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The Nigeria national football team represents
Nigeria Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...
in Men's international
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
. Governed by the
Nigeria Football Federation The Nigeria Football Federation (known as Nigeria Football Association until 2008) is Nigeria's association football, football sports governing body, governing body. It was formally launched in 1945 and formed the first Nigerian national football ...
(NFF), they are three-time
Africa Cup of Nations The Africa Cup of Nations, commonly abbreviated as AFCON and officially known as the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations for sponsorship reasons, is the main biennial international men's association football competition in Africa. It is s ...
( AFCON) winners, with their most recent title in
2013 2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years). 2013 was designated as: *International Year of Water Cooperation *International Year of Quinoa Events January * January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...
. In February 2024, the Nigerian national football team was ranked 28th in the
FIFA rankings The FIFA Men's World Ranking is a ranking system for men's national teams in association football, first introduced in December 1992. The List of men's national football teams, men's teams of the member nations of FIFA, football's world governi ...
. The team has qualified for six of the last eight
FIFA World Cup The FIFA World Cup, often called the World Cup, is an international association football competition among the senior List of men's national association football teams, men's national teams of the members of the FIFA, Fédération Internatio ...
s, missing only the
2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...
and 2022 editions. They have reached the round of 16 on three occasions. Their first World Cup appearance was in the 1994 edition. The team is a member of
FIFA The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (), more commonly known by its acronym FIFA ( ), is the international self-regulatory governing body of association football, beach soccer, and futsal. It was founded on 21 May 1904 to o ...
and
Confederation of African Football The Confederation of African Football (CAF) is the administrative and controlling body for association football, beach soccer, and futsal in Africa. It was established on 8 February 1957 at the ''Grand Hotel'' in Khartoum, Sudan. At the FIFA Co ...
(CAF).


History


Early history

Nigeria first played other colonies in unofficial games, initially in 1938 when they played the Gold Coast with a team of Lagos-based players. Nigeria formed a representative national team to send abroad for a tour of England, arriving in Liverpool on 29 August 1949, and playing matches against amateur sides including
Marine A.F.C. Marine Association Football Club is an English football club based in Crosby, Merseyside. The club, which was founded in 1894, is a member of both the Liverpool County and Lancashire County Football Associations, and currently plays in the , ...
(which drew 6,000 spectators, a record their
Rossett Park Rossett Park is a football ground in Crosby, Merseyside that has been home to Marine A.F.C. since 1904. It has been called the Marine Travel Arena for sponsorship since 2015. Marine currently play in the and share the ground with A.F.C. Liver ...
ground),
Bishop Auckland Bishop Auckland ( ) is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish at the confluence of the River Wear and the River Gaunless in County Durham, England. It is northwest of Darlington and southwest of Durham, England, Durham. M ...
,
Leytonstone Leytonstone ( ) is an area in East London, England, within the London Borough of Waltham Forest. It adjoins Wanstead to the north-east, Forest Gate to the south-east, Stratford to the south-west, Leyton to the west, and Walthamstow to the nor ...
,
Dulwich Hamlet Dulwich Hamlet Football Club is a semi-professional football club based in East Dulwich in south-east London, England. They are currently members of and play at Champion Hill. History The club was formed in 1893, by Lorraine 'Pa' Wilson. The ...
and
Bromley Bromley is a large town in Greater London, England, within the London Borough of Bromley. It is southeast of Charing Cross, and had an estimated population of 88,000 as of 2023. Originally part of Kent, Bromley became a market town, charte ...
. Nigeria then played its first official game in October 1949, while still a
British colony A Crown colony or royal colony was a colony governed by England, and then Great Britain or the United Kingdom within the English and later British Empire. There was usually a governor to represent the Crown, appointed by the British monarch on ...
.


1963–1980

Nigeria first appeared in the
Africa Cup of Nations The Africa Cup of Nations, commonly abbreviated as AFCON and officially known as the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations for sponsorship reasons, is the main biennial international men's association football competition in Africa. It is s ...
in 1963, when they were drawn in a group with
Sudan Sudan, officially the Republic of the Sudan, is a country in Northeast Africa. It borders the Central African Republic to the southwest, Chad to the west, Libya to the northwest, Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the east, Eritrea and Ethiopi ...
, and the then
United Arab Republic The United Arab Republic (UAR; ) was a sovereign state in the Middle East from 1958 to 1971. It was initially a short-lived political union between Republic of Egypt (1953–1958), Egypt (including Occupation of the Gaza Strip by the United Ara ...
. They did not advance to the next stage. The team's first major success was a gold medal in the 2nd All-Africa games in 1973 led by captain, Victor Oduah. The team went on to achieve 3rd-place finishes in the
1976 Events January * January 2 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 18 – Full diplomatic ...
and
1978 African Cup of Nations The 1978 African Cup of Nations was the eleventh edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, the football championship of Africa ( CAF). It was hosted by Accra and Kumasi, Ghana. The format of the competition changed from 1976: the field of eight teams ...
to follow. In 1980, with players such as
Segun Odegbami Patrick Olusegun Odegbami () (born 27 August 1952), often shortened as Segun Odegbami, is a Nigerian former professional footballer who played as a forward Early life Odegbami was born on 27 August 1952 in Lagos, Nigeria to Jacob Adebola Odeg ...
and Best Ogedegbe, the team, led by
Christian Chukwu Christian Chukwu Okoro (4 January 1951 – 12 April 2025) was a Nigerian football player and coach. A defender in his playing days, he captained the Nigeria national team to its first win in the Africa Cup of Nations. Early life Chukwu was ...
, won the African Cup for the first time in
Lagos Lagos ( ; ), or Lagos City, is a large metropolitan city in southwestern Nigeria. With an upper population estimated above 21 million dwellers, it is the largest city in Nigeria, the most populous urban area on the African continent, and on ...
. Nigeria Olympic Men's football team won the football event at the
1996 Olympics The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as the Centennial Olympic Games) were an international multi-sport event held from July 19 to August 4, 1996, in Atlanta, ...
in
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...
, beating Mexico, Brazil and Argentina in the process. They were runners-up in the same event at the
2008 Olympics The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and officially branded as Beijing 2008 (), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes fr ...
in Beijing, losing to
Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...
in a rematch of the 1996 Final of the event. In
1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...
, 1988 and 2000, Nigeria reached the Cup of Nations final, losing to
Cameroon Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon, is a country in Central Africa. It shares boundaries with Nigeria to the west and north, Chad to the northeast, the Central African Republic to the east, and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the R ...
. Three of the five African titles won by Cameroon have been won by defeating Nigeria. Missing out to Cameroon on many occasions has created an intense rivalry between both nations. Three notable occasions; narrowly losing out in the
1988 African Cup of Nations The 1988 African Cup of Nations was the 16th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, the association football championship of Africa (Confederation of African Football, CAF). It was hosted by Morocco, who replaced original host Zambia. Just like in ...
, qualifiers for the
1990 World Cup The 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, a quadrennial Association football, football tournament for men's senior national teams. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event for a second ...
, and the controversial
final Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: *Final examination or finals, a test given at the end of a course of study or training *Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which d ...
of the
2000 African Cup of Nations The 2000 African Cup of Nations was the 22nd edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, the association football championship of Africa ( CAF). It was co-hosted by Ghana and Nigeria, who jointly replaced Zimbabwe as host. Just like in 1998, the field ...
where a kick taken by
Victor Ikpeba Victor Ikpeba Nosa (born 12 June 1973) is a Nigerian former professional footballer who played as a forward. Ikpeba played 31 international matches and scored seven goals for Nigeria. He was a member of Super Eagles team to the FIFA World Cups i ...
during the
penalty shoot-out The penalty shootout is a method of determining a winner in sports matches that would have otherwise been drawn or tied. The rules for penalty shootouts vary between sports and even different competitions; however, the usual form is similar to pe ...
was adjudged not to have crossed the goal-line by the referee. The team withdrew from two African Cup of Nations between 1963 and 1974, due to political instability and in 1996. In 1976, they came back to the Cup of Nations with third-place finishes in both the
1976 Events January * January 2 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 18 – Full diplomatic ...
and
1978 Africa Cup of Nations The 1978 African Cup of Nations was the eleventh edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, the football championship of Africa ( CAF). It was hosted by Accra and Kumasi, Ghana. The format of the competition changed from 1976: the field of eight teams ...
.


