France98 – Nigeria

3rd Qualifier

Confederation: C.A.F. (Africa)

Size: 923,770 km²

Population: 95,000,000

Capital: Abuja

Main cities: Lagos, Ibadan, Port Arthur

System of government: Federal Republic

Head of State: General Sani Abacha

Currency: Naira

Time difference: 2 hours behind Paris

1st round Africa zone: exempt

2nd round:

09/11/1996 Nigeria – Burkina Faso 2-0

12/01/1997 Kenya – Nigeria 1-1

05/04/1997 Nigeria – Guinea 2-1

27/04/1997 Burkina Faso – Nigeria 1-2

07/06/1997 Nigeria – Kenya 3-0

17/08/1997 Guinea – Nigeria

1st in Group 1:

13 points

10 goals scored

3 goals conceded

A typical line-up during the qualifiers:

Goalkeeper: BARUWA (age 23 – 2 caps)

Defenders: BABAYARO (age 18 – 5 caps) OKECHUKWU (age 29 – 32 caps)

WEST (age 23 – 6 caps)

Mid-field: OLISEH (age 22 – 18 caps) ADEPOJU (age 26 – 40 caps) FINIDI (age 25 – 32 caps) OKOCHA (age 23 – 20 caps)

AMUNIKE (age 26 – 20 caps)

Strikers: AMOKACHI (age 24 – 36 caps)
IPKEBA (age 24 – 12 caps)

Number of players used during the qualifying rounds: 25

National team colours: Green and white

FIFA ranking (on 18 July 1997): 58th

Participated once in World Cup finals
(in 1994 in the United States, knocked out in the round of sixteen by Italy).

Participated 10 times
(twice winners, in 1980 against Algeria in the final, and in 1994 against Zambia in the Final).

Participated 4 times
(winners once, in 1996 in Atlanta, beating Argentina in the Final).

Philippe TROUSSIER , well-known for his strong personality, discovered African football seven years ago. He coached firstly in the Ivory Coast, then in South Africa and Morocco, before taking over at the helm in Nigeria just a few months ago and steering the team through to the 1998 World Cup finals. A particular feature of football in Nigeria, to which Philippe Troussier has had to adapt, is that only one of the national team players – the goalkeeper Baruwa – actually plays in Nigeria. His team-mates all play their football abroad (Germany, Belgium, Spain France, the Netherlands, Turkey, etc.). Despite his record of success, Philippe Troussier is by no means certain to continue as the Nigerian coach in 1998; his relationship with the Nigerian football authorities and the press is, for the moment at least, somewhat strained!