By Enitan Abdutawab
The Super Eagles of Nigeria would lock horns with AFCON host Morocco on Wednesday as both sides jostle for a place in the finals of the tournament.
Playing against the host nation at this crucial stage of the tournament seems a big task ahead, especially given the history of the team versus host nations.
Overall, both in the group and knockout stages, the Super Eagles have only won three times in the last ten (10) meetings against host nations, drawing three and losing four in the process.
- 1978 – Draw Against Ghana
Nigeria’s first recorded draw against a host nation came in 1978, when they faced Ghana in the tournament. The match ended level, highlighting an early stage of competitive encounters against host nations.
- 1990 – Group-Stage Loss to Algeria
The 1990 AFCON group stage saw Nigeria face Algeria, the host nation, and suffer a defeat by a goal to nil. It marked the first loss to a host in the tournament’s knockout-free early rounds.
- 1990 – Final Loss to Algeria
The 1990 African Cup of Nations final was a football match that took place on 16 March 1990, at the Stade 5 Juillet 1962 in Algiers, Algeria, to determine the winner of the 1990 African Cup of Nations. Algeria defeated Nigeria 1–0 with a lone goal from Chérif Oudjani in the 38th minute to win their first African Cup.
- 1992 – Group-Stage Win Over Senegal
Nigeria recorded a solid 2-1 victory over Senegal, the tournament hosts, during the group stage of the 1992 AFCON. This win demonstrated the team’s ability to challenge host nations early in competitions.
- 2002 – Group Draw Against Mali
In 2002, Nigeria faced host nation Mali in the group stages, ending in a draw. Despite the stalemate early on, the tournament would later offer redemption against Mali.
- 2002 – Third-Place Win Over Mali
Later in the same tournament, Nigeria met Mali again in the third-place playoff, securing a 1-0 victory. This remains Nigeria’s only knockout win against a host nation at AFCON. Yakubu Aiyegbeni scored the only goal for Nigeria in that 1-0 victory.
- 2004 – Semi-Final Draw Against Tunisia
At the 2004 AFCON, Nigeria faced Tunisia, the hosts, in the semi-finals. The match ended 1-1, but Nigeria were eliminated after losing on penalties, showing the fine margins when playing against host sides.
- 2008 – Quarter-Final Loss to Ghana
The 2008 quarter-finals saw Nigeria face host nation Ghana, suffering a knockout defeat. The match highlighted the Super Eagles’ ongoing challenge in overcoming hosts in high-stakes games. Nigeria had reached four consecutive AFCON semi-finals (2000, 2002, 2004, 2006) before Ghana ended their run in that tournament.
- 2023 – Group-Stage Win Against Côte d’Ivoire
In the 2023 AFCON, Nigeria faced Côte d’Ivoire in the group stage, achieving a 1-0 victory. This marked a rare win over a host nation in the early stages of the tournament, with former captain Williams Troost-Ekong scoring a lone penalty to hand Nigeria the win.
- 2023 – Final Loss to Côte d’Ivoire
Later in the same tournament, Nigeria met Côte d’Ivoire again in the final, but fell 2-1, continuing the trend of host nations proving tough to beat in decisive matches. Again, it was Williams Troost-Ekong’s header that put the Super Eagles ahead before goals from Frank Kessie and Sebastian Haller cancelled out the advantage.
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