FIFA World Cup matches, whether in the qualifying series or in the finals, are always rich in statistics. So it will be in Nigeria’s next match.

When the Super Eagles line up against the Algerians in Uyo on November 12, it is more than just a World Cup qualifying duel. It is a milestone for Nigeria as the match will be the country’s 100th FIFA World Cup qualifying duel since the maiden 4-1 loss to Ghana in Accra on August 28, 1960.

Thus Nigeria will be the second African team to hit the 100th mark after Morocco whose total will be 107 after hosting Cote d’Ivoire on November 12.

Also expected to play its 100th World Cup qualifying match on the same day is Tunisia whose team will be away to Libya on November 11. But Nigeria has a better aggregate than both Morocco and Tunisia.

Ahead of the Uyo match, no African side has racked up as many World Cup qualifying victories as Nigeria whose overall record of 55 wins from 99 games equates to a win rate of 55.5%.

In the upcoming fixture with Algeria, the Super Eagles team has an opportunity to further consolidate on Group B leadership and also extend an existing record.

With two wins and a draw so far on the road to Russia 2018, following two matches with Swaziland and a game with Zambia, Nigeria has extended an unbeaten streak in the World Cup qualifying to 31, the longest recorded by an African team.

The Super Eagles’ last defeat was a 1-0 loss to Angola in Luanda on June 20, 2004. Since that loss which contributed largely to failure to qualify for Germany 2006, Nigeria has gone 31 matches undefeated. A win over Algeria extends the streak to 32.

It is also on record that Nigeria has not lost at home in a World Cup qualifying match since the October 10, 1981 0-2 loss to Algeria. Since, the Super Eagles have had 28 wins (including 21 consecutive victories) and two draws from home qualifying matches.

The two draws at home were the 1-1 with Angola in Kano in 2005 and another 1-1 with Kenya in March 2013. The latter was almost fatal as the equalising goal was scored by Nnamdi Oduamadi almost with the last kick of the added three minutes. It turned the only time Kenya ever scored against Nigeria outside Nairobi.

As the Super Eagles battles to continue its leadership of Group B in a quest for a sixth appearance at the World Cup, the match against Algeria is crucial. It was Algeria in 1981 that punctured Nigeria’s home invincibility in the World Cup qualifying series.

Algeria was gunning for a barren draw in another World Cup qualifying tie in 2004 in Abuja before a late goal gave Nigeria a 1-0.

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NIGERIA’S 99 WORLD CUP QUALIFYING MATCHES

