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Nigeria

National Coach: Lars Lagerback National Stadium: FA founded: 1945 ( FA Website ) Joined FIFA: 1960 FIFA Code: NGA Nickname: Super Eagles						Local Name: Nigeria Capital: Abuja Population: 146,255,312 Area: 923,768 km2 Tel: +234 / Internet: .ng Currency: Naira (NGN) - Rates
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Nigeria got off to a nightmare start at the World Cup in South Africa, conceding after only six minutes of their opening game against Argentina and even the most optimistic fans would have feared the worst at that point, with Argentina’s star-studded forward line expected to dismantle opposition defences with ease. However, the floodgates failed to open and Lars Lagerback’s team managed to keep the score at 1-0 and even created some chances of their own but didn’t manage to find that vital equaliser.

They lost out by a one goal margin again versus Greece, despite this time taking an early lead through Kalu Uche. The Nigerian’s defensive frailties were ruthlessly exposed and a second successive defeat followed, but they weren’t out of the competition as a win against South Korea in their final game couple with an Argentina victory over the Greeks would put them through.

They gave it their best shot against the Koreans and again went ahead early on through Uche only to be pegged back before half time. Hopes begam to fade when they fell behind early in the second half, but they got back level with a penalty scored by Ayegbeni Yakubu in the 69th minute. From then on the game was extremely open with several good chances at each end, but nobody else could find the net. The defining moment that will stick in the memory of most who saw the game came when the score was still 2-1 to Korea and Yakubu missed a real sitter when presented with an open goal inside the six yard box. It looked easier to score but he put it wide and on such narrow margins can a nation’s World Cup fate be decided.

So they came within a whicker of pipping the Koreans to qualification, but in the end finished bottom of Group B with only one point to show for their efforts.

The Nigerian squad submitted to FIFA was as follows:

NUMBER – POSITION – NAME – AGE- CLUB

1 – GK – Vincent ENYEAMA – 27 – Hapoel Tel-Aviv
16 – GK – Austin EJIDE – 26 – Hapoel Petah Tikva
23 – GK – Dele AIYENUGBA – 26 – Bnei Yehuda
2 – DF – Joseph YOBO – 29 – Everton
3 – DF – Taye TAIWO – 25 – Marseille
5 – DF – Rabiu AFOLABI – 30 – Red Bull Salzburg
6 – DF – Danny SHITTU – 29 – Bolton Wanderers
17 – DF – Chidi ODIAH – 26 – CSKA Moscow
21 – DF – Uwa ECHIEJILE – 22 – Rennes
22 – DF – Dele ADELEYE – 21 – Sparta Rotterdam
4 – MF – Nwankwo KANU – 33 – Portsmouth
12 – MF – Kalu UCHE – 27 – Almeria
13 – MF – Yussuf AYILA – 25 – Dynamo Kyiv
14 – MF – Sani KAITA – 24 – Alania Vladikavkaz
15 – MF – Lukman HARUNA – 19 – Monaco
20 – MF – Dickson ETUHU – 28 – Fulham
7 – FW – John UTAKA – 28 – Portsmouth
8 – FW – Yakubu AIYEGBENI – 27 – Everton
9 – FW – Obafemi MARTINS – 25 – Wolfsburg
10 – FW – Brown IDEYE – 21 – Sochaux
11 – FW – Peter ODEMWINGIE – 28 – Lokomotiv Moscow
18 – FW – Victor OBINNA – 23 – Malaga
19 – FW – Chinedu OGBUKE OBASI – 24 – Hoffenheim

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Nigeria played their second World Cup 2010 warm up match at Stadium:mk in Milton Keynes, England, against a Colombia team who failed to qualify for the finals. Nigeria’s Swedish coach Lars Lagerback named a strong starting eleven but they were unable to gain control of the early exchanges and the Colombians took the lead in the 12th minute thanks to Santa Fe defender Carlos Valdes.

The scoreline remained unchanged until twenty minutes from full time when Nigerian substitute midfielder Lukman Haruna found an equaliser. The AS Monaco youngster fired home from outside the box to secure a draw. This result follows another draw in their opening warm up match against Saudi Arabia last week, which finished 0-0.

The Nigerian team will now travel to South Africa to complete their preparations. They face North Korea in a final friendly on the 6th of June in Johannesburg before their World Cup campaign gets underway for real six days later on the 12th of June against Diego Maradona’s Argentina, also in Johannesburg. Super Eagles coach Lars Lagerback is expected to confirm his final 23-man squad in the next few hours.

