National Teams
Top FIVE forgettable moments for Nigerian football in 2023
By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde
As the year 2023 wraps up, football in the country has witnessed some backlash and forgettable moments.
In life, everything can’t go on smoothly with room for failures and disappointment.
In preparation for a busy 2024 football calendar, NigeriaFootball.ng looks back at some forgettable moments in Nigeria football in 2023.
In no particular order, we take a cursory look at the not-too-good and forgettable moments that marred football in 2023.
1. Super Eagles’ home loss to Guinea Bissau
Nigeria’s senior men’s national team’s first match of the year was a stunning loss in the 2023 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) Qualifiers.
It was a 1-0 home loss to lowly ranked Guinea Bissau at the MKO Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.
#Super Eagles
The Super Eagles had secured a 2-0 win over the same opponent in the last group game of the previous AFCON as the three-time African champions won all three group games.
This time around it was Mama Balde’s 29th minute goal that separated both sides in Abuja, Guinea Bissau’s first win over Nigeria.
Jose Peseiro went on to win the away leg 1-0 but the home loss was one of the team’s low points of 2023.
2. Nigeria clubs struggle in CAF club competitions
Four Nigeria clubs qualified for the 2023/2024 CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup respectively at the end of the previous season.
Enyimba FC and Remo Stars, the top two teams in the league made it to the top tier CAF Champions League while third-placed Rivers United and FA Cup winners, Bendel Insurance qualified for the CAF Confederation Cup.
The People’s Elephant and Sky Blue Stars crashed out of the CAF Champions League in the first hurdle of the Preliminary Round.
Bendel Insurance also bowed out of the CAF Confederation Cup as Nigeria clubs struggled for form on the continent.
Rivers United remained the country’s sole representative on the continent putting Nigeria’s slots in jeopardy as it might be reduced from four to two based on the bad forms.
In the women’s category, Delta Queens failed to qualify for the CAF Women’s Champions League; the first time the Nigerian club won’t make it to the three-year-old tournament.
A 1-0 loss to Ghanaian champions, Ampem Darkoa in the final of the West African Zone B (WAFU-B) Qualifiers ended the Pearls’ hope of becoming Nigeria’s third team to qualify for the tournament after Rivers Angels and Bayelsa Queens.
3. Olympic Eagles’ failure to qualify for U-23 AFCON
Nigeria will not partake in the men’s football event of the Paris 2024 Olympics after the team failed to make it to the U-23 African Cup of Nations (AFCON).
The team initially recorded a 3-1 aggregate win over Tanzania in one of the rounds, setting up a clash with Guinea in the final round of the Qualifiers.
After a 0-0 draw with Guinea in the first leg at home with Christopher Nwaeze sent off, the team lost 2-0 away from home thanks to second-half goals from Algassime Bah and Alseny Soumah.
The only team that has won gold (1996), silver (2008), and bronze medal (2016) at the Olympics will not be in Paris.
4. Nigeria misses out on Caf Women’s Champions League for the first time
For the first time in three years, Nigeria didn’t qualify for the CAF Women’s Champions League after Delta Queens’ 1-0 loss to Ampem Darkoa of Ghana.
The Pearls dominated the final of the West African Zone B (WAFU-B) Women’s Champions League but couldn’t convert their chances, giving the Ghanaian WAFU-B sole ticket.
Tosan Blankson had expressed optimism about becoming Nigeria’s third representative at the CAF Women’s Champions League, but the hope was dashed by Ampem Darkoa.
The result meant that Nigeria didn’t have a representative at the CAF Women’s Champions League for the first time in the three-year-old tournament.
Rivers Angels (2021) and Bayelsa Queens (2022) represented Nigeria at the first two editions of the competition in Egypt and Morocco respectively.
5. Flying Eagles quarter-final ouster at FIFA U-20 World Cup
Nigeria men’s U-20 quest to win the FIFA U-20 World Cup lingers after a quarter-final ouster at the tournament.
The African third-placed team at the U-20 AFCON won two out of their group games against Dominican Republic (2-1) and Italy (2-0) before losing 2-0 to Brazil.
An impressive 2-0 victory over record winners, Argentina set up a quarter-final date with South Korea.
Ladan Bosso’s side lost 1-0 to the Asian side after extra time to bow out of the tournament and will have to try another time to win the title.
FIFA U-20 World Cup: Flying Eagles arrive in Buenos Aires ahead of Brazil clash
Ghana remained Africa’s sole winner of the FIFA U-20 World Cup title despite Nigeria’s dominance at U-17 level.
With AFCON 2023, Olympics, 2026 World Cup Qualifiers, FIFA U17, and U-20 Women’s World Cup in sight in 2024, we hope for a bright future for Nigerian football in the new year.
