The Highs and Lows of Nigerian Football in 2022 -By Ayobami Okerinde

The year 2022 will remain an unforgettable year in the history of football in Nigeria. It’s a year when many argued that football in the country took two a step forward and two steps backward. Top of the highlights for the year was the country’s failure to qualify for Qatar 2022, also coupled with some not-so-good outings at regional tournaments. This article highlights the highs and lows of Nigerian Football in 2022.

Lows

‘No Show’ at the World Cup

The Super Eagles’ failure to qualify for Qatar 2022 World Cup could best describe how the country’s football panned out in 2022. After qualifying for the last three editions in 2010, 2014, and 2018, Nigeria failed to qualify for the World Cup, despite a promising start. The Super Eagles were drawn in Group C of the 2022 Second round qualifying round alongside Cape Verde, Liberia, and the Central African Republic (CAR). With only the first-placed team in each group (of 10) eligible to qualify for the final qualifying round, the Super Eagles finished top of the group with 13 points having won 4, drew 1, and lost 1. The 10 group winners were paired to fight for the 5 spots allocated to CAF at the World Cup.

Nigeria was drawn against familiar neighbors Ghana in the final qualifying round. After a 0-0 draw in the first leg in Ghana, the Super Eagles played out a 1-1 draw at the MKO stadium in Abuja. With the result, Nigeria lost on away goal rule, having failed to score in Ghana.

AFCON round of 16 exit
The 2021 AFCON was originally scheduled to hold between June and July 2021 but was rescheduled due to the unfavorable climate at the time in the host country and the ripple effects of the COVID -19 pandemic. The event eventually was held between 9 January and 6 February 2022. The Super Eagles qualified for the tournament having won 4 and drawn 2 in a group alongside Sierra Leone, Benin, and Lesotho.
In the tournament, the Super Eagles were drawn in Group D, alongside Egypt, Sudan, and Guinea Bissau. The Super Eagles were the only team to have won all games in the group stage, raising hopes of another tournament win since 2013. However, the journey ended in the round of 16 after a 1-0 loss to Tunisia. The outcome was one of Nigeria’s lowest finishes at the AFCON, having finished third in the 2019 edition.

AWCON 4th place finish
The 2022 CAF Women’s Nations Cup was held in Morocco between 2 to 23 July 2022. The Super Falcons qualified for the tournament as the best-placed team on the continent and the most successful, having qualified for all editions, and won 11 out of 14 editions. The Super Falcons finished second in a group with South Africa (first) Botswana and Burundi. The team also defeated Cameroon 1-0 in the Quarter-final, but lost 5-4 on penalties to Morocco (host) in the Semifinal, after 120 minutes of play. In the third-place game, the Super Falcons lost 1-0 to Zambia, thereby settling for fourth place. A fourth-place finish considering Nigeria’s history and reputation at the AWCON was a low for the country’s football.

Highs

Record-breaking Flamingoes team
The Women’s U-17 team also known as the flamingoes recorded one of the highs for Nigerian football in 2022. The team led by Fatai Olowookere finished third at the U-17 Women’s World Cup in India. The team was drawn into Group B alongside Germany, Chile, and New Zealand in the group stage. With 6 points, the Flamingoes finished second and faced the U.S.A in the quarter-finals. The team defeated U.S.A 3-4 on penalties to advance to the Semi-final before eventually losing to Colombia 5-6 on penalties. The Flamingoes claimed third place after beating Germany 3-2 on penalties in the third-place match, despite losing a 3-goal lead. The tournament was the first time the Flamigoes moved beyond the Quarter-final stage in the competition.

Most goals in a single game
Another high point of the year was the Super Eagles recording her biggest win in a single game. During an African Cup of Nations qualifying match against Sao Tomé and Principe on 13 June, the Super Eagles defeated their opponent 10-0 with Victor Osimhen scoring four goals, Terrem Moffi scoring twice, Moses Simon, Oghenekaro Etebo, Ademola Lookman, and Emmanuel Dennis were also on the scoring list. The win saw Nigeria record its biggest win in international football.

Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2022 World Cup held in Qatar will always be the highlight of the year 2022. 2023 will be a busy year for football across the world and in Nigeria. The 2023 Women’s World Cup draw has been made with Nigeria drawn in group B alongside Co-host Australia, the Republic of Ireland, and Canada. Also, 2023 will see a resumption of FIFA’s men’s age-grade competition with the U-17 and U-20 World Cups scheduled to hold in Peru and Indonesia respectively.