Football in Nigeria

Football is the most popular sport in Nigeria.[1][2][3][4] The Nigeria national football team competes regularly for international titles and many Nigerian footballers compete in Europe, particularly in England.[5] Nigeria has one of the finest national teams in Africa and has produced many notable footballers including Mudashiru Lawal, Rashidi Yekini, Jay Jay Okocha, Nwankwo Kanu, Vincent Enyeama, Joseph Yobo and John Obi Mikel.[6][7]

Not to be confused with Football in Niger.
Football in Nigeria
CountryNigeria
Governing bodyNigeria Football Federation
National team(s)national football team
First played1904
National competitions
Club competitions
International competitions

History

Football was first introduced to Nigeria by the British at the start of the twentieth century.[8][9] The first recorded football match in Nigeria was in 1904.[10] By 1950, football had become the national game of the country.[11] During this time in African history, many nations began to partake in nationalist movements where they protested colonial power. In Nigeria, football gave citizens a sense of national pride and inspired them to achieve political freedom.[12] An individual named Nnamdi Azikiwe played a critical role in helping Nigeria achieve its freedom from Britain.

Peter Alegi, associate professor of history at Michigan State University, states, "Nnamdi Azikiwe emerged as a key figure connecting sports and politics in the late colonial period" (37).[13] Throughout his life, Azikiwe was angered by the racism and racial segregation that existed in sports.[14] There were two particular events in his life that motivated him to finally take action. The first event was when "he was denied the opportunity to compete in a track-and-field event at the 1934 Empire Games because Nigeria was not allowed to participate" (Alegi 39).[15] The second event was when his application to join a tennis club in Lagos was rejected because of his Igbo background.[16] These events resulted in Azikiwe creating the Zik's Athletic Club (ZAC) in Lagos in April 1938. This sports club had facilities and equipment for many sports such as football, boxing, and tennis. The club quickly became a symbol of African self-determination and nationalism in Nigeria.[17]

Throughout the course of World War II, Azikiwe continuously criticized the British for fighting in a war for democracy, yet at the same time, oppress Africans from self-determination.[18] To spread his ideas and popularize the game of football, Azikiwe went on numerous tours across Nigeria during the war. He also established a nationalist newspaper, the West African Pilot, in 1937. This newspaper popularized the game of football in Nigeria and made it a crucial aspect of the nation's identity. It helped establish a greater sense of community within Nigeria and developed pan-African sentiments. The paper also played a critical role in raising attention about social consciousness. Through its coverage of football, the Pilot was able to achieve its mission. By the end of the war, football had become a cornerstone of Nigeria's identity. On October 1, 1960, Nigeria finally gained its independence from Britain. This year also saw Nigeria become a member of FIFA.[19] Naamdi Azikiwe went on to become the first President of Nigeria in 1963.

National competitions
Main article: Nigerian football league system
Level League
1 Nigeria Premier League
20 clubs
↓relegate 4 teams
2 Nigeria National League
32 clubs
↑↓promote 4 teams, relegate 6 teams
3 Nigeria Nationwide League
40 clubs
↑↓promote 8 teams, relegate 8 teams

National team
Main article: Nigeria national football team
Nigeria vs Argentina at the 2018 world cup lineup

The Nigeria national football team, nicknamed the Super Eagles, is the national team of Nigeria and is controlled by the Nigeria Football Association.[20] According to the FIFA World Rankings, Nigeria, at 39th, are currently the 5th best team in the Confederation of African Football.

The Nigeria national football team played their first international match against Sierra Leone in Freetown on 8 October 1949.[21] Nigeria won 2–0. Their biggest win recorded was 16–1 against Benin.

Nigeria's best performances at the World Cup are the 1994,[22] 1998,[23] and 2014[24] where they reached the second round.

Youth

Nigeria's youth teams won the inaugural FIFA U-17 World Cup in 1985[25] as well as in 1993, 2007, 2013, 2015. The under-17 team is known as the Golden Eaglets and Under-20 team is known as the "Flying Eagles".[26]

Nigeria's Flying Eagles qualified for the first time to represent Africa in the 1983 FIFA World Youth Championship in Mexico. Although Nigeria did not go beyond the first round, they beat the highly rated USSR 1-0 and held the Netherlands to a goalless draw.

In 1985, the under-17 football team went to China and conquered the world in the first ever FIFA U-17 World Championship. The victory took Nigerian youth football to a high pedestal, setting the stage for a respect of Nigeria in international competitions. The under-20 team went to Saudi Arabia for the 1989 FIFA World Youth Championship and lost narrowly in the final to Portugal. The team pulled off the now-legendary "Miracle of Damman", erasing a 4–0 deficit to the Soviet Union to tie and then win the match by penalties. In 2007, the under-17 squad were crowned world champions in South Korea for the 3rd time. Nigeria hosted the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship and the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup.