1980–1990

Nigeria hosted the
1980 Africa Cup of Nations The 1980 African Cup of Nations was the 12th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, the football championship of Africa ( CAF). It was hosted by Nigeria. Just like in 1978, the field of eight teams was split into two groups of four. Nigeria won its ...
and also won their first Cup of Nations' Title that year in
Lagos Lagos ( ; ), or Lagos City, is a large metropolitan city in southwestern Nigeria. With an upper population estimated above 21 million dwellers, it is the largest city in Nigeria, the most populous urban area on the African continent, and on ...
. Ghana came out as runners-up three times and had one group stage elimination, between 1982 and 1990. They also failed to qualify for the
1986 Africa Cup of Nations The 1986 African Cup of Nations was the 15th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, a football championship of Africa ( CAF). It was hosted by Egypt. Just like in 1984, the field of eight teams was split into two groups of four. Egypt won its third ...
hosted by
Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...
.


1992–2006

Nigeria appeared again in the African Cup of Nations in 1992 and 1994, they finished third in 1992 and won the
1994 Africa Cup of Nations The 1994 African Cup of Nations, known as the Nescafé 1994 Africa Cup of Nations for sponsorship purposes, was the 19th edition of the African Cup of Nations, the biennial international men's football championship of Africa organised by the Confe ...
, which was the second time they won the tournament. Nigeria finally reached the
World Cup A world cup is a global sporting competition in which the participant entities – usually international teams or individuals representing their countries – compete for the title of world champion. The event most associated with the name is ...
for the first time in
1994 The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations. In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...
after years of struggling to get there. They were managed by Clemens Westerhof. Nigeria topped their group which included
Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...
,
Bulgaria Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...
, and
Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...
. Nigeria defeated
Bulgaria Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...
3–0, lost to
Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...
1–2, and reached the second round after a 2–0 victory over
Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...
. In the second round, Nigeria played
Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
and took the lead with a goal from
Emmanuel Amunike Emmanuel Amunike (born 25 December 1970) is a Nigerian professional football manager and former footballer who played as a winger. Playing career Amunike played for Zamalek, Sporting CP, Barcelona, and Albacete. He played 28 times for Niger ...
in the 25th minute. Nigeria was within two minutes of qualifying for the quarter-finals, when
Roberto Baggio Roberto Baggio (; born 18 February 1967) is an Italian former professional footballer who mainly played as a second striker, or as an attacking midfielder, although he was capable of playing in several offensive positions. He is the former pr ...
scored to take the game to extra time. He also scored the eventual winning goal. The game ended 2–1 in favour of the Italians. In 1996 the team withdrew from that year's African Cup of Nations under pressure from the country's military dictator
Sani Abacha Sani Abacha (; (20 September 1943 – 8 June 1998) was a Nigerian military dictator and statesman who ruled Nigeria with an iron fist as military head of state from 1993 following a palace coup d'état until his death in 1998. Abacha's seiz ...
due to the criticism received from the tournament hosts South Africa and especially its president
Nelson Mandela Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela ( , ; born Rolihlahla Mandela; 18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) was a South African Internal resistance to apartheid, anti-apartheid activist and politician who served as the first president of South Africa f ...
, for the execution of Ogoni activist
Ken Saro-Wiwa Kenule Beeson Saro-Wiwa (10 October 1941 – 10 November 1995) was a Nigerians, Nigerian writer, teacher, television producer, and social rights activist. Saro-Wiwa was a member of the Ogoni people, an ethnic minority in Nigeria whose homeland ...
. Nigeria was subsequently banned from entering the 1998 African Cup of Nations. In
1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...
, Nigeria returned to the World Cup alongside
Cameroon Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon, is a country in Central Africa. It shares boundaries with Nigeria to the west and north, Chad to the northeast, the Central African Republic to the east, and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the R ...
,
Morocco Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...
,
Tunisia Tunisia, officially the Republic of Tunisia, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered by Algeria to the west and southwest, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Tunisia also shares m ...
, and
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...
. Optimism was high due to its manager
Bora Milutinović Velibor "Bora" Milutinović ( sr-Cyrl, Велибор Бора Милутиновић; born 7 September 1944) is a Serbian former professional footballer and manager. He has managed at five editions of the FIFA World Cup, tied for the record al ...
and the return of most 1994 squad members. In the final tournament Nigeria were drawn into group D with
Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
,
Bulgaria Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...
,
Paraguay Paraguay, officially the Republic of Paraguay, is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the Argentina–Paraguay border, south and southwest, Brazil to the Brazil–Paraguay border, east and northeast, and Boli ...
. Nigeria scored a major upset by defeating Spain 3–2 after coming back twice from being 1–0 and 2–1 down. The Eagles qualified for the second round with a win against Bulgaria and a loss to Paraguay. The team's hopes of surpassing its 1994 performance were shattered after a 1–4 loss to
Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...
. This is currently the only World Cup that Nigeria qualified for without playing Argentina in the tournament finals. In 2000 they returned to the Cup of Nations and were the runner-up and subsequently finished in third place at the 2002, 2004 and 2006
Africa Cup of Nations The Africa Cup of Nations, commonly abbreviated as AFCON and officially known as the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations for sponsorship reasons, is the main biennial international men's association football competition in Africa. It is s ...
.


