeria ended their campaign in

7038-466: The group stage only once (1990) though they made it to the quarter-finals in that edition. There is also a number of competitive matches with Algeria dating back to the 1970s. The two sides met twice in the African Cup of Nations finals, with each nation splitting the win totals. It was a 1–1 draw in Algeria on 8 October 1993 that enabled Nigeria to claim its first World Cup berth in the 1994 edition of

7140-488: The international calendar, although this would preclude many countries in central and west Africa from hosting the competition (for these months occur during their wet season ). The 2008 tournament was hosted by Ghana, and saw Egypt retain the trophy, winning its record-extending sixth tournament by defeating Cameroon 1–0 in the final. Egypt set a new record in the 2010 tournament (hosted by Angola ) by winning its third consecutive title in an unprecedented achievement on

7242-533: The next 22 years totalled 16 league titles. KCC FC and Express won the championship title in the intervening years. In 2003, football in Uganda hit its lowest ebb as SC Villa put 22 goals past Akol FC when the league title went down to goal difference with Express. This was one of the biggest scandals in Ugandan football and thereafter, there was a complete media shutdown in all matters pertaining to local football. Fans became increasingly disillusioned and deserted

7344-410: The number of final tournament participants to 12; the teams were divided into four groups of three, with the top two teams of each group advancing to quarter-finals. Ghanaian midfielder Abedi "Pele" Ayew , who scored three goals, was named the best player of the tournament after his contributions helped Ghana reach the final; he was, however, suspended for that match and Ghana lost to Ivory Coast in

7446-468: The only goal coming from Ighalo which made him the top scorer of the tournament. On 18 July 2019, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) released the draw for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualification . The Super Eagles were grouped in group L alongside Lesotho , Benin , and Sierra Leone . Nigeria started out by defeating Benin 2–1 at Uyo in their first group match and later went on to beat Lesotho 4–2 in an away match. In March 2020, as

7548-499: The quarter finals after losing to Ghana . They qualified for 2010 Africa Cup of Nations , hosted by Angola , but were eliminated by Ghana in the semi-finals. They failed to qualify for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations after ending the qualifiers with a 2–2 draw against Guinea with goals from Ikechukwu Uche and Victor Obinna . Nigeria came back in the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations hosted in South Africa; after playing through

7650-408: The quarter-finals of the tournament. An 89th-minute header from Troost-Ekong gave Nigeria the lead over South Africa and the match ended 2–1 in favour of Nigeria. Nigeria faced Algeria in the semi-finals and were knocked out of the tournament after a 95th-minute free kick from Riyad Mahrez gave Algeria the lead. The Super Eagles later faced Tunisia in a third place match which they won 1–0 with

7752-536: The right to host the 2013 tournament , but the 2011 Libyan civil war prompted Libya and South Africa to trade years, with South Africa hosting in 2013 and Libya hosting in 2017. Ongoing fighting in Libya ultimately prompted CAF to move the 2017 tournament to Gabon ). In 2012, Zambia won the final after a penalty shootout against Ivory Coast. This drew increased media attention since the match took place in Gabon, only

7854-448: The round of 16 and got eliminated from the tournament. The Super Eagles started their campaign at the 2019 AFCON by defeating Burundi 1–0 in group B opening match. They went on to defeat Guinea and lost 2–0 to Madagascar in their final group stage match. The round of 16 saw the national football team of Nigeria defeating Cameroon 3–2 with goals coming from Jude Ighalo and Iwobi , they later went on to confront South Africa in

7956-597: The round of 16 to Tunisia on 23 January. Nigeria failed to qualify for the FIFA World Cup for the first time in 16 years, losing to Ghana on the away goals rule after drawing 0–0 in Ghana and 1–1 in Nigeria. The Super Eagles started their campaign at the 2023 AFCON by drawing 1–1 to Equatorial Guinea in their opening group A match. They went on to defeat hosts Ivory Coast 1–0 and defeated Guinea Bissau in

8058-462: The same scoreline. The round of 16 saw the national football team of Nigeria defeating Cameroon 2–0 with a brace from Ademola Lookman , they later went on to defeat Angola in the quarter-finals of the tournament thanks to a first half strike from Lookman . Nigeria faced South Africa in the semi-finals. Substitute Kelechi Iheanacho scored to give Nigeria a 4–2 penalty shootout victory over South Africa . The match finished 1–1 after extra time. In

