Follow Us on Google
Three-time African champions Nigeria will commence the process to earn a seventh FIFA World Cup finals appearance when they trade tackles with the Lone Star of Liberia at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos on Friday evening, in one of the Day 1 games of the African qualifying campaign.
Since making their debut at the FIFA World Cup finals in 1994, the Eagles have only missed participation in the finals once – the 2006 edition in Germany. They were denied of that berth courtesy of CAF’s head-to- head rule that favoured Agnola.
In 17 previous clashes with Liberia’s Lone Star, the Super Eagles have won 10 matches, drawing three and losing four. One of the four losses was in Monrovia in July 2000, when a team led by the man who is now that country’s President (George Ousmanou Oppong Weah) shot 2-0 ahead before Sunday Oliseh pulled one back for a 1-2 loss for Nigeria in a 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifying match.
That win catapulted the Lone Star to the top of the group, and the Eagles had to battle hard to snatch the ticket with wins in their last three matches, including away to Sudan and home to Liberia and Ghana.
