The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Super Eagles

  • Craziest transfer deadline dramas: Odemwingie 2013 re-echoes

     

    With less than 24 hours to the close of transfer window in England, analysts and stakeholders have intensified permutations, while some have gone memory lane to compare and contrast.

    Interestingly former Super Eagles striker Peter Odemwingie’s ill-fated transfer to Queens Park Rangers from West Brom in 2013 topped what has been dubbed craziest deadline day dramas. The Nigerian international who quit the game early this year after last featuring for Indonesian side Madura United, had gotten fed up with delays over his much talked about January 31 2013 exit from West Brom, said his good byes and drove straight to QPR but was dramatically stopped from entering the club as both teams could not reach agreement before the curtain was drawn.

    In what has now become an infamous scene whenever transfers are talked about, the former Lokomotiv Moscow ace was forced to sit outside Loftus Road in the car park because he was refused permission to enter until a deal was done.

    With the whole football world watching, the deal fell apart and images of Odemwingie sitting out in the dark and cold was beamed around the world.

    Odemwingie was fined £75,000 for arriving at Loftus Road without permission and remained at the Hawthorns.

    That was however not the end of the story as the former Stoke City ace had to stomach a little bit of mockery.

    David de Gea’s collapsed swap deal on deadline day in August 2015 also featured prominently.  Keen on a move to Real Madrid, it seemed as though the Spanish stopper had finally got what he wanted as the day went on.

    Keylor Navas was on the way to Old Trafford as part of a £29m deal but Real failed to register De Gea in time for the deadline.

    Madrid issued a 10-point statement alleging that United instigated negotiations to end the long-running transfer saga and were at fault for holding up the deal.

    United hit back with an official statement of their own, insisting that Madrid made the first move with an opening offer believed to be in the region of £11m plus Navas, and were to blame for registering De Gea too late.

  • Nations Cup goal king Odion  Ighalo re-considering retirement.

     

    Egypt 2019 Nations Cup highest goal scorer Odion Ighalo is having a re-think over his recent retirement from international football.

    The Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua, forward who currently nursing injury sustained at the Continental Fiesta which ended 12 days ago gave the hint Wednesday when he dished out a message on social media with his pictures in national colors with the caption “Coming back stronger” Some of his fans immediately summed up the tweet to mean possible return to the national team as backing the tweet up with photos in club colors would have sent a different message.

    Ighalo’s retirement announcement, immediately after Nigeria’s third place match against Tunisia, seized the headlines just like that of Victor Moses did after Super Eagles unimpressive show at the last World cup in Russia.

    Opinions of analyst, stakeholders and fans alike remain divided with some saying that both players at 28 and 30 respectively were hitting the exit door too early while others insist they have a right to bow out when they choose adding that it is better to quit when a player still has enough to offer his club on one hand and venture into other things that can last the distance on the other.

    Ighalo who scored a total of 16 goals in his 35 appearances for the Super Eagles was a major hit for Chinese side Changchun Yatai where he emerged highest goal scorer netting 36 goals in 55 appearances.  He has so far scored seven goals in nine appearances for Shanghai Shenhua this year.

    The club fillers from China indicate, are eager to have him re-enact his 36 goals feat while with Changchun Yatai, and did not hesitate to express disappointment after it was reported he had suffered injury while on national assignment.

    Coach of the club Choi Kang-Hee, is however said to be optimistic that the Nigerian will pick up from where he stopped on return from injury.

    Ighalo scored five out of the 102 goals scored at the Nations cup in Egypt thus emerging the highest goal scorer with Algeria’s duo of Riyad Mahrez and Adam Ounas, DR Congo’s Cédric Bakambu and Senegal’s Sadio Mané all tied on three goals each.

  • Super Eagles… Egypt 2019 post-mortem

    The Super Eagles finished third at the just concluded Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt with some heart-wrenching displays which left many wondering if there could be a return of the good old days when the Eagles rose to the fifth position in the world before the 1994 World Cup in the US. However, with some players standing out in a team made up of debutants in Egypt, ADEYINKA ADEDIPE examines the performance of each player and what to expect shortly.

     

    What is in a bronze medal especially if a team has won it eight times at one of football’s elite competitions? It may mean a lot to those who were winning it for the first time in the team, while it would serve as consolation for senior members of the team who had won gold in the past.