8160-434: The sanction of suspension was applied by FIFA some three months after. On 4 October 2010, Nigeria was indefinitely banned from international football due to government interference following the 2010 World Cup. Four days later, however, the ban was "provisionally lifted" until 26 October, the day after the officially unrecognised players' union – National Association of Nigerian Footballers (NANF) dropped its court case against

8262-417: The second match against a brave Iceland , with Ahmed Musa scoring both goals. Nigeria had a huge chance to qualify to the next round as Argentina was demolished 3–0 by Croatia. Despite this advantage, they lost 2–1 in their last group stage match against Argentina, with one goal by Victor Moses . For this defeat, and followed with Iceland's defeat to Croatia, Nigeria missed the opportunity to advance to

8364-529: The second round after a 2–0 victory over Greece . In the second round, Nigeria played Italy and took the lead with a goal from Emmanuel Amunike in the 25th minute. Nigeria was within two minutes of qualifying for the quarter-finals, when Roberto Baggio scored to take the game to extra time. He also scored the eventual winning goal. The game ended 2–1 in favour of the Italians. In 1996 the team withdrew from that year's African Cup of Nations under pressure from

8466-512: The semi-finals played in the final. Throughout the history of the Africa Cup of Nations, three trophies have been awarded to the winners of the competition. The original trophy, made of silver, was the Abdelaziz Abdallah Salem Trophy, named after the first CAF president, Egyptian Abdelaziz Abdallah Salem . As the first winner of three Africa Cup of Nations tournaments, Ghana obtained the right to permanently hold

8568-464: The sides having only met six times since 1980, Benin remains a lightly regarded opponent. In five of its first six World Cup appearances, Nigeria was drawn in the group stage with three-time champion Argentina and is regarded by many fans as having fairly acquitted themselves against the footballing giant. The fixture is the most common in the competition's history involving an African nation. All five matches have been won by Argentina, but all were by

8670-573: The stadia thus affecting the teams financially. The episode represented one of many that has plagued Ugandan football. The 2018–19 Uganda Super League was contested by 16 teams. Ndejje University FC and Nyamityobora FC were promoted after winning their FUFA Big League groups, while Paidha Black Angels were promoted after winning the FUFA Big League promotion playoffs. Some of the Kampala clubs may on occasions also play home matches at

8772-439: The team's early exit and poor showing, the then President of Nigeria , Goodluck Jonathan suspended the national football team from international competition for two years. This suspension put the team at risk of being banned from international football by FIFA for reasons of political interference. On 5 July 2010, the Nigerian government rescinded its ban of the national football team from FIFA/CAF football competitions, but

8874-486: The tournament with an unbeaten run, they defeated Burkina Faso in the finals to lift the Cup for the third time. However, they did not qualify for either of the next two tournaments. On 14 November 2009, Nigeria qualified for the 2010 World Cup after defeating Kenya by 3–2 in Nairobi . Nigeria lost its opening match against Argentina 1–0 at Ellis Park Stadium following a controversial Gabriel Heinze header in

8976-430: The tournament. Nigeria since then had an undefeated streak against Algeria, until the semi-finals of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations when Algeria prevailed over Nigeria. Nigeria's western neighbour, Benin , has played competitive matches with the team since the period of European colonisation when they were known as Dahomey . But with only two wins and two draws to Benin's credit against Nigeria's fourteen wins, and with

9078-421: The trophy home, Egypt was presented with a special full-size replica that they were allowed to keep. The winner of each edition receives a replica whose dimensions are equal to that of the original trophy. CAF give 30 gold medals to the winning team, 30 silver medals to the runners-up, 30 bronze medals to the team ranked third and 30 diplomas to the team ranked fourth in the final tournament. Teams that have won

9180-525: The trophy in 1978. The second trophy was awarded from 1980 to 2000 and was named "Trophy of African Unity" or "African Unity Cup". It was given to CAF by the Supreme Council for Sports in Africa prior to the 1980 tournament and it was a cylindrical piece with the Olympic rings over a map of the continent engraved on it. It sat on a squared base and had stylized triangular handles. Cameroon won

9282-439: Was also the top scorer of the tournament with nine goals, setting a single-tournament record that remains unmatched. Three months earlier, Zaire had become the first Sub-Saharan African nation to qualify to the FIFA World Cup . Morocco won their first title in the 1976 ANC held in Ethiopia and Ghana took its third championship in 1978, becoming the first nation to win three titles. Between 1980 and 1990, Cameroon managed to reach

