By Harry Awurumibe, Editor, ABUJA BUREAU
It will be foolhardy for the players and officials of Nigeria’s senior men’s football team Super Eagles to continue agonising over the semi-final penalty shootout loss to host Atlas Lions of Morocco a few days ago as a win against the Pharaohs of Egypt today in the 3rd place match of the ongoing 35th CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) will be a huge consolation for the team’s impressive run in the competition.
Head coach Eric Sékou Chelle and his players will be encouraged that history favours Nigeria to beat Egypt today when both countries clash at Mohammed V Stadium in Casablanca as Nigeria has an edge over Egypt in AFCON meetings with five victories, two draws and two losses against Egypt’s two wins, two draws and five defeats by Nigeria.
Also, key statistics clearly showed that the West African nation Nigeria has dominated other countries in previous AFCON 3rd place matches as the Super Eagles have contested seven 3rd place matches at AFCON and won all seven, and will make it eight out of eight if they ahead today to beat Egypt in Casablanca.
Interestingly, Nigeria and Egypt have clashed 20 times in all competitions, and Nigeria has defeated Egypt eight times, drew six, and lost six matches, scoring 29 goals and conceded 24 with plus five goals while Egypt won six, drawn six and lost eight matches to Nigeria with minus five goals.
Nigeria has finished in the AFCON top three 16 times, more than any other nation, even as victory today over Egypt would mark a 17th top-three finish for the Super Eagles of Nigeria.
Sadly, before being
eliminated by host Morocco in the semi-finals via 4-2 penalty shoot-out defeat, the Nigerians had scored in their previous five matches prior to the semi-final and had also scored in 12 successive AFCON matches before failing to score against Morocco
Previously, Nigeria last failed to score in a 1–0 loss to Tunisia in the 2021 Round of 16 but have now scored 14 goals at the current finals, their highest tally at any AFCON edition
It means victory would be Nigeria’s 64th AFCON win, drawing level with Egypt for the most victories in the biggest football tournament in Africa.
However, Nigeria first contested a 3rd place AFCON match in 1978 as she was awarded a 2–0 win after Tunisia walked off in protest but beat Cameroon 2–1 in the 1992 3rd place play-off and contested three consecutive 3rd place matches from 2002 to 2006, defeating Mali twice and Senegal once
Nigeria also defeated Algeria 1–0 in 2010, with Victor Obinna scoring in the 58th minute and last appeared in this match in 2019, beating Tunisia 1–0 through an Odion Ighalo goal just as Nigeria have won four 3rd place matches by a 1–0 scoreline.
Also, six of Nigeria’s seven wins have been by a single goal, and none of their seven 3rd place matches have gone to penalties. Nigeria has taken part in nine penalty shoot-outs at AFCON, winning six and losing three. Joint-most shoot-out wins alongside Egypt
But Nigeria’s penalty shoot-out defeats came in 2000, 2004, and the current semi-final clash against Morocco, while six of their nine shoot-outs have occurred at the semi-final stage of AFCON in Morocco.
Hopefully, as Nigeria is on a run of 357 minutes without conceding a goal in open play, has kept three successive clean sheets, although conceded in all group games, but none in the knockout rounds, the Super Eagles can bamboozle their way to the podium in Morocco by beating Egypt today.
But it is yet to be determined if coach Eric Chelle will retain goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali, who made five saves in the semi-final against Morocco or trust his reserve goalie Francis Odinaka Uzoho who was in between the sticks in the last Group match in Fès which Nigeria won 3-1.
Unfortunately, reliable defender Calvin Ughalumba-Bassey, who attempted 115 passes, completing 102, the most by any player at the tournament in Morocco, will be missing out against Egypt because of card offence. The Fulham FC of England’s man has been rock solid in the Nigeria defence all through the tournament.
Meanwhile, Egypt, eliminated in the semi-final stage like Nigeria by Sadio Mané’s Senegal, also has pedigree in AFCON and will pose danger to Nigeria’s ambition to end the competition on a high note.
With talismanic captain and Liverpool FC forward Mohamed Salah and Manchester City striker Omar Marmoush as well
as good players like Hamdi Fathy and Yasser Ibrahim, who have featured in all Egypt’s six matches in Morocco, the Pharaohs could play spoilers to Super Eagles’ party.
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Salah has 11 AFCON goals and could draw level with Hassan El-Shazly as Egypt’s top AFCON scorer if he hits targets today at Mohammed V Stadium in Casablanca.
But odds favour Nigeria to carry the day, and Super Eagles know that a podium finish will guarantee a what could be called “Golden Bronze Medal.” Let’s go, Super Eagles.