    And that is the story of the Super Eagles’ team that finished third at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Egypt recently. Three players – Mikel Obi, the skipper who retired at the end of the championship, wing wizard Ahmed Musa and resurgent central defender Kenneth Omeruo – were all members of the gold-winning 2013 squad in South Africa under the guidance of another Super Eagles great, Late Stephen Keshi.

    While not condemning the team for picking up bronze considering that over 90 per cent of the squad made their Nation Cup debut in Egypt, the brand of football played under Coach Gernot Rohr, which put the fans on the edge throughout the tournament, was heart-wrenching to watch. It was difficult to identify the Eagles with a particular style of play and the loss to Madagascar in the final group game was a huge wake-up call, which must have propelled the Eagles to another uninspiring their place finish.

    Despite the disjointed performance, the second half effort of the Eagles in the 3-2 win over defending champions, Lions of Cameroon in the second round will rank as the team’s best. After going down 2-1 in the first half, two quick goals from Odion Ighalo and Alex Iwobi in the 63rd and 66th minute respectively settled the match in favour of the Nigerian team, the come-back win, a big morale-booster for a stuttering team.

    With Mikel and Ighalo retired (though there are still doubts over Ighalo’s), and Rohr looking for a replacement for the duo of ‘calamity’ Leon Balogun and ineffective John Ogu, here is a looks at the performance of the players in Egypt what the future hold for the team. Each of the players made almost $60, 000 for their third-place finish, a figure not0too-bad considering that the Senegalese got $34, 000 dollars each for finishing second.

    GOALKEEPERS:

    Francis Uzoho (Anorthosis Famagusta, Cyprus) – The former number one shot-stopper who lost his place due to erratic performances in qualifiers and his inability to feature regularly for his team in Europe was demoted to the third choice and only featured in the third-place 1-0 win over Tunisia.

    Ikechukwu Ezenwa (Katsina United, Nigeria) – Ezenwa, the only home-based player in the team, was in goal in the shocking 2-0 defeat to Madagascar in the last group game. The agile goalkeeper, who could be strikers’ nightmare on his good day, was beaten twice thanks to a Leon Balogun jejune defensive mistake and a free-kick which ricochet off a Super Eagles’ player into the net. The goals were not his fault but a result of poor team performance.

    Daniel Akpeyi (Kaizer Chiefs, South Africa) – Despite his years of experience, Akpeyi still does not exude confidence as his shaky performances could be a nightmare for his teammates. However, with two clean sheets in the competition, he was Rohr best option in goal. He was in inspiring form in the first game Burundi. He rescued Eagles on a couple of occasions with point-blank saves as the Burundian has six shots on target, while he also kept out the Guineans forays in the second game.  He also put in a good shift against the Cameroonians and made a point-blank save in the second when the Eagles were leading, while also punching the ball to safety in the dying moments of the game. However, an attempt to stop a harmless shot with his feet almost back-fired, a pointer to his erratic performance. He capped off his performance with a good save and poor positioning, which led to Algeria’s winning goal in the 95th minute in the semifinal.

    DEFENDERS

    Olaoluwa Aina (Torino FC, Italy) – Apart from his impressive defensive solidity, Aina his playing more like a modern-day wing-back who joins the attack at a blistering pace and recovering on time to perform his defensive duties. He featured most of the games and emerged as of the stand-out performers in an average Eagles’ team. He provided the assist in the 1-0 win over Burundi with a no-look backheel pass. A mazy run by Aina in the closing stages of the second half should have resulted in a goal.

    Abdullahi Shehu (Bursaspor FC, Turkey) – Injury reduced the participation of Shehu who was stretchered out in the first game against Burundi. He is a good player when he is fit but he had to endure a torrid time at the competition as he failed to recover from his injury.

    Chidozie Awaziem (Caykur Rizespor, Turkey) –Since he got into the national team, his performance in Egypt would rank as the best for the Eagles. He has endured heavy criticism in the past but he has churned out good performances since taking over the right-back position after Shehu’s injury. Awaziem, who can also play as a centre back, should become more confident if he continues with this fine form after AFCON.

    William Troost-Ekong (Udinese FC, Italy) – Troost-Ekong had a fairly good performance in the games he has featured in. scoring the decisive goal in the 2-1 win over South Africa in the quarter-final.  He partnered Leon Balogun and Kenneth Omeruo in the heart of Eagles’ defence but his defensive partnership with Kenneth Omeruo fared better. His quality is not in doubt but he will have to raise his game to become super regular in the team.

