Tag: FIFA

As the Super Eagles prepare for their fifth appearance at the FIFA World Cup in Brazil, Goal gives an account of the Nigeria national team’s outing in the competition’s history in numbers.

1The number of red cards
received by any Super
Eagles player since making their debut at the USA 1994 World Cup. Sani Kaita was given his marching orders by referee Olegario Benquerenca in the 33rd minute against Greece in a group stage game at the Durban Stadium on June 6, 2010.

2 The number of times
Nigeria have drawn a game
at the tournament. The first was recorded against England in Korea/Japan 2002 while the second was in the country’s last group game versus South Korea that ended 2-2 four years ago.

2 The number of goals scored
by Kalu Uche, Daniel
Amokachi and Emmanuel Amuneke who are Nigeria’s joint highest goal scorers.

3 The number of times
Nigeria have faced Argen
tina, with the Super Eagles losing every time to the South Americans. Both countries will meet at this year’s edition in Brazil for a record fourth time.

4The number of games
Nigeria have won in four
Fifa World Cup tournaments, a record that falls far short of the all-time record (held by Brazil with 67 wins). The Super Eagles have lost eight matches while they have secured a draw just twice.

4 This number also represents
the most goals conceded in a
single match by Nigeria at the mundial. The Super Eagles were spanked 4-1 by Denmark in a second round encounter at  France 98 in a match played at the Stade de France, Saint-Denis on June 28, 1998.

4 The number of victories
over European countries by
the Super Eagles. They defeated Bulgaria and Greece at USA ’94 and Spain and Bulgaria at France ’98.

7 Most goals scored in a
tournament. This was
achieved at  USA 94 where Clemens Westerhof’s Eagles found the back of the net seven times in four games. Whereas at South Korea/Japan 2002, Nigeria recorded their least number of goals with just one, from Julius Aghaowa, against Sweden in a 2-1 defeat.

8 The number of minutes
when Samson Siasia scored
Nigeria’s fastest goal in World Cup history. He achieved this feat with his strike on June 25, 1994 against Argentina at the Foxborough Stadium.

9 This figure accounts for the
most appearances made by a
Nigerian player in senior World Cup history. Austine ‘Jay Jay’ Okocha boasts of this record with nine games in three Fifa World Cups. He made six starts with three from the substitutes’ bench, winning three games, losing five and drawing one.

14 The number of matches
Nigeria have played at Fifa
World Cups, making them the second-highest playing African country in the history of the competition after Cameroon. This figure also represents the total number of points gathered by the country in all World Cup matches to date. Cameroon boast of the most points (19) by an African team at the tournament while Brazil (216) have the most points gathered by any country in the history of the World Cup.

15 The number of times
Nigeria have failed to make
it to the world stage. Their first black-out was at the inaugural edition staged in Uruguay in 1930, and they remained on the outside until Italia 90, before eventually making their debut in the 15th edition hosted by the United State of America. The country last missed out of the competition in 2006 when Angola beat them to the ticket.

17 The total number of goals
Nigeria have scored in all
Fifa World Cups, they have conceded 21 goals in the same number of outings. The Super Eagles also boast of these same number of shots on goal in the history of the competition which makes them the best African team in terms of attacking prowess.

17 Femi Opabunmi is the
youngest-ever Nigerian to
have represented the country at 17 years, three months and nine days. He is the third youngest player ever after Northern Ireland’s Norman Whiteside (17years, one month and 10 days) at Espana ’82 and Cameroonian forward Samuel Eto’o Fils (17years, three months and seven days) at France ’98.

20 Julius Aghahowa is the
youngest Nigerian player to
score at the Fifa World Cup at the age of 20 years and four months. He achieved this feat at the Home’s Stadium in Kobe where the Super Eagles lost 2-1 to Sweden. Aghahowa’s 27th minute strike put the Nigerians ahead before Henrik Larsson’s brace caged the Eagles.

21 On June 21, 1994 at the
Cotton Bowl Stadium in
Dallas, Nigeria made her debut in the Fifa World Cup by beating Bulgaria 3-0 with goals from Rashidi Yekini, Daniel Amokachi and Emmanuel Amunike.

24 The number of yellow
cards Nigeria have bagged
in four appearances at the World Cup, an average of six cautions per tournament.

