As Nigeria prepares to face Equatorial Guinea in their opening Group A match at the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations in Abidjan, on Sunday, January 14, 2024, here are some interesting facts and figures about the two teams:
– First AFCON Encounter: This will be the first meeting between Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea at the AFCON. However, they faced each other in the qualifiers for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, with Nigeria winning both matches (1-0; 2-0).
– Nigeria’s AFCON History: Nigeria is making its 20th appearance at the AFCON. The Super Eagles have won the tournament three times (1980, 1994, 2013) and reached the semi-finals in 14 of their last 17 AFCON participations.
– 1984 Final: The last time the AFCON was held in Côte d’Ivoire in 1984, Nigeria was the beaten finalist, losing 3-1 against Cameroon.
– Recent AFCON Performance: Nigeria has won 12 of its last 15 matches at the AFCON (L3). Their last draw dates back to the 2013 group stages, against Zambia (1-1).
– Qualifying Performance: Nigeria scored 22 goals in six games during the qualifying rounds for the 2023 AFCON, the highest among the 24 participating teams. Victor Osimhen contributed significantly with 10 goals and 2 assists.
– Equatorial Guinea’s AFCON History: Equatorial Guinea is making its fourth AFCON appearance, but it’s only the second time they have qualified as non-hosts. They reached the quarter-finals in 2012 and 2021 and secured 4th place in 2015.
– Scoring Record: Equatorial Guinea has never scored more than two goals in their previous 15 AFCON matches.
– First-Half Scoring: Only two of Equatorial Guinea’s 11 goals at AFCON have been scored in the first half of matches.
– Victor Osimhen’s Influence: Victor Osimhen was directly involved in 55% of Nigeria’s goals during the qualifying campaign (10 goals, 2 assists), the highest tally in the qualifying phase since Moumouni Dagano with Burkina Faso in 2010 (12 goals).
– Diverse Goal Scorers: Despite Osimhen’s 10 goals, Nigeria had 10 different goal scorers in the qualifying rounds for the 2023 AFCON, more than any other team.
