Despite being tagged overwhelming favourites in their group, history shows that the Super Eagles less-fancied opponents could prove to be the spoke in their wheel of success at the 2019 AFCON in Egypt, reports ’TANA AIYEJINA
Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr couldn’t have asked for a better draw when the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations draw ceremony took place in Cairo, Egypt, on April 12.
Before the colourful draw ceremony, the German gaffer had voiced his satisfaction at avoiding hosts Egypt after three-time African champions Super Eagles were seeded in Pot A alongside Egypt, Senegal, Tunisia and Morocco
That ruled out a face-off between the Eagles and the continent’s big guns in the early stages of the tournament, which holds from June 21 to July 19.
Again, Rohr was also wary of being drawn against former winners Algeria, Ivory Coast and Ghana, who were all placed in Pot B.
“We are in the same pot; so, we cannot meet Egypt. Because when you play the host country, it’s always very difficult,” Rohr stated in a short video interview posted on the Confederation of African Football’s Twitter handle.
“It becomes more difficult when you have a team like the one you have here in Egypt. But when you see in the Pot 2 all the teams can win it. You have Ghana, Guinea, Mali, Ivory Coast — all big teams.
“Even in the third pot, you have South Africa and some other teams like that who can win it. Really, you have in this tournament the best teams in Africa.”
So, when Guinea alongside debutants Burundi and Madagascar were unveiled as the Eagles opponents in Group B of the tournament, it was a welcome gift of sorts for the Eagles, who had failed to qualify for the last two editions of the competition after winning it in their last outing in 2013.
Even Guinea captain Ibrahima Traore labelled the Eagles as the clear favourites in Group B.
“At first glance, we already see who the favourite is. There is no need to delude yourself; Nigeria, with the power they have, the history they have,” Traore, who plays for Borussia Monchengladbach in the Bundesliga, told foot224.com.
“They are regulars in the African Cup; they are even used to winning. They are a team that plays at the World Cup. Therefore, I think Nigeria is the favourite.”
But Rohr is cautious and insists that his side is pitted in a tough pool even though he would be happy not to have been placed in Group D, labelled as the “group of death ” with three former champions, Morocco, Ivory Coast and South Africa, as well as Namibia.
“It (Group B) is a tough group and we have to be at our best and our fittest. Guinea has a young, tough team and we will have to be at our best against them. Burundi eliminated Gabon even with their Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang,” he said immediately after the draw.
The AFCON’s new and expanded 24-team format is seen by many to have paved the way for some of the continent’s smaller sides such as newcomers Burundi, Madagascar and Mauritania, as well as Namibia, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania, Tanzania, who ended a 39-year absence, and East African giants Kenya, to contest for honours at the biennial competition.
Tunisia 1994 AFCON winner Edema Fuludu believes the expanded format might affect the quality of play in Egypt.
“I think for us in Africa, we just want to follow the trend,” Fuludu said, already ruing the quality of play in Egypt.
“I think if they are expanding the World Cup and the Euros, we also have to follow the trend. However, at the end of the day, the quality of what comes out of the competition will not be commendable.
“The bottom line is that more participation should generate more interest in the African game. That’s the aim but we may not get top-class quality as per the games that would be played.”
As easy as the Eagles group looks, it could turn out to be a banana peel, rather than an easy ride to the later stages of the competition.
Guinea, familiar foes of the Eagles, finished the qualifying series unbeaten in a group that had former champions Ivory Coast, same as Burundi, to underline both teams’ strength ahead of the competition. Madagascar, though didn’t end their qualification unbeaten, they recorded heart-warming victories against Sudan and Equatorial Guinea away from home, and drew one game against Sadio Mane’s Senegal.
Though Guinea and Nigeria share the spoils in their previous confrontations, both sides have won five games each and drawn seven in their 17 meetings. Memories of their last clash still evoke bad feelings among Nigerian fans.
Incidentally, the Eagles, Guinea and Madagascar found themselves in the same group for the 2012 AFCON qualifiers then.
The Madagascans proved no problem for the Nigerians, who won both legs 2-0 for a 4-0 aggregate, but having lost their first clash 1-0 to Guinea in Conakry, the Eagles needed a win in the reverse fixture in Abuja to qualify as one of two best second-placed teams.