30 Nigeria’s oldest goal
scorer in Fifa World Cup
history is Rashidi Yekini at age 30 and eight months. The goal came against Bulgaria on June 21, 1994 at the Cotton Bowl Stadium in Dallas. Incidentally, it was Nigeria’s first World Cup goal.

34 Legendary goalkeeper
Peter Rufai is the oldest
Super Eagles player to feature at the Fifa World Cup at 34 years and 10 months. His last game was in Nigeria’s 4-1 spanking by Denmark on June 28, 1998.

37 The country is ranked as
the 37th best country ever to
have participated in the senior World Cup. Nigeria occupy the third spot in Africa with Cameroon occupying the 28th position in the world while Ghana, with just two appearances, are placed 34th.

77 The minute in which
Sunday Oliseh scored
Nigeria’s winning goal in a 3-2 defeat of pre-tournament favourites Spain at Stade de la Beaujoire, Nantes on June 13, 1998. The cracker is regarded among the best World Cup goals.

77,000- This is the record number of spectators to watch a Super Eagles game in the World Cup. This was set on June 28, 1998 at Stade de France in Nigeria’s second round 4-1 defeat against Denmark. The former European champions won with goals from Peter Moller, Brian Laudrup, Michael Laudrup, and Thomas Helveg. Tijani Babangida’s 77th-minute strike was little more than scant consolation.

Mr. Collina, how does a referee achieve celebrity status?

Pierluigi Collina: I’m afraid I don’t have an answer to that question.

You were the first and only referee in the history of the game to become a star. Surely you must have a few tips for your colleagues who are set to officiate at the World Cup in Brazil?

What I always tried to do was take my job as seriously and work as conscientiously as possible.

You were named FIFA’s Referee of the Year on six consecutive occasions an all-time record. What did you do better than the rest?

I went about my work very professionally from the outset. Maybe I just did more than was absolutely necessary. At the end of the ’90s, referees had to know the rulebook inside out and be physically fit. Those were the only requirements, but I went that extra mile. Before a game, I would find out everything I could about the teams and the individual players. Before the 2002 World Cup Final in

Japan and Korea, I spent a lot of the time in my hotel room with my colleagues watching videos of the teams. I studied their moves and peculiarities and discussed them with my team. If you’ve done your homework, you can’t be taken by surprise.

So a good referee must never leave anything to chance?

Definitely not. A good referee is always a step ahead of the game. He must be able to anticipate what’s going to happen. Only a referee who knows how a game will unfold can be in the right place at the right time, spot incidents and consequently make the right decisions. A referee who fails to keep up with proceedings will eventually lose the plot.

Is a good referee lenient or is he strict?

A good referee is right. I always set great store by giving my all and being fair to everyone. I’m convinced that those are the attributes of a good referee.

Did you ever make any incorrect decisions which you subsequently regretted?

Regret is the wrong word. Rather, I was sorry about making a wrong decision.

How did you react?

I analysed it at length and asked myself why I had made the wrong decision. For every mistake, there’s an explanation. Why did I make that mistake? Did I not prepare well enough? Those were the questions I asked myself. After that, it’s important to forget about an incorrect decision. You mustn’t let it get the better of you. After making a wrong decision, it’s vital to return to the pitch stronger than you were before.

Should a good referee have to apologise for making a wrong decision?

Why should I apologise? I only apologise if I’ve done something on purpose. After all, I tried my best, tried to do the right thing, and I made a mistake.

What’s your strongest attribute?

I commit myself completely to a task and always try to give my best.

And your greatest weakness?

(Thinks) I find it very difficult to admit to mistakes. If a player misses a penalty, he’s consoled by his team-mates. If tens of thousands of people are shouting abuse at the referee, he has nobody to turn to.

It’s true that a referee needs a thick skin.

That’s one of the prerequisites if you want to become a referee in the first place. You have to be able to put a certain distance between yourself and what happens or can happen on the pitch if you want to survive in the job. You definitely have to be able to cope with stress. Some referees fail to cope with the pressure and are forced to quit. In every walk of life, there are certain people who cope better with stress than others. If a referee is officiating at a high level, he’s already proven he can cope with stress.

How did you keep calm when you knew you’d be officiating a match in front of not only 80,000 spectators in the stadium, but also billions of people watching on television?

You can’t allow that thought to enter your head. A referee has to learn to cope with the significance of a game. I always tried to approach every match as if it were just a normal game and handle every game as if it were a World Cup final. The latter is obviously more difficult.

