The agony of the Super Eagles: Ranking Nigeria’s recent football disappointments

The Super Eagles have suffered some losses in recent years, and some were were really painful 

Nigeria, just as many other footballing nations have experienced some painful losses over the years.

Across different different competitions － the Africa Cup of Nations and the FIFA World Cup － the Super Eagles have had some disappointing losses that have left many fans in pain, dismay and even tears.

In this article, Soccernet.ng highlights three recent losses which are still fresh in the minds of most Nigerian fans and probably still hurt.

Nigeria vs Argentina 2018 FIFA World Cup

At the 2018 FIFA World Cup, the Super Eagles were drawn with Croatia, Argentina, and Iceland. But they lost to Croatia and beat Iceland in their first two group games.

Their final group game was against Argentina in a winner takes all. They needed just a point to progress to the round of 16.

Argentina, on the other hand, were condemned to win, and failure to do so would see them leave the competition.

Lionel Messi scored in the first half, but Victor Moses equalized for Nigeria in the 51st minute. From then, the Argentines started pressing hard for a goal.

The Super Eagles thought they had an opportunity to go one goal up when the referee called a penalty after it seemed like a Argentine player handled the ball in their area. However, astonishingly, it was canceled after a VAR review.

With Messi still on the pitch and Argentina piling the pressure, most Nigerian fans had their hearts in their mouths. Odion Ighalo did not help matters, as he missed two clear-cut chances.

Javier Mascherano was bleeding on the pitch, tackles were flying from all angles, but the referee let the game continue.

The Super Eagles defended with their lives. But their lines got broken in the 86th minute, as Marcos Rojo scored to make it 2-1.

Unfortunately for the Super Eagles, they could not bounce back and that loss knocked them out of the competition. Nigeria has not qualified for the World Cup since then.

Nigeria vs Algeria: AFCON 2019

Nigeria added to her list of semifinal losses at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations when they lost to Algeria.

The Super Eagles looked like they were on course for the gold medal at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations at the time after beating Cameroon and South Africa in the knockout rounds.

Against Algeria in the semifinal, Nigeria looked like the better side. At the time, stars like Ighalo, Samuel Chukwueze, Alex Iwobi, and Wilfred Ndidi were at the top of their game.

Algeria scored first, courtesy of a an own goal by William Troost-Ekong. But the Super Eagles drew level through Ighalo.

The Super Eagles were slightly better, but they failed to score. As the game dragged on, it seemed like it was destined for a draw and extra time.

But former Manchester City star Riyad Mahrez had other ideas. Algeria won a freekick in front of the area in stoppage time. And with what was the last kick of the game, Mahrez struck a wicked curler past Daniel Akpeyi in Nigeria’s goal.

Till today, many Nigerian fans still blame Akpeyi for that loss. The Super Eagles got a consolation in the third-place game though, as they defeated Tunisia 1-0 to claim bronze.

Nigeria vs Cote d’Ivoire – 2023 AFCON final

The last Africa Cup of Nations was the closest that Nigeria had come to winning since 2013.

Going into the competition, many fans did not believe in the team, as they were underwhelming under the tutelage of then-coach Jose Peseiro.

There was also a huge question mark hovering over the goalkeeper position, as Maduka Okoye, Francis Uzoho, and Adebayo Adeleye who had gotten opportunities were disappointing.

However, from the first game, new boy Stanley Nwabali, who was brought in from South African club Chppa United, showed his quality.

As the team progressed through the tournament, the belief from Nigerian fans continued to increase. The Super Eagles saw off Cameroon, Angola, and South Africa before the final.

Going into the final against Ivory Coast, the Super Eagles looked good to get the win. Moreover, they had beaten the same Ivory Coast earlier in the group stages.

Nigeria scored the opener through a header from Troost-Ekong in the 39th minute. And it looked like they were set to emerge on top.

However two second-half goals from Franck Kessie and Sébastien Haller put a dagger in Nigerian fans’ hearts, as the game ended 2-1. Ivory Coast won the competition on home soil, leaving the Super Falcons with a silver medal.