[Africa Group 1]
6 Matches 4 Wins 1 Tie 1 Loss (13 points)
| 11/9/96 | Vs. Burkina Faso | Win | 2-0 |
| 1/12/97 | Vs. Kenya | Draw | 1-1 |
| 4/5/97 | Vs. Ginia | Win | 2-1 |
| 4/27/97 | Vs. Burkina Faso | Win | 1-2 |
| 6/7/97 | Vs. Kenya | Win | 3-0 |
| 8/17/97 | Vs. Kenya | Lose | 1-0 |
| Offense |
 |
Defense |
|
| Organization |
|
Experience |
|
| Talent |
|
Capacity to surprise |
|
|
The "super eagles" of Nigeria boast Africa's top power and athlete corps and if it comes to just potential, they could be called the top in the world, but internally the team has serious, fundamental problems. The main players are divided into two struggling factions, weakening the cohesiveness of the team. It is impossible to deny that the team could break down internally depending on Coach Milutinovic's player assignments. Nonetheless, no one can deny that the entire squad has marvelous power and amount of movement and there is no doubt that they have high level technique and are a powerful dark horse in the World Cup tournament.
Looking over the members of the Nigerian team, except for the slightly inferior goalkeeper, almost the entire lineup has talent at every position. The defense is balanced with a skillful mix of Okechukwu and other veterans with a wealth of experience and such dynamic young players as West and Babayaro. On the other hand, while the midfield is centered on young players with Oliseh as a genuine command tower and Amunike, Okocha, and other offensive-minded players with superior on-rushing power. However, the front-line is crowded with splendid talent. Ikpeba, Akpoborie, Amokachi, and Babangida are all powerful players and top-class players in Europe. The fact that all the members can play many different positions so many different selections and combinations are possible is another strength of the Nigerian team.
*NIGERIA FOOTBALL
ASSOCIATION
[Address]
- Plot 2033 Olusegun
- Obasanjo Way
- WUSE Zone 7 Abuja
[Established] 1945
*2nd World Cup
(1994, 1998)
No championships |
Victor IKPEBA
* Forward
Aiming for goals with power, speed, technique, and marvelous skill
Ikpeba is a striker who uses technique and the capacity of his tall body with its superior speed and strength as his weapons. He is a typical point-getting type and can also play a wing-like role, flowing in powerful rushes from the left and right and also has the utility to serve as a chance maker. His talent has blossomed since Ikpeba transferred to his current club, Monaco (France), and was selected as the African MVP for 1997. On the national team, he had been in the shadow of Kanu, Amokachi, Amunike, and the others and was not able to secure a regular spot, but his play with Monaco has been recognized and has now developed into the core of the Nigerian attack.
Bora MILUTINOVIC
Coach Milutinovic is a 53-year old from Yugoslavia. In his playing days, he played for Partisan, Monaco, etc. As coach, after holding the reins at clubs in Mexico, Italy, and Argentina, he has served as the coach for the national teams of Mexico, Costa Rica, and the U.S.A. He appeared in the 1986, 1990, and 1994 World Cups, with each team respectively, so this is his fourth consecutive appearance as a coach in the World Cup. He was the coach of the Mexican national team until last year, but although he led the Mexicans to a slot in the World Cup, he was released due to tactical problems. However, immediately after that he was hired as the coach of the Nigerian national team.
|