Forwards Obinna Nsofor and Ike Uche had eased tension at the National Stadium — after Ismael Bangoura put the visitors ahead — after their goals put the Eagles back in the lead, but Ibrahima Traore’s stoppage time equaliser ensured the Eagles didn’t appear at the AFCON for the first time in 26 years.
Austin Okocha, who won the AFCON at first attempt and appeared in five editions, insists every team deserves their place in Egypt.
Another 1994 AFCON winner Mutiu Adepoju says the Eagles would have themselves to blame if they underrate their less-fancied opponents in Egypt.
He added, “It’s only until you’ve played the matches that you can tell if the group is easy or not.
“On paper, the other teams may not look strong but until the final whistle, you never know what will happen. Teams in our group are those that can cause surprises — they can give problems to the big teams.
“These teams qualified for the tournament and deserve their qualification. They worked and played for it and they would want to show it. So, we just have to take every team seriously and not think about any team being weak. All teams are strong; so, we need to avoid surprises.
Truly, as easy-looking as the group might be, the Eagles might need to apply all the tricks in the box to scale through, as was evident in their last outing, when they were pitted against Burkina Faso, Zambia and Ethiopia in 2013, a group analysts described as “relatively easy”.
But the Eagles only managed to beat Ethiopia 2-0 courtesy of two late penalties converted by Victor Moses in their final Group C game, after a 1-1 stalemate against Burkina Faso and Zambia respectively, to advance in second place, before going on to win the tournament.
However, statistics show that the Eagles are better favoured to advance to the next stage of the competition.
And this is because the Nigerians have never failed to advance from the group stages in their 17 previous appearances. And the expanded 24-team tournament, perhaps have made it even easier for them, as three more third-placed teams will advance to the round of 16.
However, what credentials are the Eagles’ opponents bringing to the AFCON?
Madagascar
One of the stories of the qualifying rounds for the 2019 AFCON was Madagascar’s qualification for the showpiece in Egypt.
Madagascar qualified for the AFCON finals for the first time last October by beating Equatorial Guinea 1-0 in Vontovorona, with two matches left to play.
Thailand-based midfielder Njiva Rakotoharimalala’s match winner ensured the island country, off the coast of East Africa, became the first team to qualify for a place in the finals in Egypt.
They picked 10 points in six games, scoring eight goals and conceding same amount of goals, to finish second behind Senegal’s Teranga Lions and at the expense of more-fancied opponents Equatorial Guinea and Sudan in Group A of the qualifiers.
Frenchman Nicolas Depuis, a hero in Madagascar after leading the Barea to their debut tourney, combines his coaching duties with the African side with being part of the technical staff at French fourth-tier Fleury 91.
He has been in charge of Madagascar since 2017 and has a team made up largely of players in the lower tiers of the French league. But he will be banking on the likes of 20-year-old Rinjala Raherinaivo, the FC Sion reserve side forward.
The impressive Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Arohasina Andrianarimanana comes in with a fair share of experience, having made his debut in 2016 with 18 caps and a goal to his name.
The 27-year-old was named Player of the Tournament at the 2018 COSAFA Cup, where Barea emerged fourth after topping their group.
Barea open their 2019 AFCON account against Guinea on June 22 at the Alexandria stadium, where they’ll play all their first round matches.
Next they face Burundi on June 27 and complete the group stage games on June 30 against Nigeria.
Commentators in Egypt will no doubt have a swell time trying to pronounce the tongue-twisting names of some of the Madagascan players.
Check this out: Pascal Razakanantenaina (defender at French side JS Saint-Pierroise), Rakotoharimalala (Thailand-based striker who sealed historic qualification), Andrianarimanana (the influential Kaizer Chiefs man), Mamy Gervais Randrianarisoa (JS Saint-Pierroise), Zotsara Randriambololona (midfielder at Fleury 91) and Carolus Andriamatsinoro, the Saudi Arabia-based striker.
Burundi
Burundi agonisingly came very close to qualifying for the 1994 AFCON in Tunisia, which the Eagles won, incidentally losing on penalties to Guinea in a playoff, before they eventually sealed qualification for their debut appearance 25 years later.
This time, the Swallows qualified thanks to a 1-1 draw with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s Gabon.