    Leon Balogun (Brighton & Hove Albion, England) – Balogun horrendous mistake which gifted Madagascar their opening game in the 2-0 defeat of the Eagles will hunt the defender for a long time. Balogun misjudged a pass and what should have been a routine clearance by the defender was wrongly executed giving the Madagascar striker the chance to bury the Eagles. That mistake may have caused him in the team as the coach is already looking for his replacement.

    Kenneth Omeruo (CD Leganes, Spain) – He was the mainstay of the Eagles’ defence since the competition began. Once touted as the floundering defender, his move to Leganes seems to have revived Omeruo’s confidence and performed beyond expectation.  He read opposition moves better, while his link-up play with the midfield has been fantastic. He also crowned his effort with the only goal against Guinea, while whoscored.com rated him the second-best (8.09) after the group games.

    But against Cameroon, his two defensive lapses led to goals against Nigeria. However, he returned to his best against South Africa and should become a major force in the Eagles.

    Jamilu Collins (SC Padeborn 07, Germany) – He featured at the later stages of the championship after shaking off a nagging injury he copped in the build-up to the championship. He gave his best in those games, but he is a player for the future.

    MIDFIELDERS

    Mikel John Obi (Trabzonspor FC, Turkey) – The best news for Mikel is his transfer to Trabzonspor FC, Turkey while playing for the Eagles in Egypt. The midfield maestro, who would be remembered for his success with Chelsea, failed to boss any of the two games he featured in and he had to be substituted against Burundi. The 2013 winning-midfielder should move to Turkey to begin a fresh challenge in what appear to be the closing stages of his career.

    Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City, England) – Ndidi’s performance in the defensive midfield position bring grit to the Eagles defence. He reads and intercept passes quite well and also can deliver passes to the striker. He may not have the fancy footwork of the likes of Iwobi or Ighalo but he is never found wanting when playing for the Eagles just like he did against Cameroon and the other games he played.

    Oghenekaro Etebo (Stoke City FC, England) – The former Warri Wolves player was the shining light of the team in Egypt.  His robust approach earned him plaudits in the competition and he has played every minute in the championship. He may lack the dribbling skill of Okocha but he makes up for it with his all-round display. He doesn’t shy away from taking on combative opponents and was crucial to Nigeria’s third place in Egypt.

    John Ogu (Hapoel Be’er Sheva, Israel) – he made an appearance at the AFCON against Madagascar. One would have thought that the injury to Mikel would have been in his favour, but Iwobi stepped up to take the No 10 role perfectly well to deny Ogu a run in the team. He made a second-half appearance against Madagascar.

    FORWARDS

    Ahmed Musa (Al Nassar FC, Saudi Arabia) – Pace is Musa’s biggest asset though he dribbles so well leaving his markers biting the dust. He has assisted some goals but he never got on the scorers’ sheet. He changed the game when he came in for a struggling Mikel against Burundi. He provided the assist for Ighalo’s second goal against Cameroun and could have scored a goal but was denied by Onana.

    Victor Osimhen  (Royal Charleroi SC, Belgium) – The young striker featured in few games at the tournament but he is a player of the feature if he stays in form and injury-free.

    Moses Simon (Levante FC, Spain) – Played a few games, showed flashes of what he can do in the three games.  His dribble runs are vital but his last passes have let him down a couple of times. However, against Cameroun, he wasn’t able to dribble his way around the defence and was withdrawn for Samuel Chukwueze. He also played in other games but failed to score.

    Henry Onyekuru (Galatasaray SK, Turkey) – He has proved overtime with club sides that he is a fantastic player but had one substitute appearance in the semi-final against Algeria. His lie-on-the-floor defensive antics went viral and made him a sensation on the internet. The inspiring attacker will have to wait for a little no longer to become a mainstay in the team.

    Odion Ighalo (Shanghai Shenhua, China) – He emerged the highest goalscorer in the AFCON with five goals. The main striker of the team scored once in the group stage against Burundi and two against Cameroon in the second round and provided one assist for Iwobi. He was not fit to start the opening game but once he got in for Paul Onuachu, he latched onto a backheel pass from Ola Aina to score a beautiful goal. He was also the top scorer in the AFCON qualify and his retirement (?) means Rohr, if he stays on the job, looks for another lethal attacker.

    Alexander Iwobi (Arsenal FC, England) – Iwobi rose to deliver his best performance against Cameroon after a lethargic start to the competition. He marshalled the Eagles midfield perfectly against Cameroon linking up with Ighalo, Musa and Chukwueze in the attack. He also got the winning goal from an Ighalo assist to crown his efforts. He also did well in the later stages of the competition especially against South Africa and Tunisia.