So you basically have to go against your natural instincts?

I always tried to officiate with complete concentration. I once refereed a match between

Manchester United and Real Madrid on a Wednesday and a Serie B match in Italy three days later. It’s easy to find the necessary concentration for the first one, but it’s more difficult for the Serie B match. That’s something I had to work on.

Who are the better actors? The players or the referee?

The referee mustn’t be an actor he has to be genuine. If a referee pretends to be something he’s not, you notice it straight away.

What’s the worst thing a player can do on the football field?

Definitely simulation, by which I mean achieving an objective through deceit. You’re not only cheating the referee and the opposition, but also the fans. Deliberately distorting a result has nothing to do with winning. This aspect of the game deserves more attention.

Doesn’t it make your blood boil when you see a player dive on multiple occasions during a match?

No, you mustn’t let your blood boil, but the player must be shown a yellow card.

When I looked you up for our first interview ten years ago, your name was still in the phone book. It’s become a lot more difficult to contact you these days.

I know and I regret that, but certain circumstances have made this necessary.

What circumstances?

Unfortunately, I suffered the unpleasant experience of receiving anonymous threats when bullets were sent to me. I was then placed under police protection and all my movements were closely monitored.

Your protection in Italy was similar to that of a state prosecutor who is conducting investigations into gang warfare.

More or less. It wasn’t a pleasant experience. It’s not nice walking out of the house flanked by two police officers.

Who threatened you?

The culprits were never caught. The threats eventually stopped, but it’s sad that something like that can happen in football.

You became a star among referees, but because officials in Italy don’t work professionally as is the case in most other countries you also had another job.

I worked for many years as a freelance financial advisor for a bank, which was compatible with my job as a referee. A referee has to be just as fit as the players on the pitch. Statistics have shown that a player runs between 10 and 11 kilometres per game, while referees run between 10 and 12. The main difference is that players train every day, while many referees are stuck in an office. Is that fair? Referees need time to prepare, not just physically. In most countries, referees are paid per match. In some countries they get more, in others less, but it’s important that a referee has enough time to prepare for a match as best he can. Obviously, preparation starts well before a match, and it goes without saying that a referee must also be paid sufficiently for the time he spends preparing for a game.

You’re now 54 years old, but still seem incredibly fit.

I try to stay in shape, but it’s not always easy with all the travelling I do. It’s not as though you give up physically and let yourself go. I live by the sea and love to go jogging on the beach.

You’ve since become the head of the UEFA Referees Committee. Does that lead to rivalry with former colleagues, such as Massimo Busacca, who is FIFA’s Head of Refereeing Development?

Not at all. Massimo and I had and still have a great relationship with each other. We even used to go on holiday together with our families. That makes it a lot easier to exchange views with him nowadays. I’m very happy about that.

Are there still loopholes in the referees’ rulebook that could do with being amended?

There are certain loopholes.

Could you describe one of them?

Let’s say a player commits a foul and receives a yellow card. In committing the foul, he’s also injured an opposition player who has to leave the field to receive treatment. As soon as he has left the field, the game restarts and the team that committed the foul has a numerical advantage.

World football governing body FIFA have begun a probe into claims that Nigeria matches were rigged for them to qualify for the 2010 World Cup.

FIFA have written to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to convey a decision to watch the tapes of all the 2010 World Cup qualifying matches played by the Super Eagles.

This is coming on the heels of recent claims by a self-confessed and convicted match-fixer, Wilson Raj Pemural from Singapore that he helped Nigeria qualify for the World Cup in South Africa.

A top official of the NFF has told AfricanFootball.com that FIFA have written formally to inform the football house that they will watch the tapes of all the matches that were played by the Super Eagles as part of investigations into the allegations.

He said FIFA are wading into the matter to ascertain the validity or otherwise of the claim by the Singaporean.

“FIFA have written to inform us of their intention to watch the tapes of the matches we played throughout our qualification series,” an official told AfricanFootball.com

“We have forwarded the letter to our match-fixing officer. Our integrity officers are in touch with the FIFA security committee on the matter too.

“In all, we are unperturbed and as we said in our earlier response, the claim is coming from a sinking man who should not be taken seriously. It is just fallacy and fiction.”

The Super Eagles played 12 qualifying matches on home and away basis against South Africa, Sierra Leone, Equatorial Guinea, Kenya and Mozambique to qualify for their fourth World Cup finals.