U-23
Main article: Nigeria national under-23 football team

The 1996 under-23 team won the gold medal in the 1996 Summer Olympics held in Atlanta. After defeating Brazil by 4–3 in the semi-final, they won the final against Argentina 3–2.[27]

Nigeria also won the first-ever Unity World Cup in 2014.

Women's football
Main article: Women's football in Nigeria

The women's national team (the Super Falcons) has been a dominant force on the African continent since its inception. They have qualified for every FIFA Women's World Cup and won the first seven CAF Women's Championships before having their run end in 2008 against Equatorial Guinea. Great players for the Falcons include Mercy Akide, Maureen Mmadu and Perpetua Nkwocha.

See also

Bibliography
  • Boer, Wiebe. The History of Football in Nigeria. City: Bookcraft. ISBN 9788457967.

References
  1. OlaOlorun, Funmilola M.; Odimegwu, Clifford Obby; Makinde, Olusesan Ayodeji (1 December 2018). "A unique opportunity to use football to improve birth registration awareness and completeness in Nigeria". Br J Sports Med. 52 (23): 1529–1530. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2016-097404. PMC 6241617. PMID 28455365. Retrieved 2 May 2019 – via bjsm.bmj.com.
  2. "Why are Nigerians crazy about premiership?". Punchng.com. 2014-03-20. Archived from the original on 2014-04-12. Retrieved 2014-04-08.
  3. Walker, Andrew (2008-07-28). "Africa | Is Premier League killing Nigerian football?". BBC News. Retrieved 2013-12-07.
  4. Category: Weekend. "Guardian News Website - Dwindling fortunes of Nigeria's premier league". Ngrguardiannews.com. Archived from the original on 2013-12-13. Retrieved 2013-12-07.
  5. Doyle, Paul (2013-10-29). "Why is Nigeria the world's toughest league in which to get an away win? | Paul Doyle | Football". theguardian.com. Retrieved 2013-12-07.
  6. "How World Cup 1994 set the tone for future of Nigerian football". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2 May 2019.
  7. "World Cup Special: Just How Good were Nigeria in 1994? - Goal.com". www.goal.com. Retrieved 2 May 2019.
  8. FIFA.com. "Nigeria's soccer history - FIFA.com". www.fifa.com. Retrieved 2 May 2019.
  9. Akindutire, Issac Olu (1 May 1991). "The Historical Development of Soccer in Nigeria: An Appraisal of Its Emerging Prospects". Canadian Journal of History of Sport. 22 (1): 20–31. doi:10.1123/cjhs.22.1.20. Retrieved 2 May 2019 – via journals.humankinetics.com (Atypon).
  10. Published. "New book traces Nigerian football history". Retrieved 2 May 2019.
  11. Alegi, Peter. African Soccerscapes: How a Continent Changed the World's Game. Hurst & Company, 2010.
  12. Alegi, Peter. African Soccerscapes: How a Continent Changed the World's Game. Hurst & Company, 2010.
  13. Alegi, Peter. African Soccerscapes: How a Continent Changed the World's Game. Hurst & Company, 2010.
  14. Alegi, Peter. African Soccerscapes: How a Continent Changed the World's Game. Hurst & Company, 2010.
  15. Alegi, Peter. African Soccerscapes: How a Continent Changed the World's Game. Hurst & Company, 2010.
  16. Alegi, Peter. African Soccerscapes: How a Continent Changed the World's Game. Hurst & Company, 2010.
  17. Alegi, Peter. African Soccerscapes: How a Continent Changed the World's Game. Hurst & Company, 2010.
  18. Alegi, Peter. African Soccerscapes: How a Continent Changed the World's Game. Hurst & Company, 2010.
  19. Alegi, Peter. African Soccerscapes: How a Continent Changed the World's Game. Hurst & Company, 2010.
  20. Solomon, Jerome (2013-05-31). "Nigeria takes its soccer seriously, too". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 2013-12-07.
  21. "Sierra Leone - List of International Matches". Rsssf.com. Retrieved 2014-04-08.
  22. Moran, Malcolm (6 July 1994). "WORLD CUP '94; Baggio Brings a Last-Gasp Victory for the Italians". Retrieved 2 May 2019 – via NYTimes.com.
  23. Cohen, Roger (29 June 1998). "WORLD CUP '98; A Much-Fancied Nigeria Loses Its Luster". Retrieved 2 May 2019 – via NYTimes.com.
  24. Waldstein, David (30 June 2014). "French Start Slow and Finish Strong". Retrieved 2 May 2019 – via NYTimes.com.
  25. "WORLD CUP '94: NOTEBOOK; The Nigerians Bloom". 25 June 1994. Retrieved 2 May 2019 – via NYTimes.com.
  26. "Nigeria Strikes Soccer Gold, 3-2". WashingtonPost.com. 1996-08-04. Retrieved 2013-12-07.
  27. "Nigeria's Eagles Catch Argentina in Its Own Trap". Los Angeles Times. 1996-08-04. Retrieved 2013-12-07.
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