    Samuel Kalu (Girondins Bordeaux, France) – When he collapsed in training a few days to the beginning of the tournament, it was not clear whether he would take part in the championship. However, he was cleared by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and he has shown flashes in a few games he has played. He also forced the Tunisian goalkeeper to make a save after he came on as a substitute in the third-place game.

    Paul Onuachu (FC Midtjyland, Denmark) – Despite scoring on his debut against Egypt in Warri in the build-up the 2019 AFCON, Onuachu found the going tough in Egypt. He started the opening match against Burundi and was substituted for Ighalo, who made the number nine position his own. He made substitute appearances but will have to polish his game if he hopes to become the main striker in the Eagles in the coming year.

    Samuel Chukwueze (Villarreal FC, Spain) -The prodigy showed the stuff he was made off when he was introduced against Cameroon in the second half. His beautiful runs down the right flank caused the Cameroonians lots of problems. Before then, he had made a couple of appearances, but his never-say-die attitude was visible against the Cameroonians where he also helped in defence. He should have an assist against Cameroun but Ighalo fluffed the beautiful pass from Chukwueze. He finally crowned his effort with the opening goal against South Africa in the quarter-final. He is surely a player for the future.

    With the draws of the Qatar 2022 coming up on Monday in Cairo, the shape of the Nigerian team will emerge from the early stages of the qualifiers with young and energetic players expected to play a major role in taking Nigeria to the oil-rich country for another shot at the trophy, which has continued to elude Africa.

  • New Championship season: West Brom eager to unleash Semi Ajayi

     

    English Championship side West Bromwich Albion can hardly wait to unleash Super Eagles midfielder Semi Ajayi against opponents in the new season as they begin quest for return to the EPL.

    The club few days ago sealed a £1.3m ((about N585m) transfer deal that saw the 25 year old move from League One club Rotterdam to West Brom on an initial four year sojourn.

    West Brom apparently impressed by Ajayi’s exploits proudly announced his capture while reeling out his impressive runs in his former clubs, describing his performance at Rotterdam United where he made over 98 appearances scoring 12 goals as eye-catching.

    Ajayi who emerged sky Bet championship player of the year in 2018/19 appeared in all 46 league games played by the Millers.

    Ajayi who made Super Eagles provisional list for the just ended Nations cup but failed to make the final 23-man team, started his career at Charlton Athletic, earning his first professional contract in January 2012 after progressing through the ranks at The Valley.

    The former Nigeria under 20 ace who was born in London to Nigerian parents, was given his senior Super Eagles debut in September 2018, coming on in the second half of a 3-0 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying win against Seychelles, and has since made six appearances for the super Eagles.

    Semi Ajayi by joining West Brom, will be following the footsteps of former Nigeria international Peter Odemwingie who played for the Baggies from 2010 to 2013 making 87 appearances scoring 30 goals.

    Odemwingie had joined the side for an undisclosed fee on a two-year contract, with the option of a third year in the club’s favour.

    A day later, he scored an 81st minute goal on his premier league debut as Baggies beat Sunderland by a lone goal.

    West Brom begin the new season against Nottingham Forest on Saturday, August 3rd.

  • 2019 AFCON Bronze: No reception for Super Eagles

    THE Super Eagles team which placed third at the AFCON in Egypt, have checked out of the Hilton Hotel in Abuja as they will not be hosted by the government.

    Nigeria placed third for the eighth time in their history. They were received by the Secretary to the Federal Government Boss Mustapha on arrival from Cairo.

    “Do you expect a country like Nigeria, who only six years ago won the AFCON in South Africa, to now start celebrating a third-place finish? That will be going back many years after,” a top official asked.

    Read Also: UPDATED: AFCON 2019: Super Eagles clinch bronze

    Expectations were high that the Eagles will go all the way to win a fourth AFCON crown in Egypt. However, they crashed out of the tournament in the semi-finals after they lost 1-2 to eventual champions Algeria.

    The Eagles are drawn against the Benin Republic, Lesotho and Sierra-Leone in the qualifying tournament for the 2021 AFCON to be hosted by Cameroun.

  • New League Season: Akpeyi to open shop against Etafia

    With the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations now done and dusted, Super Eagles goalkeeper Daniel Akpeyi will turn focus to PSL new season which kicks off August 3rd.