The Gabonese needed a win in Bujumbura but it was the hosts who grabbed the curtain raiser in the 77th minute through Cedric Amissi to send the home fans into fits of hysteria.
An own goal from Omar Ngando soon after ensured a nervy finish, but Burundi held firm to claim an historic point, as well as join Group C winners Mali at the tournament.
The Swallows striker Fiston Abdul Razak scored six goals to finish as second highest scorer in the AFCON qualifiers behind Nigeria’s Odion Ighalo, who banged in seven goals.
Attention would also be on Stoke City 25-year-old striker Saido Berahino, who opted for Burundi at senior level after playing at junior levels for England from U-16 to U-21.
But after he was snubbed by the Three Lions, Berahino was given clearance by FIFA to switch to Burundi. And he made it count with a goal for the Swallows on his debut last September in an AFCON qualifier against Gabon.
The former West Bromwich man would hope to dent the Eagles chances in their opening AFCON tie on June 22.
Guinea
Runners up in 1976, Guinea last appeared at the AFCON in 2015, where they lost 3-0 to Ghana in the quarter-finals.
They qualified alongside Ivory Coast after a 1-1 draw in Conakry last November. The Syli Stars had progressed before they even kicked a ball after Rwanda held the Central African Republic to a 2-2 draw in Group H.
Mohamed Yattara put Guinea ahead after 11 minutes with Jean Michael Seri equalising for Ivory Coast nine minutes later.
Liverpool midfielder Naby Keita insists the Syli Stars are not afraid to confront Nigeria once again.
“I will not say that we are lucky with the group we found ourselves because all the countries that qualified for the AFCON merit their place. We have Nigeria, Burundi and Madagascar to play first and then progress,” Keita told local radio station, Radio Tropique FM 88.10 .
“Everyone will be talking of Nigeria to lead the group but we do not fear them or the rest of the countries. We are very optimistic of doing well and that will start with our group games.”
But captain Traore is more concerned about the debutants in the group.
“There is Madagascar and Burundi which I cannot talk about too much because they are two teams that I do not know well.
“These are teams that are not used to being at the AFCON but they are teams that have qualified and have had a lot of games to play and are there. It may be a surprise but it is not undeserved.”
Belgian coach Paul Put was only employed in March last year, but he’s been able to turn round the fortunes of the team in that short time with a new generation of young players, spread across Europe.
Manchester United star Paul Pogba’s brother, Florentin, may likely return to the squad for the AFCON, after joining Major League Soccer side, Atlanta United.
Eintracht Frankfurt’s giant centre-back Simon Falette made his debut against Ivory Coast in November and could make his AFCON bow in Egypt; there’s also Napoli midfielder Amadou Diawara and QPR forward Idrissa Sylla to help drive Put’s ambition of advancing from the group stage in Egypt.
‘’We will have to work well and respect all the teams that make up our group. Nigeria is a great team but it’s good for us too,’’ said the tactician.
‘’I am perhaps happy with this draw, but it is not an easy draw I admit. We must be very careful, but we will do everything to move to the second round.’’
The Guineans battle Nigeria at the Alexandria Stadium, Alexandria on June 26.
Young Eagles
Though Rohr’s side is made up largely of young talents who haven’t been to the AFCON, they make up that lack of experience on the continent with loads of lessons to learn from their outing at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Arsenal forward Alex Iwobi is a seasoned campaigner on the continent and hopes to emulate big uncle Okocha in winning the AFCON in his first attempt in Egypt. There’s Leicester City’s battling midfielder Wilfred Ndidi, who’s had a fine season in the EPL as well as the likes of Leganes’ centre-back Kenneth Omeruo, a rock for the La Liga side this season and William Troost-Ekong, the Udinese hard-as-nails defender.
Villarreal’s exciting midfielder Samuel Chukwueze, Galatasaray’s highly-sought-after forward Henry Onyekuru and the giant striker Paul Onuachu, who scored a wonder goal on his full debut in Asaba in March, are also knocking on Rohr’s door for a place on the trip to Egypt.
And with the highly-experienced Mikel Obi, who’s been out of the side since Russia 2018, likely to stage a comeback for the tournament and the inspirational Ahmed Musa, the Eagles are runaway favourites in Group B of the 2019 AFCON.
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