9384-513: Was also won by the hosts, Egypt , who reached a continental-record fifth title. Ahead of the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations several European clubs called for a rethink of the tournament's schedule. Given that it takes place during the European season, players who are involved miss several matches for their clubs. In January 2008, FIFA president Sepp Blatter announced that he wanted the tournament to be held in either June or July by 2016, to fit in

9486-527: Was announced to be the supplier of Nigeria's kits after Adidas ended their kit contract with the NFF . Before that, Nike supplied Nigeria's kit between 1994 and 2003. Nigeria's national team image has undergone much evolution throughout its history. Prior to independence, they were called the Red Devils due to their red topped kits. The name was changed to the Green Eagles after independence in reference to

9588-477: Was first awarded in 2002. Egypt won an unprecedented three consecutive titles in 2006, 2008, and 2010. In 2013, the tournament format was switched to being held in odd-numbered years so as not to interfere with the FIFA World Cup . Ivory Coast are the tournament's current champions, having beaten Nigeria 2–1 in the 2023 final . The origin of the African Nations Cup dates from June 1956, when

9690-455: Was first held in 1957 . Since 1968 , it has been held every two years, switching to odd-numbered years in 2013. In the first tournament in 1957, there were only three participating nations: Egypt , Sudan , and Ethiopia . South Africa who were originally scheduled to join, but all were disqualified due to the apartheid policies of the government then in power. Since then, the tournament has expanded greatly, making it necessary to hold

9792-530: Was followed almost instantly with an equalizer by Ahmed Musa . Messi gave Argentina the lead back just before half-time. In the second half, Musa leveled the game out again, Lionel Messi was substituted and handed over his captaincy to Marcos Rojo only for Rojo to put Argentina 3–2 ahead minutes later. Nigeria lost the match, but still qualified for the round of 16. In the Round of 16, Nigeria faced France , an 18th-minute stabbed shot from Emmanuel Emenike saw

9894-474: Was frequently favoured during the 1980s to the early 1990s, and jade has appeared in each of those decades as well; even harlequin has been used. Over the last decade, the team has appeared to settle on the more standard office green which most closely resembles the shade used on the flag. Nigeria's first national teams used a solid scarlet top over white shorts and socks until the country adopted its current colours after its independence. On 23 April 2015, Nike

9996-455: Was high due to its manager Bora Milutinović and the return of most 1994 squad members. In the final tournament Nigeria were drawn into group D with Spain , Bulgaria , Paraguay . Nigeria scored a major upset by defeating Spain 3–2 after coming back twice from being 1–0 and 2–1 down. The Eagles qualified for the second round with a win against Bulgaria and a loss to Paraguay. The team's hopes of surpassing its 1994 performance were shattered after

10098-569: Was known as the National First Division League, and the first league champions were Prisons FC Kampala (now known as Maroons FC ). After four seasons, the political turbulence in Uganda impacted on the league. The 1972 and 1973 championships were not completed because of civil unrest. In 1974, the league became known as the National Football League and this title was used until 1982 when the league

10200-610: Was scheduled to be held in Morocco, but they refused to hold the tournament on the allotted dates due to concerns of the Ebola outbreak, so it was moved to Equatorial Guinea. In July 2016, Total secured the rights to an eight-year sponsorship package to support 10 of CAF 's principal competitions. This began with the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon which was renamed the "Total Africa Cup of Nations". Under Ahmad Ahmad 's presidency, there were discussions regarding further changes to

10302-419: Was the first repeat since Ghana had done it in the 1960s and after Egypt had done it before in 1957 and 1959. The Cameroonians beat first-time finalists Senegal , who also debuted in the World Cup later that year, via penalty kicks . Both finalists were eliminated in the quarter-finals two years later in Tunisia , where the hosts won their first title, beating Morocco 2–1 in the final. The 2006 tournament

10404-490: Was trimmed to ten teams and was renamed the Super League (shortened to Super Ten in that inaugural season). The emergence of the Super League in 1982 saw the development of SC Villa as the country's leading club. Through the 1980s and a good part of the 1990s, competition between Express , KCC FC and SC Villa lit up the league and fans attended in hoards. SC Villa won the league for the first time in 1982 and over

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