2002 and 2006 World Cups

The
2002 World Cup The 2002 FIFA World Cup, also branded as Korea/Japan 2002, was the 17th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial Association football, football world championship for List of men's national association football teams, men's national teams organized by ...
in South Korea and Japan saw Nigeria again qualify with optimism. With a new squad and distinctive pastel green kits, the Super Eagles were expected to build on its strong performances in the
2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...
and
2002 African Cup of Nations The 2002 African Cup of Nations was the 23rd edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, the association football championship of Africa ( CAF). It was hosted by Mali. Just like in 2000, the field of sixteen teams was split into four groups of four. Ca ...
. Nigeria was drawn into group F with powerhouses
Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...
,
Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...
, and
England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
. The first game against Argentina started with a strong defense that kept the first half scoreless. In the 61st minute,
Gabriel Batistuta Gabriel Omar Batistuta (; born 1 February 1969) is an Argentine former professional Association football, footballer. During his playing career, Batistuta was nicknamed Batigol () as well as El Ángel Gabriel (; Spanish for ''Archangel Gabriel, A ...
breached the Nigerian defense to put Argentina in the lead 1–0, and Argentina would go on to win the game. Nigeria's second game against Sweden saw them take the lead but later lose 2–1. Nigeria then drew 0–0 with England and bowed out in the first round. Nigeria failed to qualify for the
2006 World Cup The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which had won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams represe ...
after finishing level on points in the qualification group with
Angola Angola, officially the Republic of Angola, is a country on the west-Central Africa, central coast of Southern Africa. It is the second-largest Portuguese-speaking world, Portuguese-speaking (Lusophone) country in both total area and List of c ...
, but having an inferior record in the matches between the sides.


2008–2013

In the
2008 Africa Cup of Nations The 2008 Africa Cup of Nations, also known as the MTN Africa Cup of Nations due to the competition's sponsorship by MTN, was the 26th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, the biennial football tournament for nations affiliated with the Confede ...
, Nigeria ended their campaign in the quarter finals after losing to
Ghana Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It is situated along the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and shares borders with Côte d’Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, and Togo to t ...
. They qualified for
2010 Africa Cup of Nations The 2010 Africa Cup of Nations, also known as the Orange Africa Cup of Nations for sponsorship reasons, was the 27th Africa Cup of Nations, the biennial football championship of Africa ( CAF). It was held in Angola, where it began on 10 January 2 ...
, hosted by
Angola Angola, officially the Republic of Angola, is a country on the west-Central Africa, central coast of Southern Africa. It is the second-largest Portuguese-speaking world, Portuguese-speaking (Lusophone) country in both total area and List of c ...
, but were eliminated by Ghana in the semi-finals. On 14 November 2009, Nigeria qualified for the
2010 World Cup The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for List of men's national association football teams, men's national Association football, football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010. ...
after defeating
Kenya Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...
by 3–2 in
Nairobi Nairobi is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Kenya. The city lies in the south-central part of Kenya, at an elevation of . The name is derived from the Maasai language, Maasai phrase , which translates to 'place of cool waters', a ...
. Nigeria lost its opening match against
Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...
1–0 at
Ellis Park Stadium Ellis Park Stadium (known as Emirates Airline Park for sponsorship reasons) is a rugby union and association football stadium in Johannesburg, Gauteng Province, South Africa. It hosted the final of the 1995 Rugby World Cup, which was won by th ...
following a controversial
Gabriel Heinze Gabriel Iván Heinze (; born 19 April 1978) is an Argentine football coach and former player. As a player, he operated as a defender, either as a left-back or a centre-back. Nicknamed '' Gringo'', he made a name for himself at Paris Saint-Germai ...
header in the 6th minute. In its second game Nigeria led early on by a goal from
Kalu Uche Kalu Uche (born 15 November 1982) is a Nigerian former professional footballer who played as a forward. He spent most of his career in Spain, mainly with Almería, with which he amassed La Liga totals of 117 matches and 27 goals (212 appearan ...
. A red card against Sani Kaita gave
Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...
the advantage. Greece scored the equaliser late in the first half and Nigeria conceded the second goal in the second half and lost the game 2–1. In their last group stage match against
South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...
, Nigeria took an early lead in the 12th minute off of a great finish by
Kalu Uche Kalu Uche (born 15 November 1982) is a Nigerian former professional footballer who played as a forward. He spent most of his career in Spain, mainly with Almería, with which he amassed La Liga totals of 117 matches and 27 goals (212 appearan ...
after a low cross from
Chidi Odiah Chukwudi "Chidi" Odiah (born 17 December 1983) is a Nigerian former professional association football, footballer who played as a right-back. A former international, he was known for his work ethic, skills and attacking prowess. Club career Eag ...
. However, goals from
Lee Jung-Soo Lee Jung-soo (; born 8 January 1980) is a South Korean former professional footballer who played as a centre-back. Club career Career in South Korea After graduating from Kyung Hee University in 2002, Lee started his professional career at ...
and Park Chu-Young gave South Korea a 2–1 lead, which looked to be enough for
South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...
to advance into the round of 16. However, Nigeria got a chance in the 66th minute, on the end of a pass from
Ayila Yussuf Atanda Ayila Yussuf (born 4 November 1984) is a Nigerian former professional footballer who played as a central defender or defensive midfielder. A former Nigerian youth international player, Yussuf moved to Ukrainian Premier League Dynamo Kyiv ...
that was fed through the South Korean defense was none other than
Yakubu Yakubu is a male-given Hausa language, Hausa, Yoruba language, Yoruba and some parts of Edo State, Edo. The name is commonly used as a surname in Nigeria and other African countries. The name means "God is merciful.". It is a cognate of Jacob (na ...
, once the pass found Yakubu's foot about four yards away from the empty goal, Yakubu pushed the ball wide of the left post to leave South Korea still ahead 2–1. Three minutes later, Yakubu was able to calmly finish a penalty to knot the score at two apiece, but Nigeria was unable to score again and the match ended in a 2–2 draw. With this result, Nigeria was eliminated from the
2010 World Cup The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for List of men's national association football teams, men's national Association football, football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010. ...
with just one point, while South Korea advanced into the round of 16 with four points. On 30 June 2010, following the team's early exit and poor showing, the then
President of Nigeria The president of Nigeria, officially the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is the head of state and head of government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The president directs the executive branch of the Federal Government an ...
,
Goodluck Jonathan Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan (born 20 November 1957) is a Nigerian politician who served as the president of Nigeria from 2010 to 2015. He lost the 2015 presidential election to former military head of state General Muhammadu Buhari and ...
suspended the national football team from international competition for two years. This suspension put the team at risk of being banned from international football by
FIFA The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (), more commonly known by its acronym FIFA ( ), is the international self-regulatory governing body of association football, beach soccer, and futsal. It was founded on 21 May 1904 to o ...
for reasons of political interference. On 5 July 2010, the Nigerian government rescinded its ban of the national football team from FIFA/CAF football competitions, but the sanction of suspension was applied by FIFA some three months after. On 4 October 2010, Nigeria was indefinitely banned from international football due to government interference following the 2010 World Cup. Four days later, however, the ban was "provisionally lifted" until 26 October, the day after the officially unrecognised players' union – National Association of Nigerian Footballers (NANF) dropped its court case against the NFF. Nigeria failed to qualify for the
2012 Africa Cup of Nations The 2012 Africa Cup of Nations, also known as the Orange Africa Cup of Nations for sponsorship reasons, was the 28th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, the football championship of Africa organized by the Confederation of African Football (C ...
after ending the qualifiers with a 2–2 draw against
Guinea Guinea, officially the Republic of Guinea, is a coastal country in West Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Guinea-Bissau to the northwest, Senegal to the north, Mali to the northeast, Côte d'Ivoire to the southeast, and Sier ...
with goals from
Ikechukwu Uche Ikechukwu Uche (born 5 January 1984) is a Nigerian former professional footballer who played as a striker. Known for his acrobatic goal celebrations, he spent most of his professional career in Spain, having arrived in the country before the ...
and
Victor Obinna Victor Nsofor Obinna (born 25 March 1987) is a Nigerian former professional footballer who played as a striker. Obinna in Igbo, literally means "father's heart". He played for Chievo in Italy's Serie B, having played regularly in Serie A wit ...
, but were successful in their
2013 Africa Cup of Nations qualification The 2013 Africa Cup of Nations qualification was the qualification process for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, the 29th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations tournament. South Africa automatically qualified as the host country. Qualified nation ...
campaign, qualifying for the final tournament in South Africa after an 8–3 aggregate win over
Liberia Liberia, officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to Guinea–Liberia border, its north, Ivory Coast to Ivory Coast–Lib ...
; after playing through the tournament with an unbeaten run, they defeated
Burkina Faso Burkina Faso is a landlocked country in West Africa, bordered by Mali to the northwest, Niger to the northeast, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south, and Ivory Coast to the southwest. It covers an area of 274,223 km2 (105,87 ...
1–0 in the
final Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: *Final examination or finals, a test given at the end of a course of study or training *Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which d ...
to lift the Cup for the third time. However, they did not qualify for either of the next two tournaments.