Nigeria 1-1 Colombia (30/05/2010)

Starting Line-up:
Enyeama
Afolabi
Odiah
Taiwo
Etuhu
Yussuf
Kaita
Adeleye
Yakubu
Odemwingie
Obinna

Substitutions:
46 Haruna for Yussuf
46 Martins for Yakubu
62 Uche for Odemwingie
75 Utaka for Obinna

Goals:
Valdez (12)
Haruna (71)

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Kick-off: Thursday January 28, 16.00 GMT

Location: Estadio 11 de Novembro, Luanda, Angola

Ghana 1 (Gyan 20)

Nigeria 0

TEAMS

Ghana: Kingson – Inkoom, Vorsah, Addy, Sarpei – Ayew, Badu, Annan, Asamoah – Gyan, Opoku

Nigeria: Enyeama – Yusuf, Nwaneri, Shittu, Echiejele – Ayila, Mikel, Kaita – Obasi, Martins, Odemwingie

The first semi-final of the 2010 African Cup of Nations pitted West African rivals Nigeria and Ghana together for a place in the final in an encounter that was dominated by Nigeria in terms of chances.  However, the Super Eagles were unable to translate their oppurtunities into goals, and Ghana after snatching a lead in the first-half, defended doggedly to frustrate their more experienced opponents. 

Ghana were able to call on Rosenborg-midfielder Anthony Annan for the first time in the tournament at the heart of the team, with Dramane dropping to the bench to accommodate the change. 

Nigeria were able to start Obafemi Martins for the first time in Angola, and he came in for the disappointing Yakubu.  The availability of Martins almost paid immediate dividends when a ball was lofted into the Ghana penalty area, but just evaded the Wolfsburg-based striker, who had broken into the box. 

Ghana get into their groove

The early opening suggested it might be an exciting encounter, but the game quickly settled into a cautious pattern, with neither side too keen to commit men forward.  However, on 20 minutes Ghana stunned Nigeria by grabbing a goal from a set piece.  A well delivered out-swinging cross from the Ghana left by Kwadwo Asamoah was met by the head of Asamoah Gyan to divert the ball into the net to make it 1-0 with the Nigerian defence left static. 

Five minutes later and Gyan might have doubled Ghana’s lead when he side-footed a looping effort just over the bar.  The ball just wouldn’t quite dip enough, but it certainly had Vincent Enyeama back-peddling nervously in the Nigerian goal. 

Nigeria respond

Nigeria should have struck back on 27 minutes through Obafemi Martins.  A shot from outside the area by Peter Odemwingie fell at the feet of Martins, who found himself in the way of the effort.  The former Newcastle-forward turned on the ball in a flash, but with just the keeper to beat and from no more than 6 yards somehow managed to hit Kingson, the Ghanaian goalie. 

The Super Eagles continued to push forward for the equaliser and Uwa Echiejele, the left-back for Nigeria, curled a wonderful ball to the far post with both Martins and Odemwigie waiting with intent.  It was Odemwingie who got his head to the ball, but delivered his effort wide of the post to let Ghana off after some shabby defending. 

Just before the interval Sani Kaita let fly with a long-range effort, which had a few Nigerian supporters out of their seats.  The ball hit the stanchion and rippled the outside of the netting.  Into injury time and Peter Odemwingie attempted an effort at the near post from a short corner, although should probably have squared the pass back to the waiting Martins in the middle. 

Ghana after their goal just before the midpoint were pleased to just get into the break with their advantage intact.  After suffering several injuries during the half, which forced them into a change up front and the goalkeeper Richard Kingson having some treatment, they started dropping deep and allowing Nigeria to dominate possession.  Nigeria having created several presentable chances had been unable to take advantage of any of them, but their attacking performance was an improvement on their previous games at the 2010 African Cup of Nations.

Nigeria continued to take the game to Ghana in the second half, but it took nearly a quarter of an hour for them to create a genuine chance.  Sani Keita chipped a ball forward, which was helped on by Mikel to the onrushing Martins.  However, Martins was charged down by Richard Kingson, who made himself big to block the attempted volley.  Shortly after, the architect of that chance Mikel should have done better with a shot from outside the area, but hit his curling attempt well-wide in the end.

The Black Stars finally managed an attempt in the second half on 64 minutes when midfielder Ageymang-Badu brought a good save out of Vincent Enyeama in the Nigerian goal at his near post with a low shot.

Nigeria pay the price for profligacy

The chances continued to mount up for Nigeria when a long ball over the top on 70 minutes couldn’t quite be controlled by Obafemi Martins.  Perhaps rusty after not seeing too much action in the tournament so far the first touch just got away from Martins, and gave the covering Ghana defender Isaac Vorsah a chance to close him down.

Another outstanding Nigeria chance was passed up when recent arrival Yakubu couldn’t stab home from close range.  Good work between Obasi and Echijele down the left worked in the Rennes left-back for a crossing chance.  However, Echijele got too much on the pass into the middle, and the ball ricocheted off Yakubu’s left knee and behind.

Obafemi Martins’ pace continued to cause the Ghana defence problems when another ball over the top nearly set him away.  Once again though, Martins’ control let him down, as the difficult and patchy surface caught him out as it had on several previous occasions. 

Nigeria continued to press forward with increasing urgency as Ghana failed to hold onto the ball for any length of time, but they struggled to test the increasingly injury-hampered Richard Kingson with any regularity, and so the match was decided by the 20^th minute goal in favour of Ghana.

The progress to the final for Ghana is pretty remarkable given the problems they have encountered on the way.  However, for Nigeria they will be left to wander what might have been if they had been able to call on a fully match-fit Obafemi Martins and Yakubu for the game.  They falter at the semi-final stage once again.