Tunde Folawiyo

Nigeria’s friendly against Mexico at the Georgia Dome was a highly anticipated match, which ended with a draw of 0-0. The Super Eagles appeared to be the superior team at first glance, getting off to a strong start when Ahmed Musa was afforded a free kick just three minutes into the match. However, Musa failed to score, and this, coupled with Victor Moses’ penalty claim being denied five minutes later, probably dampened the hopes of the Eagles’ fans like Tunde Folawiyo.

Another attempt was made by Emmanuel Emenike a few minutes later, but Ochoa, Mexico’s goalkeeper, managed to catch the ball at the last second. Not long after this, the Mexican also successfully thwarted Ogenyi Onazi’s shot.

The flurry of attacks by the Super Eagles only seemed to spur on their opponents, and as the first half progressed, Mexico began to gain the upper hand, retaining possession of the ball and taking one shot after another at Nigeria’s net. The Eagles’ keeper Enyeama performed a number of skilful saves however, thus ensuring that despite their best efforts, Mexico did not take the lead.

They did however come very close to scoring in the 23rd minute, when Hector Herrara delivered a powerful shot; unfortunately for Mexican fans, the angle of Herrara’s kick was not quite straight, and it went just over the net. Minutes later, Rafael Marquez made a similar attempt, but Enyeama once again came to the Eagles’ rescue, diving to the corner just before the ball made contact with the goal. Towards the end of the first half, Musa was given an opportunity to score, but whilst he did slip past Mexico’s defenders, he couldn’t manage to get the ball beyond Ochoa’s reach.

During the interval, Keshi chose to make a number of substitutions, and as the second half commenced, Leon Balogun, Ramon Azeez and Austin Ejide all made their way onto the pitch. But these changes had little effect on the match; although Azeez did make a valiant effort to score during the 67th minute, his shot went just wide of the net.

The match ended with neither side having scored; whilst some Eagles’ supporters, such as Tunde Folawiyo, may have been disappointed by this result, Austin Egueavon, the team’s former coach, described the team’s performance as ‘impressive’, although he did criticise the players who had been unsuccessful in their attempts to convert their scoring opportunities. He attributed these failures to a lack of support in midfield.

The Nigerian national football team – nicknamed the “Super Eagles” – continue to serve Nigeria as a respected organisation with millions of loyal fans, including those such as Nigerian native Tunde Folawiyo and others throughout various African nations. Since the team’s founding in 1945, the Super Eagles have accomplished various fetes of significance, further cementing their spot as one of Africa’s most proud teams.

Throughout its rich history as a franchise, the Super Eagles have housed many athletes of incredible talent, each possessing expert skill and a passion for the game. Among these are Taye Taiwo, famed throughout football for his powerful long-range shooting and free kicks and Rashidi Yekin who was awarded the title of African Footballer of the Year in 1993.

One of the most revered players in Super Eagles history is Augustine Azuka “Jay-Jay” Okocha. Born in Enugu, Enugu State on 14 August 1973, Okocha remains one of Africa’s most famed footballers. A midfielder highly-recognised for his skill, technique and overall athleticism, Okocha has long served as one of the Super Eagle’s most prominent players, garnering the respect of millions of Super Eagles fans. Like many other football stars, his passion for football began as a young boy. Joining the Enugu Rangers in 1990, Okocha displayed various triumphs on the field, demonstrating a superior skill for the game.

Okocha made his official debut for Nigeria in their 2–1 1994 FIFA World Cup where he assisted the team in 4–1 win which led to qualification to their first World Cup. Okocha’s first tournament as captain of the Super Eagles came in the 2002 World Cup co-hosted by Korea and Japan. Scoring four goals in the quarter finals, Okocha led the Super Eagles team to third place at the 2004 African Nations Cup in Tunisia and was awarded Player of the tournament and joint Golden boot winner.

After more than a decade of service to the Super Eagles, Okocha announced that he would retire from the international scene after the Cup of Nations in Egypt. He then played in his final international appearance in a 2–1 victory in a third place playoff against Senegal in 2007 where he was honoured with a standing ovation nearly 60,000 fans in attendance. Named among the top 125 living footballers by Pelé in March 2004, Okocha remains a source of inspiration for millions of football fans throughout Nigeria and beyond such as Tunde Folawiyo and those with a passion for African sports.

With a rich team history spanning over 70 years, Nigeria’s football team holds a vibrant, loyal fan base of millions, including Nigerian Tunde Folawiyo. Controlled by the Nigeria Football Federation, the Nigerian national football team (NFF) – nicknamed the Super Eagles – has won many distinctions in their history as a franchise. The team currently ranks 37th in the FIFA World Cup Rankings – a greatly significant accomplishment for an African sports team. The Super Eagles won the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, a title they’ve won 3 times in their history, demonstrating the team’s immense talent on the field.

The Nigerian national football team became the first African football team to win gold medals at the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics, an accomplishment of vast significance for African sports. Twice qualifying for the FIFA World Cup Round of 16, the team later went on to win a Silver Medal at the Beijing Olympics in 2008 after suffering a 0-1 defeat against Argentina. The Super Eagles won a gold medal in the 2nd All-Africa games and later went on to win third place in the 1976 and 1978 African Cup of Nations.

The Nigerian National Football team has been home to players of immense talent in the sport of football. Patrick Olusegun Odegbami, often shortened to Segun Odegbami was born August 27, 1952, in Abeokuta. Brought up in the northern city of Jos, Plateau State guided Nigeria to its first Africa Cup of Nations title at the 1980 tournament. Famed for his skill on the ball, speed and precision of his crosses from the right wing, Ogedbami earned the nickname “Mathematical”, partly because he attended The Polytechnic – Nigeria’s premier technical institution – and graduated with a degree in Engineering. His last game was the 1984 African Champions Cup final defeat to Zamalek of Egypt. Throughout his career, Segun Odegbami exuded tremendous skill on the field, assisting in the team in many honours. Years after his retirement, Segun Odegbami played a charity game with the much loved Zebrudaya and donated his entire winnings to The Little Saints’ Orphanage on the Strong Tower Mission, further exemplifying the character and integrity of some of the team’s most respected players. With their long-standing devotion and success throughout their history as a team, the Super Eagles have forever impacted the world of African sports. As they embark on a new year of play, the Super Eagles continue to inspire millions of fans throughout the world, including native Nigerian Tunde Folawiyo.