2014–present


2014 World Cup

Nigeria's campaign in the
2014 FIFA World Cup The 2014 FIFA World Cup was the 20th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for list of men's national association football teams, men's national Association football, football teams organised by FIFA. It took place in Brazil fr ...
opened with a disappointing 0–0 draw against
Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
. Four days later the team played their second game against
Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to th ...
. A controversial 29th-minute
Peter Odemwingie Peter Osaze Odemwingie (born 15 July 1981) is a former professional footballer who played as a forward. Born in what is now Uzbekistan, Odemwingie began his career with Bendel Insurance in the Nigeria Premier League. He then earned a move to E ...
goal gave Nigeria their first World Cup match win since 1998. They faced
Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...
another four days later: a 3rd minute
Lionel Messi Lionel Andrés "Leo" Messi (; born 24 June 1987) is an Argentine professional Association football, footballer who plays as a forward (association football), forward for and Captain (association football), captains both Major League Soccer ...
goal for the opposition was followed almost instantly with an equalizer by
Ahmed Musa Ahmed Musa (; born 14 October 1992) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a forward or winger for Kano Pillars in the NPFL and the Nigeria national team. Musa became the first Nigerian to score more than once in a FIFA Worl ...
. Messi gave Argentina the lead back just before half-time. In the second half, Musa leveled the game out again,
Lionel Messi Lionel Andrés "Leo" Messi (; born 24 June 1987) is an Argentine professional Association football, footballer who plays as a forward (association football), forward for and Captain (association football), captains both Major League Soccer ...
was substituted and handed over his captaincy to
Marcos Rojo Faustino Marcos Alberto Rojo (born 20 March 1990) is an Argentine professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Defender (association football), defender for Boca Juniors, where he is Captain (association football), captain. Rojo ...
only for Rojo to put Argentina 3–2 ahead minutes later. Nigeria lost the match, but still qualified for the round of 16. In the Round of 16, Nigeria faced
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
, an 18th-minute stabbed shot from
Emmanuel Emenike Emmanuel Chinenye Emenike (born 10 May 1987) is a Nigerian former professional footballer who played as a striker. Club career Delta Force Emenike started his football career with Delta Force. At the club, he experienced many hardships. He ...
saw the ball in the net, past the French goal-keeper but the goal was ruled off-side by the linesman. Nigeria held them off until the 79th minute when a cross and a
Paul Pogba Paul Labile Pogba (born 15 March 1993) is a French professional footballer who is a free agent. He primarily plays as a central midfielder. Born in Lagny-sur-Marne, Pogba joined the youth team of Ligue 2 side Le Havre in 2007. He joined Ma ...
header gifted France the lead. An accidental own goal by Super Eagles Captain
Joseph Yobo Joseph Michael Yobo (born 6 September 1980) is a Nigerian former professional footballer who played as a centre back. He was the captain of the Nigerian national team until his international football retirement in June 2014, and was Nigeria's ...
in injury time put the result beyond any doubt: Nigeria was out. This is the third time Nigeria is eliminated in the round of 16 and they were not still able to enter the Quarter-finals in the
FIFA World Cup The FIFA World Cup, often called the World Cup, is an international association football competition among the senior List of men's national association football teams, men's national teams of the members of the FIFA, Fédération Internatio ...
.


