super eagles: interesting facts

28 December 2009 - 02:00
By unknown

l Nigeria's 3-0 waltz over Bulgaria in their USA '94 debut match was remarkable given that the Europeans went on to beat Greece, Argentina, Mexico and Germany in the tournament.

l Since Clemens Westerhof built the 1994 side and left the Super Eagles, the team has been coached by well-known European journeymen such as Jo Bonfrere, Philippe Troussier, Bora Milutinovic and Berti Vogts.

l Nigeria have a rich history at other worldwide tournaments, having won the 1985, 1993 and 2007 Fifa Under-17 World Cups as well as the 1996 Olympic football tournament.

Their coach, who has also guided Orlando Pirates, said: "The finals in South Africa will be a tournament for all Africans. The South Africans may be hosting, but we will all be playing for the honour of the continent.

"The first order is to put a team together that is prepared enough to take up the challenge. The Nigerian people will be desperate for us to make a mark in 2010 and that is our aim.

"It will be my goal to put some of these players together with the older boys and make a more powerful Nigerian team than anyone has ever seen before." - Sowetan and Fifa