  1. Aug. 28, 1960, Accra: Ghana 4-1 Nigeria
  2. Sept. 10, 1960, Lagos: Nigeria 2-2 Ghana
  3. Dec. 7, 1968, Lagos: Nigeria 1-1 Cameroon
  4. Dec. 22, 1968, Yaoundé: Cameroon 1-2 Nigeria
  5. May 10, 1969, Ibadan: Nigeria 2-2 Ghana
  6. May 18, 1969, Accra: Ghana 1-1 Nigeria* Nigeria advanced via toss of coin
  7. Sep. 13, 1969, Ibadan: Nigeria 2-2 Sudan
  8. Sep. 21, 1969, Casablanca: Morocco 2-1 Nigeria
  9. Oct. 2, 1969, Khartoum: Sudan 3-3 Nigeria
  10. Nov. 8, 1969, Ibadan: Nigeria 2-0 Morocco. * Morocco advanced, topping a 3-team league involving Nigeria and Sudan.
  11. Aug. 5, 1972, Ibadan: Nigeria 2-1 Congo
  12. Aug. 15 1972, Brazzaville: Congo 1-1 Nigeria
  13. Feb. 10, 1973, Lagos: Nigeria 2-3 Ghana* match ended in riot. Match awarded 2-0 to Ghana
  14. Feb. 25, 1973, Accra: Ghana 0-0 Nigeria
  15. Oct. 16, 1976, Freetown: Sierra Leone 0-0 Nigeria
  16. Oct. 30, 1976, Lagos: Nigeria 6-2 Sierra Leone
  17. Jul. 10, 1977, Lagos: Nigeria 4-0 Cote d’Ivoire
  18. Jul. 27, 1977, Bouake: Cote d’Ivoire 2-2 Nigeria
  19. Sep. 25, 1977, Tunis: Tunisia 0-0 Nigeria
  20. Oct. 8, 1977, Lagos: Nigeria 4-0 Egypt
  21. Oct. 21, 1977, Cairo: Egypt 3-1 Nigeria
  22. Nov. 12, 1977, Lagos: Nigeria 0-1 Tunisia
  23. June 26, 1980, Tunis: Tunisia 2-0 Nigeria
  24. Jul. 12, 1980, Lagos: Nigeria 2-0 Tunisia* Nigeria advanced via penalties
  25. Dec. 6, 1980, Lagos: Nigeria 1-1 Tanzania
  26. Dec. 20, 1980, Dar es Salaam: Tanzania 0-2 Nigeria
  27. Apr. 12, 1981, Conakry: Guinea 1-1 Nigeria
  28. Apr. 25, 1981, Lagos: Nigeria 1-0 Guinea
  29. Oct. 10, 1981, Lagos: Nigeria 0-2 Algeria
  30. Oct. 30, 1981, Constantine: Algeria 2-1 Nigeria
  31. Oct. 20, 1984, Lagos: Nigeria 3-0 Liberia
  32. Nov. 11, 1984, Monrovia: Liberia 0-1 Nigeria
  33. Apr. 7, 1985, Nairobi: Kenya 0-3 Nigeria
  34. Apr. 20, 1985, Lagos: Nigeria 3-1 Kenya
  35. Jul. 6, 1985, Lagos: Nigeria 1-0 Tunisia
  36. Jul. 20, 1985, Tunis: Tunisia 2-0 Nigeria
  37. Jan. 7, 1989, Enugu: Nigeria 1-0 Gabon
  38. Jan 22, 1989, Luanda: Angola 2-2 Nigeria
  39. Jun. 10, 1989, Ibadan: Nigeria 2-0 Cameroon
  40. Jun. 25, 1989, Libreville: Gabon 2-1 Nigeria
  41. Aug. 12, 1989, Lagos: Nigeria 1-0 Angola
  42. Aug. 27, 1989, Yaoundé: Cameroon 1-0 Nigeria
  43. Oct. 10, 1992, Lagos: Nigeria 4-0 South Africa
  44. Oct. 20, 1992, Pointe Noire: Congo 0-1 Nigeria
  45. Jan. 16, 1993, J’burg: South Africa 0-0 Nigeria
  46. Feb. 27, 1993, Enugu: Nigeria 2-0 Congo
  47. May 2, 1993, Abidjan: Cote d’Ivoire 2-1 Nigeria
  48. Jul. 13, 1993, Lagos: Nigeria 4-1 Algeria
  49. Sep. 25, 1993, Lagos: Nigeria 4-1 Cote d’Ivoire
  50. Oct. 8, 1993, Algiers: Algeria 1-1 Nigeria * Nigeria qualified for USA ‘94
  51. Nov. 9, 1996, Lagos: Nigeria 2-0 Burkina Faso
  52. Jan. 12, 1997, Nairobi: Kenya 1-1 Nigeria
  53. Apr. 5, 1997, Lagos: Nigeria 2-1 Guinea
  54. Apr. 27, 1997, Ouagadougou: Burkina Faso 1-2 Nigeria
  55. Jun. 7, 1997, Lagos: Nigeria 3-0 Kenya * Nigeria qualified for France ’98 with one game to go
  56. Aug. 17, 1997, Conakry: Guinea 1-0 Nigeria
  57. Apr. 9, 2000, Asmara: Eritrea 0-0 Nigeria
  58. Apr. 22, 2000, Lagos: Nigeria 4-0 Eritrea
  59. Jun. 17, 2000, Lagos: Nigeria 2-0 Sierra Leone
  60. Jul. 9, 2000, Monrovia: Liberia 2-1 Nigeria
  61. Jan. 27, 2001, Port Harcourt: Nigeria 3-0 Sudan
  62. Mar. 11, 2001, Accra: Ghana 0-0 Nigeria
  63. Apr. 21, 2001, Freetown: Sierra Leone 1-0 Nigeria
  64. May 5, 2001, Port Harcourt: Nigeria 2-0 Liberia
  65. Jul. 1, 2001, Ombdurman: Sudan 0-4 Nigeria
  66. Jul. 29, 2001, Port Harcourt: Nigeria 3-0 Ghana * Nigeria qualified      for Korea/Japan 2002
  67. Jun. 5, 2004, Abuja: Nigeria 2-0 Rwanda
  68. Jun. 20, 2004, Luanda: Angola 1-0 Nigeria
  69. Jul. 3, 2004, Abuja: Nigeria 1-0 Algeria
  70. Sep. 5. 2004, Harare: Zimbabwe 0-3 Nigeria
  71. Oct. 10. 2004, Libreville: Gabon 1-1 Nigeria
  72. Mar. 26, 2005, Port Harcourt: Nigeria 2-0 Gabon
  73. Jun. 5, 2005, Kigali: Rwanda 1-1 Nigeria
  74. Jun. 18, 2005 Kano: Nigeria 1-1 Angola
  75. Sep. 4, 2005, Oran: Algeria 2-5 Nigeria
  76. Oct. 8, 2005, Abuja: Nigeria 5-1 Zimbabwe
  77. Jun. 1, 2008, Abuja: Nigeria 2-0 South Africa
  78. Jun. 7, 2008, Freetown: Sierra Leone 0-1 Nigeria
  79. Jun. 14, 2008, Malabo: Equatorial Guinea 0-1 Nigeria
  80. Jun. 21, 2008, Abuja: Nigeria 2-0 Equatorial Guinea
  81. Sep. 6, 2008, Port Elizabeth: South Africa 0-1 Nigeria
  82. Oct. 11, 2008, Abuja: Nigeria 4-1 Sierra Leone
  83. Mar. 29, 2009, Maputo: Mozambique 0-0 Nigeria
  84. Jun. 7, 2009, Abuja: Nigeria 3-0 Kenya
  85. Jun. 20, 2009, Rades: Tunisia 0-0 Nigeria
  86. Sep. 6, 2009, Abuja: Nigeria 2-2 Tunisia
  87. Oct. 11, 2009, Abuja: Nigeria 1-0 Mozambique
  88. Nov. 14, 2009, Nairobi: Kenya 2-3 Nigeria * Nigeria qualify for South Africa 2010
  89. Jun. 1, 2012, Calabar: Nigeria 1-0 Namibia
  90. Jun. 9, 2012, Blantyre: Malawi 1-1 Nigeria
  91. Mar. 23, 2013, Calabar: Nigeria 1-1 Kenya
  92. Jun. 5, 2013, Nairobi: Kenya 0-1 Nigeria
  93. Jun. 12, 2013, Windhoek: Namibia 1-1 Nigeria
  94. Sep. 7, 2013, Calabar: Nigeria 2-0 Malawi
  95. Oct. 13, 2013, Addis Ababa: Ethiopia 1-2 Nigeria
  96. Nov. 16, 2013, Calabar: Nigeria 2-0 Ethiopia Nigeria * Nigeria qualify for Brazil 2014
  97. Nov. 13, 2015, Lobamba: Swaziland 0-0 Nigeria
  98. Nov. 17, 2015, Port Harcourt: Nigeria 2-0 Swaziland
  99. Oct. 9, 2016, Ndola: Zambia 1-2 Nigeria
  100. Nov. 9, Uyo: Nigeria ?-? Algeria