2018 World Cup

On 24 June 2016, The
Confederation of African Football The Confederation of African Football (CAF) is the administrative and controlling body for association football, beach soccer, and futsal in Africa. It was established on 8 February 1957 at the ''Grand Hotel'' in Khartoum, Sudan. At the FIFA Co ...
released the draw for the 3rd round of the World Cup qualifiers which saw Nigeria grouped in what was described as a "group of death"; alongside
Zambia Zambia, officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central Africa, Central, Southern Africa, Southern and East Africa. It is typically referred to being in South-Central Africa or Southern Africa. It is bor ...
,
Algeria Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered to Algeria–Tunisia border, the northeast by Tunisia; to Algeria–Libya border, the east by Libya; to Alger ...
, and
Cameroon Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon, is a country in Central Africa. It shares boundaries with Nigeria to the west and north, Chad to the northeast, the Central African Republic to the east, and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the R ...
. Nigeria started their group stage matches with a 2–1 win over Zambia in
Ndola Ndola is the third largest city in Zambia in terms of size and population, with a population of 627,503 (''2022 census''), after the capital, Lusaka, and Kitwe, and the second largest in terms of infrastructure development after Lusaka. It is the I ...
and defeated
Algeria Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered to Algeria–Tunisia border, the northeast by Tunisia; to Algeria–Libya border, the east by Libya; to Alger ...
3–1 in their second match at the
Godswill Akpabio International Stadium The Godswill Akpabio International Stadium (formerly Akwa Ibom International Stadium) is a 30,000 capacity national sports stadium located in Uyo, the state capital of Akwa Ibom State, Akwa Ibom. The stadium serves as a home to the Nigeria natio ...
. They went on to beat
Cameroon Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon, is a country in Central Africa. It shares boundaries with Nigeria to the west and north, Chad to the northeast, the Central African Republic to the east, and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the R ...
5–1 home and away in a back to back contest. The Super Eagles of Nigeria became the first African team to qualify for the
2018 FIFA World Cup The 2018 FIFA World Cup was the 21st FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for national association football, football teams organized by FIFA. It took place in Russia from 14 June to 15 July 2018, after the country was awarded t ...
after beating
Zambia Zambia, officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central Africa, Central, Southern Africa, Southern and East Africa. It is typically referred to being in South-Central Africa or Southern Africa. It is bor ...
1–0 in Uyo. On 3 June 2018, coach
Gernot Rohr Gernot Rohr (born 28 June 1953) is a German professional football coach and former player who is currently the manager of the Benin national team. Managerial career In 1996, he managed Girondins de Bordeaux to the UEFA Cup final, where they l ...
unveiled a 23-man squad for the
2018 FIFA World Cup The 2018 FIFA World Cup was the 21st FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for national association football, football teams organized by FIFA. It took place in Russia from 14 June to 15 July 2018, after the country was awarded t ...
. Nigeria lost their first match of the tournament 0–2 to
Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...
in
Kaliningrad Kaliningrad,. known as Königsberg; ; . until 1946, is the largest city and administrative centre of Kaliningrad Oblast, an Enclave and exclave, exclave of Russia between Lithuania and Poland ( west of the bulk of Russia), located on the Prego ...
, before they won 2–0 in the second match against a brave
Iceland Iceland is a Nordic countries, Nordic island country between the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between North America and Europe. It is culturally and politically linked with Europe and is the regi ...
, with
Ahmed Musa Ahmed Musa (; born 14 October 1992) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a forward or winger for Kano Pillars in the NPFL and the Nigeria national team. Musa became the first Nigerian to score more than once in a FIFA Worl ...
scoring both goals. Nigeria had a huge chance to qualify to the next round as
Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...
was demolished 3–0 by Croatia. Despite this advantage, they lost 2–1 in their last group stage match against Argentina, with one goal by
Victor Moses Victor Moses (born 12 December 1990) is a Nigerian professional Association football, footballer who plays as a winger (association football), winger for club Luton Town F.C., Luton Town. He has also been deployed as a wing-back (association f ...
. For this defeat, and followed with Iceland's defeat to Croatia, Nigeria missed the opportunity to advance to the round of 16 and got eliminated from the tournament.


2019 Africa Cup of Nations

The Super Eagles started their campaign at the 2019 AFCON by defeating
Burundi Burundi, officially the Republic of Burundi, is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is located in the Great Rift Valley at the junction between the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa, with a population of over 14 million peop ...
1–0 in group B opening match. They went on to defeat
Guinea Guinea, officially the Republic of Guinea, is a coastal country in West Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Guinea-Bissau to the northwest, Senegal to the north, Mali to the northeast, Côte d'Ivoire to the southeast, and Sier ...
and lost 2–0 to
Madagascar Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, is an island country that includes the island of Madagascar and numerous smaller peripheral islands. Lying off the southeastern coast of Africa, it is the world's List of islands by area, f ...
in their final group stage match. The round of 16 saw the national football team of Nigeria defeating
Cameroon Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon, is a country in Central Africa. It shares boundaries with Nigeria to the west and north, Chad to the northeast, the Central African Republic to the east, and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the R ...
3–2 with goals coming from Jude Ighalo and Iwobi, they later went on to confront
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...
in the quarter-finals of the tournament. An 89th-minute header from Troost-Ekong gave Nigeria the lead over
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...
and the match ended 2–1 in favour of Nigeria. Nigeria faced
Algeria Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered to Algeria–Tunisia border, the northeast by Tunisia; to Algeria–Libya border, the east by Libya; to Alger ...
in the semi-finals and were knocked out of the tournament after a 95th-minute free kick from
Riyad Mahrez Riyad Karim Mahrez (born 21 February 1991) is a professional footballer who plays as a right winger for Saudi Pro League club Al-Ahli and captains the Algeria national team. He is regarded as one of the best African players of all time. Ma ...
gave Algeria the lead. The Super Eagles later faced
Tunisia Tunisia, officially the Republic of Tunisia, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered by Algeria to the west and southwest, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Tunisia also shares m ...
in a third place match which they won 1–0 with the only goal coming from Ighalo which made him the top scorer of the tournament.


2021 Africa Cup of Nations

On 18 July 2019, the
Confederation of African Football The Confederation of African Football (CAF) is the administrative and controlling body for association football, beach soccer, and futsal in Africa. It was established on 8 February 1957 at the ''Grand Hotel'' in Khartoum, Sudan. At the FIFA Co ...
(CAF) released the draw for the
2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualification The 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualification matches were organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to decide the participating teams for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, the 33rd edition of the international men's football champions ...
. The Super Eagles were grouped in group L alongside
Lesotho Lesotho, formally the Kingdom of Lesotho and formerly known as Basutoland, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Entirely surrounded by South Africa, it is the largest of only three sovereign enclave and exclave, enclaves in the world, t ...
,
Benin Benin, officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in West Africa. It was formerly known as Dahomey. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso to the north-west, and Niger to the north-east. The majority of its po ...
, and
Sierra Leone Sierra Leone, officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered to the southeast by Liberia and by Guinea to the north. Sierra Leone's land area is . It has a tropical climate and envi ...
. Nigeria started out by defeating
Benin Benin, officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in West Africa. It was formerly known as Dahomey. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso to the north-west, and Niger to the north-east. The majority of its po ...
2–1 at Uyo in their first group match and later went on to beat
Lesotho Lesotho, formally the Kingdom of Lesotho and formerly known as Basutoland, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Entirely surrounded by South Africa, it is the largest of only three sovereign enclave and exclave, enclaves in the world, t ...
4–2 in an away match. In March 2020, as a result of the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
, the CAF postponed all AFCON qualifiers indefinitely. Subsequently, on 30 June 2020, CAF rescheduled the 2021 African Cup of Nations to 2022, to take place from 9 January to 6 February 2022. The qualifiers resumed on 9 November 2020. The 2021 AFCON started on 9 January 2022, and Nigeria was the only team in the tournament to win all three group stage matches after defeating Egypt 1–0, Sudan 3–1, and Guinea-Bissau 2–0. However, Nigeria lost 1–0 in the round of 16 to Tunisia on 23 January.


