Nigeria vs Equatorial Guinea (PREVIEW): Here are some facts you need to know
Posted by Ahmed Iyanda | 10 months ago | 740 times
Three-time champions Nigeria will start their AFCON 2023 opening match today (Sunday) against the Nzalang Nacional of Equatorial Guinea at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium, Ebimpe Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
The Super Eagles need more points against Equatorial Guinea as their second game is against the hosts Ivory Coast who overcame Guinea Bissau 2-0 in the opener.
CAF Player of the Year Victor Osimhen will be the main attraction for the Nigerian side whose last triumph in the tournament came in 2013 when Sunday Mba scored the winner against Burkina Faso in the final.
Juan Micha’s men go into this fixture full of high hopes having stayed unbeaten in their ten fixtures across all competitions. Their last defeat against Tunisia on June 2, 2022 – with Youssef Msakni’s second-half brace completing inspiring a 4-0 decimation at the Stade Olympique Hammadi Agrebi in Rades.
Meanwhile, Jose Peseiro’s team will not have the luxury of a full-strength squad, with the likes of Wilfred Ndidi, Victor Boniface and Taiwo Awoniyi all missing out due to injuries.
This will be the first encounter between Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea at the CAF Africa Cup of Nations. They faced each other in the qualifiers for the 2010 FIFA World Cup – Nigeria won both matches (1-0; 2-0).
Some facts to know
- Nigeria are making their 20th appearance at the CAF Africa Cup of Nations. They have won the tournament on three occasions (1980, 1994, 2013) and reached the semi-finals in 14 of their last 17 AFCON participation.
- Nigeria were beaten finalists the last time the CAF Africa Cup of Nations was held in Côte d’Ivoire, they lost 3-1 against Cameroon in 1984.
- Nigeria have won 12 of their last 15 matches at the CAF Africa Cup of Nations (L3). Their last draw dates back to the 2013 group stages, against Zambia (1-1).
- Nigeria scored 22 goals in six games during qualifying for the 2023 CAF Africa Cup of Nations, the highest tally among the 24 teams at this year’s tournament. 10 of those goals came from Victor Osimhen, that’s twice as many as any other player (4 players on 5 goals.
- This is Equatorial Guinea’s fourth CAF Africa Cup of Nations appearance, but it’s only the second time they have qualified as non-hosts. They have so far always reached the knockout stages: quarter-finalists in 2012 and 2021, and 4th place in 2015.
- Equatorial Guinea have never scored more than two goals in their previous 15 matches at the CAF Africa Cup of Nations.
- Only two of Equatorial Guinea’s 11 goals at AFCON have been scored in the first half of matches.
- Victor Osimhen was directly involved in 55% of Nigeria’s goals during the qualifying campaign (10 goals, 2 assists). It’s the highest tally of goals scored in the qualifying phase of an AFCON edition since Moumouni Dagano with Burkina Faso in 2010 (12 goals).
- Despite Victor Osimhen scoring 10 of their 22 goals, Nigeria had 10 different goal scorers in qualifying for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, more than any other team.
