History against ‘Perfect Eagles’ in bid to win 4th AFCON title

Nigeria have lifted the Africa Cup of Nations trophy three times, yet one curious stat continues to follow the Super Eagles: none of those triumphs came after a perfect group-stage campaign. History suggests that flying out of the blocks doesn’t always guarantee the ultimate prize.

The first time Nigeria swept through the group stage came at AFCON 1992 in Senegal, winning both matches to finish top of Group A. Confidence was high, but the knockout rounds told a different story. A narrow 1-0 win over Zaire in the quarterfinals was followed by a painful 2-1 semifinal defeat to eternal rivals Ghana. The Eagles at least signed off with bronze, beating Cameroon in the third-place match.

Fast forward to AFCON 2006 in Egypt, and Nigeria were flawless in the group again with three wins from three against Ghana, Zimbabwe and Senegal. A dramatic quarterfinal victory over Tunisia on penalties (6-5) set up another semifinal heartbreak, this time courtesy of Didier Drogba, whose strike sent Ivory Coast through. Nigeria recovered to beat Senegal 1-0 in the third-place playoff, securing what was famously dubbed the Golden Bronze.

At AFCON 2021, the Super Eagles once again looked unstoppable in the group stage, winning all three games in Group D and raising expectations sky-high. But the bubble burst abruptly in the round of 16, as Tunisia dumped Nigeria out in one of their most forgettable AFCON performances.

Ironically, Nigeria’s first AFCON triumph in 1980 came without group-stage perfection. Playing on home soil in Lagos, the Eagles beat Tanzania 3-1 thanks to goals from Muda Lawal, Martins Onyedika and the legendary Mathematical” Segun Odegbami, drew with Ivory Coast, and then defeated Egypt to reach the semifinals. From there, wins over Morocco and Algeria crowned Nigeria African champions for the first time.

The second title arrived in 1994 in Tunisia after a 14-year wait. Nigeria thrashed Gabon 3-0, with Rashidi Yekini scoring twice, then drew 0-0 with Egypt in the group. Yekini stayed hot in the knockouts, bagging a brace against Zaire and scoring again in the semifinal against Ivory Coast, which Nigeria won on penalties. In the final, two Emmanuel Amunike goals sealed a 2-1 victory over a brave Zambian side, completing one of Nigeria’s most iconic AFCON campaigns.

Nigeria’s most recent title came in South Africa 2013, and it perfectly captured the essence of tournament football. The Eagles were underwhelming in the group with one win and two draws but exploded when it mattered most. A 2-1 quarterfinal win over a star-studded Ivory Coast was followed by a ruthless 4-1 semifinal demolition of Mali. In the final, Sunday Mba’s strike against Burkina Faso completed an unlikely but unforgettable triumph.

As the saying goes, “it’s not how you start, but how you finish.” History backs that belief and if the Super Eagles can peak at the right moment once again, Morocco could be the stage where Nigeria finally claim a fourth AFCON crown.