2022 World Cup

Nigeria failed to qualify for the FIFA World Cup for the first time in 16 years, losing to Ghana on the
away goals rule The away goals rule is a method of tiebreaking in association football and other sports when teams play each other twice, once at each team's home ground. Under the away goals rule, if the total goals scored by each team are equal, the team that ...
after drawing 0–0 in Ghana and 1–1 in Nigeria.


2023 Africa Cup of Nations

The Super Eagles started their campaign at the 2023 AFCON by drawing 1–1 to
Equatorial Guinea Equatorial Guinea, officially the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, is a country on the west coast of Central Africa. It has an area of . Formerly the colony of Spanish Guinea, its post-independence name refers to its location both near the Equ ...
in their opening group A match. They went on to defeat hosts
Ivory Coast Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire and officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital city of Yamoussoukro is located in the centre of the country, while its largest List of ci ...
1–0 and defeated
Guinea Bissau Guinea-Bissau, officially the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, is a country in West Africa that covers with an estimated population of 2,026,778. It borders Senegal to its north and Guinea to its southeast. Guinea-Bissau was once part of the kin ...
in the same scoreline. The round of 16 saw the national football team of Nigeria defeating
Cameroon Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon, is a country in Central Africa. It shares boundaries with Nigeria to the west and north, Chad to the northeast, the Central African Republic to the east, and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the R ...
2–0 with a brace from Ademola Lookman, they later went on to defeat
Angola Angola, officially the Republic of Angola, is a country on the west-Central Africa, central coast of Southern Africa. It is the second-largest Portuguese-speaking world, Portuguese-speaking (Lusophone) country in both total area and List of c ...
in the quarter-finals of the tournament thanks to a first half strike from Lookman. Nigeria faced
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...
in the semi-finals. Substitute
Kelechi Iheanacho Kelechi Promise Iheanacho () (Igbo language, Igbo: ''Ịheanachọ'', born 3 October 1996) is a Nigerian professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Forward (association football), forward for club Middlesbrough F.C., Middlesb ...
scored to give Nigeria a 4–2 penalty shootout victory over
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...
. The match finished 1–1 after extra time. In the final, Super Eagles finished as runners-up, losing 2–1 to hosts
Ivory Coast Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire and officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital city of Yamoussoukro is located in the centre of the country, while its largest List of ci ...
.


Team image


Kits and crest

The Nigeria national team has traditionally used a mostly-solid green on green
primary Primary or primaries may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music Groups and labels * Primary (band), from Australia * Primary (musician), hip hop musician and record producer from South Korea * Primary Music, Israeli record label Work ...
set with white numbering, lettering, and highlights; coupled with all-white reversed secondary kits, all emblematic of the colours of the Nigerian flag. The shade of green has varied over the years. An olive drab-tinged,
forest green Forest green is a green color said to resemble the color of the trees and other plants in a forest. This web color, when written as computer code in HTML for website color display, is written in the form forestgreen (no space). The first reco ...
was frequently favoured during the 1980s to the early 1990s, and jade has appeared in each of those decades as well; even harlequin has been used. Over the last decade, the team has appeared to settle on the more standard office green which most closely resembles the shade used on the flag. Nigeria's first national teams used a solid scarlet top over white shorts and socks until the country adopted its current colours after its independence. On 23 April 2015,
Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine giv ...
was announced to be the supplier of Nigeria's kits after
Adidas Adidas AG (; stylized in all lowercase since 1949) is a German athletic apparel and footwear corporation headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Bavaria, Germany. It is the largest sportswear manufacturer in Europe, and the second largest in the ...
ended their kit contract with the NFF. Before that, Nike supplied Nigeria's kit between 1994 and 2003. The kit Nike designed for Nigeria to wear at the 2018 World Cup went on to become one of the most popular international kits for collectors.


Kit suppliers


Kit deals

Nigeria's national team image has undergone much evolution throughout its history. Prior to independence, they were called the Red Devils due to their red topped kits. The name was changed to the Green Eagles after independence in reference to the Nigerian
state flag In vexillology, a state flag is either the flag of the government of a sovereign state, or the flag of an individual federated state (subnational administrative division). Government flag A state flag is a variant of a national flag (or occas ...
as well as the eagle which adorns the country's coat of arms. There had been deliberations for a while heading to the 1988 Africa Cup of Nations, where they were still called the Green Eagles, but at a reception after the tournament, the team's name was officially changed to the "Super Eagles". Today, only the senior men's national team uses the nickname. The women's national team is called the "Super Falcons", and Nigeria's underage male teams are nicknamed the "Flying Eagles" & the "Golden Eaglets".


Media coverage

The Nigerian football federation currently has an active deal with the parent company of
AIT An ait (, like ''eight'') or eyot () is a small island. It is especially used to refer to river islands found on the River Thames and its tributaries in England. Aits are typically formed by the deposit of sediment in the water, which accumu ...
and Ray Power Radio. Internationally, Nigeria's qualifiers and African Cup matches are regularly broadcast abroad by the multi-platform international sports network,
beIN Sports beIN Sports ( ) is a Qatari multinational network of sports channels owned and operated by the media group beIN. The network has played a major role in the increased commercialization of Qatari sports. Its chairman is Nasser Al-Khelaifi, and its ...
and South African broadcaster SuperSport. Nigeria's international friendlies are regularly scheduled in the UK through independent organisers are marketed to the country's large population of Nigerian
expatriates An expatriate (often shortened to expat) is a person who resides outside their native country. The term often refers to a professional, skilled worker, or student from an affluent country. However, it may also refer to retirees, artists and ...
.


Supporters

Though the club is most notable at Nigeria's home matches wearing green-themed embroidered outfits specific to the club along with wigs, hats and large sunglasses while dancing, singing, playing drums and trumpets, as well as carrying pom poms, culturally significant objects, inflatable beachballs, and waving flags; they have also shown a presence travelling abroad to support Nigeria in away matches. However, the club's efforts at improving the atmosphere at Nigeria's home and away matches are beset by funding issues, corruption and infighting. The club's current head, Rafiu Ladipo, has drawn criticism from its membership and is under pressure to defer the leadership to one of his deputies. A regular sight at Nigerian home matches is also their brass and percussion band, whose rendition of well-known Highlife songs provides Nigerian home matches with a unique feel. In Nigeria, these performers are occasionally conspicuous with their military uniforms or they may be members of the Football Supporters Club. A popular chant among supporters from all over the country, after a goal scored, is "Oshe Baba!", which means "Thank you father!" in Yoruba language, Yoruba.