 

FROM FAYEMI TO IHEANACHO: IT’S 167 GOALS

 

Pa Dejo Fayemi, the octogenarian now living Ibadan holds the record of scoring Nigeria’s first World Cup qualifying goal. He did that when his 50th minute strike reduced the tally to 2-1 in an eventual 4-1 loss to the Black Stars of Ghana in Accra on August 28, 1960.

Fayemi scored again in the return leg match in Lagos that ended 2-2. Till date, Nigeria’s number of goals has risen to 167 making the Super Eagles the second team behind Tunisia as side with most goals in all-time ranking of scorers among African teams in the World Cup qualifying series.

But on January 7, 2001 in Port Harcourt, Nigeria became the first African side to hit the 100-goal mark in the World Cup qualifiers following a 3-0 defeat of Sudan.

The historic 100th goal was scored by in the 57th minute by Victor Agali when he raised the score line to 2-0. Obafemi Martin’s goal against Kenya in Nairobi which brought score line to 1-1 on the road to South Africa 2010 was Nigeria’s 150th goal since that of Fayemi in 1960.

 

NIGERIA’S WORLD CUP QUALIFYING MATCHES’ MILESTONE GOALS

No. Scorer Match Goal Date
1st Dejo Fayemi Ghana 4-1 Nigeria 2-1 August 28, 1960
10th Sam Garba Okoye Ghana 1-1 Nigeria 0-1 May 18, 1969
20th Yakubu Mambo Nigeria 2-1 Congo 2-1 August 2, 1969
30th Thompson Usiyen Nigeria 4-0 Cote d’Ivoire 1-0 July 10, 1977
40th Godwin Uwelimo Egypt 1-3 Nigeria 1-3 October 21.1977
50th Humphery Edobor Nigeria 3-0 Liberia 2-0 October 10, 1984
60th Wole Odegbami Nigeria 1-0 Gabon 1-0 January 7, 1989
70th Rashidi Yekini Nigeria 4-0 South Africa 4-0 January  7, 1989
80th Rashidi Yekini Nigeria 4-0 Cote d’Ivoire 4-0 September 25, 1993
90th Emma Amuneke Nigeria 3-0 Kenya 2-0 June 7, 1997
100th Victor Agali Nigeria 3-0 Sudan 2-0 January 27, 2001
110th Victor Agali Nigeria 3-0 Ghana 1-0 July 29, 2001
120th Nwankwo Kanu Nigeria 2-0 Gabon 2-0 Mar 26, 2005
130th Obafemi Martins Nigeria 5-1 Zimbabwe 3-0 October 8, 2005
140th Christian Obodo Nigeria 4-1 Sierra Leone 1-0 June 6, 2008
150th Obafemi Martins Kenya 2-3 Nigeria 1-1 October 14, 2009
160th Emma Emenike Ethiopia 1-2 Nigeria 1-1 October 13, 2013
167th Kelechi Iheanacho Zambia 1-2 Nigeria 2-0

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