    The Kaizer Chiefs safehand will open the new season against Highlands Park who only recently re-engaged former Eagles goalkeeper Greg Etafia who is back on the pitch after coming out of retirement.

    Akpeyi who was in goal in five of the seven matches played by the Super Eagles in Egypt, joined kaizer Chiefs from Chippa United early in the year. Kaizer Chiefs had confirmed on their website then that the Nigerian signed a year and five months contract adding ““We welcome him to the Amakhosi Family!”

    The 32 year old was a subject of discuss among fans on social media during the Nations cup when he caressed the ball several times during the match against Bafana Bafana which the Eagles won 2-1, with some of them insinuating that he might be using black magic.

    Akpeyi who made over 92 appearances of Chippa United before joining Kaize Chiefs however laughed it off insisting that black magic if at all it exists does not work in football noting that if it were real, those who use it “would have been winning the world cup and Champions league every now and then”

    Though the new season will kick off on the 3rd August, Highlands Parks will host Kaizer Chiefs on Sunday August 4th.

  • FG welcomes, praises Super Eagles

    The Federal Government on Friday lauded the bronze medal –winning effort of the Super Eagles, as a team led by the Secretary to the Federal Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha received the Nigeria delegation to the finals in Egypt, on arrival at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

    A chartered Air Peace aircraft that flew the delegation from Egypt landed in Abuja at about 10.40am, led by the NFF First Vice President, Barrister Seyi Akinwunmi, and also including the Second Vice President Shehu Dikko, General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, Members of the Executive Committee, and players and officials of the Eagles.

    Nigeria pipped Tunisia 1-0 at the Al Salam Stadium, Cairo on Wednesday to win her eighth bronze medal at the Africa Cup of Nations. Scorer Odion Ighalo, who finished as top scorer in the entire qualifying series for the championship, is primed to be tournament top scorer with five goals.

    Read Also: Updated: Mikel retires from Super Eagles

    Mustapha led a delegation that included the President of the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) and Nigeria’s IOC Member, Engineer Habu Ahmed Gumel; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Youth and Sports, Mr. Olusade Adesola; directors in the Ministry led by Mrs Hauwa Kulu-Akinyemi and; Management Staff of the NFF that included Deputy General Secretary, Dr. Emmanuel Ikpeme and the Director of Competitions, Bola Oyeyode who coordinated the reception arrangement.

    In his remarks, while receiving the team on arrival, Mustapha said the Government of Nigeria was appreciative of their efforts in finishing third in a 24-team Africa Cup of Nations, the biggest in the history of the championship.

    “We commend you for finishing third best in the whole of the African continent. We all wanted the first position but this is football where things sometimes do not go as you planned. The Government of Nigeria is quite happy with your level of discipline and professionalism and how you comported yourselves creditably as Nigerian ambassadors.

  • Former Eagles Goalie Greg  Etafia returns from retirement

     

    Former Super Eagles goalkeeper Greg Etafia has returned to the pitch close to four years after quitting the game that brought him fame and fortune.

    The former Moroka Swallows of South Africa safehand has joined Highlands Park F.C. who have been battling goalkeepers shortage forcing a need to approach the Nigerian for succor.

    Highlands head coach Owen Da Gama in bid to remedy the situation asked the Nigerian to step in.

    “He has not conceded a goal in pre-season friendlies. He has been phenomenal and when (Tapuwa) Kapini went for an operation, we needed somebody and he was there and then we signed him,” said Da Gama.

    Etafia according to the club is not only stepping in as a remedy but is also expected to help boost the confidence of other goalkeepers. 

    “Watch the space; he is there to push Kapini, Thela and Heugh Marlon. It might sound like a joke but he is incredibly doing well,” he added.

    Meanwhile, Da Gama believes newly-signed goalkeeper Thela Ngobeni can compete for a place in Bafana once he gets on top of his game.

    “Thela is not where he is supposed to be. We think Thela is not at his best but he is so much quality that in the next season he will one of the best goalkeepers in the league. He will challenge for Bafana because he is suddenly in an environment where he knows he can get better.”

    Highlands will flag off premier league campaign of 2019/2020 Professional Soccer league with a home clash against Visiting Kaizer Chiefs August 4th at the Makhulong Stadium. Highlands Park finished 7th on the log last season with 41 points in 30 matches.