Rivalries


Ghana

Many important matches have been played against various nations who have been occasional rivals. Of these nations,
Ghana Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It is situated along the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and shares borders with Côte d’Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, and Togo to t ...
is widely considered Nigeria's primary rival as the two sides have met one another more than any other opponent, as well as being two of the most successful national teams in Africa. Nigeria has enjoyed periods of success. The most notable of these periods are the early contests during the 1950s, and matches that took place in the early 2000s.
FIFA The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (), more commonly known by its acronym FIFA ( ), is the international self-regulatory governing body of association football, beach soccer, and futsal. It was founded on 21 May 1904 to o ...
lists the first official match between the two as a
World Cup A world cup is a global sporting competition in which the participant entities – usually international teams or individuals representing their countries – compete for the title of world champion. The event most associated with the name is ...
qualifier match in 1960. However both national teams had already engaged in competitive matches dating back to 1950. The national teams of these two West African countries were formed during the time in which both remained protectorates of the British West Africa, British Empire. At that time the modern-day nation of Ghana was known as the Gold Coast (British colony), Gold Coast. Colonial Nigeria, Nigeria, prior to adopting the national colours of green and white, wore scarlet tops over white shorts and were known as the "Red Devils". The two sides played for several rivalry and tournament cups during this period in which full international competition was barred to them. The encounter between these two teams is commonly known as the Jollof Derby.


Cameroon

Nigeria's neighbours to the east,
Cameroon Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon, is a country in Central Africa. It shares boundaries with Nigeria to the west and north, Chad to the northeast, the Central African Republic to the east, and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the R ...
, have also played Nigeria a number of times over the years. The teams have met three times in the final of the Africa Cup of Nations, African Cup of Nations with Cameroon winning each time. Both carry histories of continental success and World Cup representation that is nearly unrivaled on the African continent. Their rivalry began in 1960 and since then, Nigeria has proved to be a more dominating team, but in all three AFCON Final matches in 1984, 1988 and 2000, Cameroon prevailed over Nigeria. Nigeria has qualified for six FIFA World Cup finals, advancing from the group stage three times (1994, 1998 and 2014), getting knocked out in the round of 16 all three times, while Cameroon has qualified eight times, advancing from the group stage only once (1990) though they made it to the quarter-finals in that edition.


Other African nations

There is also a number of competitive matches with
Algeria Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered to Algeria–Tunisia border, the northeast by Tunisia; to Algeria–Libya border, the east by Libya; to Alger ...
dating back to the 1970s. The two sides met twice in the African Cup of Nations finals, with each nation splitting the win totals. It was a 1–1 draw in Algeria on 8 October 1993 that enabled Nigeria to claim its first World Cup berth in the 1994 edition of the tournament. Nigeria since then had an undefeated streak against Algeria, until the semi-finals of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations when Algeria prevailed over Nigeria. Nigeria's western neighbour,
Benin Benin, officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in West Africa. It was formerly known as Dahomey. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso to the north-west, and Niger to the north-east. The majority of its po ...
, has played competitive matches with the team since the period of European colonisation when they were known as Dahomey. But with only two wins and two draws to Benin's credit against Nigeria's fourteen wins, and with the sides having only met six times since 1980, Benin remains a lightly regarded opponent.


Argentina

In five of its first six World Cup appearances, Nigeria was drawn in the group stage with three-time champion
Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...
and is regarded by many fans as having fairly acquitted themselves against the footballing giant. The fixture is the most common in the competition's history involving an African nation. All five matches have been won by Argentina, but all were by a one-goal margin (1994 FIFA World Cup Group D#Argentina vs Nigeria, 2–1 in 1994, 2002 FIFA World Cup Group F#Argentina vs Nigeria, 1–0 in 2002, 2010 FIFA World Cup Group B#Argentina vs Nigeria, 1–0 in 2010, 2014 FIFA World Cup Group F#Nigeria vs Argentina, 3–2 in 2014 and 2018 FIFA World Cup Group D#Nigeria vs Argentina, 2–1 in 2018) and have been tightly contested. To date, Nigeria has recorded two wins against Argentina's six, with the victories occurring during exhibition game, friendly matches. Nigeria came close to defeating Argentina in their first meeting, during which they held a lead for some minutes of the match. This was followed by a 1995 King Fahd Cup, Confederations Cup match in 1995 which saw Nigeria hold the South Americans to a 1995 King Fahd Cup Group B#Nigeria v Argentina, 0–0 draw. Below full international level, their Football at the Summer Olympics, Olympic teams also faced off in the gold medal match in Football at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Men's tournament#Gold Medal match, 1996 (3–2 to Nigeria), and Football at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's tournament#Gold medal match, 2008 (1–0 to Argentina). The final of the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship was also played between them; both Argentina goals in their 2–1 win were scored by
Lionel Messi Lionel Andrés "Leo" Messi (; born 24 June 1987) is an Argentine professional Association football, footballer who plays as a forward (association football), forward for and Captain (association football), captains both Major League Soccer ...
, who would go on to find the net for the senior team in the 2014 and 2018 World Cup fixtures. The match-up holds some importance to many Nigerian football fans who regard the challenge as an important measuring stick for the development of Nigerian football. Argentine fans for their part, typically do not regard Nigeria as a rival. Although it means less to Argentine fans, matches against Nigeria are always seen as needing to be played with caution.


Home stadium

The Moshood Abiola National Stadium (formerly known as National Stadium, Abuja) serves as the official home stadium of the Super Eagles. Several international matches are played in other stadiums across the country. However, since the construction of
Godswill Akpabio International Stadium The Godswill Akpabio International Stadium (formerly Akwa Ibom International Stadium) is a 30,000 capacity national sports stadium located in Uyo, the state capital of Akwa Ibom State, Akwa Ibom. The stadium serves as a home to the Nigeria natio ...
in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, most of the Super Eagles' important home matches have been played there.


Super Eagles match venues


Results and fixtures

The following is a list of football match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.


2024


2025


Coaching staff

The current Nigerian (Super Eagles) managerial staff is made up of a technical adviser who serves as the coach in charge of full international matches and a chief coach who serves as the first assistant coach. The second assistant coach is in charge of the Nigeria A' national football team, home-based team as well as the African Nations Championship, CHAN tournament and other home based competitions. Other positions also include the technical assistant and the goalkeeper trainer.


