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AFCON 2021: Profile of Nigeria national football team

By Vincent Ashitey
Nigeria
Nigeria
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Nigeria is in Group D of AFCON 2021 tournament alongside Egypt, Sudan and Guinea-Bissau. 

The Nigeria national football team, also known as the Super Eagles, represents Nigeria in international association football and is controlled by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

In April 1994, the Super Eagles were ranked 5th in the FIFA rankings, the highest FIFA ranking position ever achieved by an African football team.

The Nigeria national football team is currently ranked 42nd in the World and 5rd in Africa, with its lowest ranking coming in November 1999 being placed 82nd.

READ ALSO: AFCON 2021: Profile of Cameroon national team

Their first World Cup appearance was the 1994 edition hosted by the United States.

Throughout history, the team has qualified for six of the last seven FIFA World Cups (as of 2018), missing only the 2006 World Cup hosted in Germany, and have reached the round of 16 three times.

The Nigeria national football team are three-time AFCON winners, with their recent title in 2013, after defeating Burkina Faso in the final.

The Super Eagles played its first international match on October 8, 1949, winning 2-0 against Sierra Leone. Their biggest defeat came on 1 June 1955, losing 7-0 to Ghana then Gold Coast and recorded their highest margin in the game against Dahomey now Benin on November 28, 1959, winning by 10-1.

The Nigeria national football team is currently coached by Augustine Eguavoen who was appointed on an interim basis after the sacking of Gernot Rohr.
 
The Nigeria national football team most capped player is Ahmed Musah who has amassed a combined 103 caps for the Super Eagles from 2010 till present and has notched 16 goals.
 
Retired striker Rashidi Yekini scored 37 goals as a Nigerian international in 58 caps to become the nation's all-time scorer and represented the country in five major tournaments, including two World Cups where he scored the country's first-ever goal in the competition.

The Nigerian international was also named the African Footballer of the Year in 1993.