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Disappointed Tunisia declare ‘small final’ a must win against Nigeria

    Wednesday’s third place match between Tunisia and Nigeria has been described in the Tunisian media as ‘small final’ which the Carthage Eagles need to win as consolation after missing a place in the final.

    Tunisia who lost by a lone goal (Own goal) against Taranga Lions of Senegal believe strongly they were denied opportunity to win the match by Centre referee Tessema Weyesa Bamlak, insisting they had a penalty that was denied.

    “Injustice in the 113th minute: A penalty awarded to Tunisia is quickly withdrawn by the referee despite the clarity of the action: the hand was visible!” were the post-match submissions by some analysts in Tunis.

    Read Also: Tunisia goalkeeper apologises for losing sporting spirit

    The 2004 Nations cup winners who last won the third place match of the Nations cup 57 years ago in Ethiopia, will be playing their fourth third place match. After winning the third place of the 1962 edition, the Carthage Eagles subsequently played the third place match in 1978 and 2000 respectively failing to clinch the third place on both occasions.

    After putting the disappointment behind them however both Tunisia and Nigeria are ready for the battle of Eagles. The media in Tunis described it as “A match that would be a consolation for the Carthage Eagles who were denied qualification for the final, facing the Lions of Teranga, following an arbitral injustice”

    Nigeria, eliminated by the Fennecs in the semifinals on the score of (1-2), will play this small final without the services of his left side, Jamilu Collins, who received his second suspension card just minutes from the final whistle.

    Unlike the Carthage Eagles who have won the third place match just once, Super Eagles have won the third place a record seven times the last being the 2010 edition in Angola where Nigeria incidentally beat Algeria 1-0 to win the third place.

  • Algeria versus Nigeria: Flash back March 1990 on their mind!

    History has a way of repeating itself.  It is considered a good omen when the repeat is favorable but a bad omen when it is not.

    The fennecs or Desert Foxes of Algeria battled their way into the semifinal of the ongoing Nations Cup in Egypt on Thursday.

    The Coach Djamel Belmadi tutored side subdued hard fighting Elephants of Cote d Ivoire to zoom into the semis.

    Interestingly they had come close to sealing victory within regulation time but a last minute penalty miss forced the match into extra time and eventually into penalty shoot-out which they won 4-3.

    The victory has pitched the Foxes against Super Eagles who hit the semis edging out Bafana Bafana of South Africa in a nail biting encounter.

    Algeria and Nigeria are no strange bed fellows at the Nations cup and going through past encounters one meeting the Algerians will want to see repeat itself and one which Nigerians will never dream to see come to pass dates back to the double header of 1990.

    It was the year that Algeria hosted and lifted the Nations cup and remains till date the last time they have won the trophy.

    Read Also: Algeria vs. Nigeria: can Super Eagles soar above high-flying Algeria?

    It will be safe to say that the Algerians were on fire that year. They met Nigeria twice in the course of that edition, first in the group stage where the Eagles were handed a demoralising 5-1 defeat under the then Coach Sebastien Brodrick.

    It looked more like a nightmare.  Algeria’s former international Rabah Madjer grabbed a brace, Djamel Menad also grabbed a brace and Djamel Armani completed the goal harvest with Nigeria only able to get a consolation goal in the 82nd minute thanks to Emmanuel Okocha elder brother of Austin Okocha who incidentally came into the match as a substitute for Thompson Oliha.

    Despite that heavy defeat however the Eagles survived and qualified for the knock out stage, went all the way to the final where they again came face to face with the Foxes losing by a lone goal in front of 105,032 spectators at the Stade 5 Juillet 1962, Algiers.

    That was 29 years ago and indeed a lot of water has passed under the bridge. Come Sunday the Foxes and the Eagles will clash again this time in Cairo not at the final of the Nations cup but at the semifinals.

    The players are different, the coaches different and the scenario and venue different. Coach Djamel Belmadi a former Foxes midfielder did tell Cote d Ivoire before their quarterfinal clash not to dwell on their past defeat of Algeria as that will not influence the present. 

    Perhaps it may be safe to say no need to dwell on the past but can the mind stop itself from flash backs?

    Sunday’s clash at the Cairo international stadium will be and should be memorable. While the foxes will be hoping to draw inspiration from the Algiers 90 episode, the Eagles who have beaten Algeria on several occasions both at the Nations cup and World cup ties since then will need to again tell anyone that cares to listen that that episode belongs to where it is, in the history books and quiet incapable of influencing the present.

    See you on Sunday in Cairo!