Coaching history

:Caretaker managers are listed in ''italics''. * Jack Finch (footballer, born 1909), Jack Finch (1949) * Adewale Adegoke (1950–1952) * Daniel Anyiam (1954–1956, 1964–1965) * Les Courtier (1956–1960) * Jerry Beit haLevi (1960–1961) * George Vardar (1961–1963) * Jorge Penna (1963–1964, 1972–1973) * József Ember (1965–1968) * Sabino Barinaga (1968–1969) * Peter Amaechina (1969–1970) * Karl-Heinz Marotzke (1970–1972, 1973–1974) * Tiko Jelisavčić (1974–1978) * Otto Glória (1978–1981) * Gottlieb Göller (1981) * Adegboyega Onigbinde (1981–1984) * Chris Udemezue (1984–1986) * Manfred Höner (1987–1988) * Paul Hamilton (footballer, born 1941), Paul Hamilton (1989) * Clemens Westerhof (1989–1994) * Shuaibu Amodu (1994–1995, 1996–1997, 2001–2002, 2008–2010, 2014) * Jo Bonfrère (1995–1996) * Philippe Troussier (1997) *
Bora Milutinović Velibor "Bora" Milutinović ( sr-Cyrl, Велибор Бора Милутиновић; born 7 September 1944) is a Serbian former professional footballer and manager. He has managed at five editions of the FIFA World Cup, tied for the record al ...
(1997–1998) * Thijs Libregts (1998–1999) * Jo Bonfrère (1999–2001) * ''Festus Onigbinde'' (2002) *
Christian Chukwu Christian Chukwu Okoro (4 January 1951 – 12 April 2025) was a Nigerian football player and coach. A defender in his playing days, he captained the Nigeria national team to its first win in the Africa Cup of Nations. Early life Chukwu was ...
(2003–2005) * Augustine Eguavoen (2005–2007) * Berti Vogts (2007–2008) * Lars Lagerbäck (2010) * ''Augustine Eguavoen'' (2010) * Samson Siasia (2010–2011) * Stephen Keshi (2011–2014, 2015) * ''Shuaibu Amodu'' (2015) * Sunday Oliseh (2015–2016) * ''Samson Siasia'' (2016) * ''Salisu Yusuf'' (2016) *
Gernot Rohr Gernot Rohr (born 28 June 1953) is a German professional football coach and former player who is currently the manager of the Benin national team. Managerial career In 1996, he managed Girondins de Bordeaux to the UEFA Cup final, where they l ...
(2016–2021) * ''Augustine Eguavoen'' (2021–2022, 2024) * José Peseiro (2022–2024) * Finidi George (2024) * Augustine Eguavoen (2024–2025) * Éric Chelle (2025–present)


Players


Current squad

The following players were called up for the 2025 Unity Cup match against
Ghana Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It is situated along the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and shares borders with Côte d’Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, and Togo to t ...
on 28 May and the Exhibition game#International football, friendly against Russia national football team, Russia on 6 June 2025. ''Caps and goals correct as of 28 May 2025, after the match against
Ghana Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It is situated along the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and shares borders with Côte d’Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, and Togo to t ...
.''


Recent call-ups

The following players have also been called up to the Nigeria squad within the last twelve months. INJ The player is not part of the #Current squad, current squad due to injury
PRE Preliminary squad/standby
RET Retired from the national team
SUS Serving suspension
WD Player withdrew from the squad due to non-injury issue.


Player records

:''Statistics include official FIFA-recognised matches only.'' :''Players in bold are still active with Nigeria.''


Most appearances


Top goalscorers


Competitive record


FIFA World Cup

;Notes


Africa Cup of Nations

:''*Denotes draws including knockout matches decided via a
penalty shoot-out The penalty shootout is a method of determining a winner in sports matches that would have otherwise been drawn or tied. The rules for penalty shootouts vary between sports and even different competitions; however, the usual form is similar to pe ...
.'' :''**Red border colour indicates tournament was held on home soil.''


African Nations Championship


WAFU Nations Cup


FIFA Confederations Cup


Olympic Games


African Games


Honours


Major competitions

Intercontinental * Afro-Asian Cup of Nations ** Champions (1): Afro-Asian Cup of Nations#1995 Afro-Asian Cup of Nations, 1995 Continental * Africa Cup of Nations, CAF African Cup of Nations ** Champions (3): 1980 African Cup of Nations, 1980, 1994 African Cup of Nations, 1994, 2013 African Cup of Nations, 2013 ** Runners-up (5):
1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...
, 1988 African Cup of Nations, 1988, 1990 African Cup of Nations, 1990,
2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...
, 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, 2023 ** Third place (8):
1976 Events January * January 2 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 18 – Full diplomatic ...
, 1978 African Cup of Nations, 1978, 1992 African Cup of Nations, 1992, 2002 African Cup of Nations, 2002, 2004 African Cup of Nations, 2004, 2006 African Cup of Nations, 2006, 2010 African Cup of Nations, 2010, 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, 2019 * African Nations Championship, CAF African Nations Championship ** Runners-up (1): 2018 African Nations Championship, 2018 ** Third place (1): 2014 African Nations Championship, 2014 * Football at the African Games, African Games1 ** Gold medal (1): Football at the 1973 All-Africa Games, 1973 ** Silver medal (1): Football at the 1978 All-Africa Games, 1978


Regional

* WAFU Nations Cup ** Champions (1): 2010 WAFU Nations Cup, 2010 ** Runners-up (2): 2011 WAFU Nations Cup, 2011, 2017 WAFU Cup of Nations, 2017 * West African Nations Cup ** Third place (1): 1987 West African Nations Cup, 1987 * CEDEAO Cup ** Champions (2): 1977, CEDEAO Cup#1990 CEDEAO Cup, 1990 ** Runners-up (1): CEDEAO Cup#1983 CEDEAO Cup, 1983


Friendly

* Unity World Cup ** Champions (1): 2014 Expo Unity World Cup, 2014 * WAFU Unity Cup ** Runners-up (1): 2005 * Ethiopia TournamentEthiopia International Tournament (1992)
Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 21 December 2013.
** Runners-up (1): 1992 * Lunar New Year Cup ** Champions (1): 1998 * Catalonia International Trophy ** Champions (1): 2012 * LG Cup (association football), LG Cup ** Champions (1): 2003 * Unity Cup ** Champions (3): 2002, 2004, 2025


Awards

* FIFA World Rankings, FIFA Best Mover of the Year: 2000 * World Soccer (magazine)#Men's World Team of the Year, World Soccer Team of the Year: 1996 * CAF Awards, African National Team of the Year: 1993, 1994, 2013


Summary

# Competition organized by the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa, officially not recognized by FIFA.


See also

* Nigeria national under-23 football team * Nigeria national under-20 football team * Nigeria national under-17 football team * Nigeria national futsal team * Nigeria national beach soccer team * Nigeria women's national football team * Nigeria women's national under-20 football team * Nigeria women's national under-17 football team


Notes


References

;Specific ;Bibliography *


External links


Nigeria Football Federation
– official site
Nigeria
at Confederation of African Football, CAF
Nigeria
at
FIFA The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (), more commonly known by its acronym FIFA ( ), is the international self-regulatory governing body of association football, beach soccer, and futsal. It was founded on 21 May 1904 to o ...

GreenEagles.org – Unofficial Database of The Super Eagles of Nigeria
(archived 10 January 2012)

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