Had the European debutants not beaten Iran 3-1, the story could have been different for the African champions who needed at least a draw against their familiar foes to be guaranteed a place in the last 16.
Thus, by ‘divine providence’ the Eagles have a date with former World Champions, France on Monday, June 30 in Porto Alegre. It will be Nigeria’s third second round experience at the World Cup.
The Eagles on their debut in 1994 in the US, stunned the whole world by beating Bulgeria and Greece to qualify for the second round. Four years after, they again qualified for the round of 16 in France. Since then, the Eagles have failed to go beyond the group stages.
The match between Nigeria and France is going to be the first World Cup clash between the two countries. At the senior level, the two renowned football playing nations have met only once and that was in 2009 in an international friendly. Although it was a close one, the French national team won by a goal to nil.
After five years of that friendly encounter, the World Cup in Brazil has provided the two nations with another opportunity to fight for supremacy.
A look at the performance so far of France and Nigeria inBrazil shows clearly that the Super Eagles despite their status as African champions are the underdogs in this encounter. While the French team had no skin pains qualifying from their group, the Super Eagles had to depend on the failure of another country to qualify.
France topped Group E with seven points after beating Honduras 3-0, Switzerland 5-2 and playing 0-0 with Ecaudor in their final group match. In all, the Karim Benzema led attack of Le Blus scored eight goals with the Real Madrid man netting three goals to rank among the leading scorers.
On the other hand, the Super Eagles have scored four goals in three matches and conceded three in the last group match against Argentina.
Up against France on Monday, the African champions would be up against the best attacking team at the 2014 World Cup. Going back to statistics made available by FIFA, the French team scored eight goals, had 13 shots blocked, 19 shots saved and 23 off-target shots, averaging 35.2 percent in the process.
Without doubt, such statistic should worry any opponent but one thing which might work in favour of the Eagles is the presence of Enyeama who is currently plying his trade in Ligue 1 with Lille OSC. The Eagles assistant captain had a spectacular season with the French side and has taken his spectacular form to Brazil where he is currently rated as one of the best goalkeepers in the 2014 World Cup.
Enyeama is widely tipped to play a pivotal role in the match against France because he is in top form and it is incontestable that there was no more formidable goalkeeper in the whole of Europe over the course of the last year. The Cross River born shot stopper recorded more clean sheets than any other goalkeeper in any of the Europe’s top six football leagues.
Most of the French players are not new to Enyeama and so he will be in a good position to alert the Eagles of danger ahead of them. As deadly as they have been so far, the French strikers know that they would be up against a goalkeeper who has frustrated even some of the best forwards in the World.
Although favoured to win, Eagles opponents are cagey about Monday’s match. Coach of France and World Cup winner, Didier Deschamp has since acknowledged the danger posed to his team by Eagles of Nigeria.
“Nigeria are a strong, fast team who have great qualities and it is going to be a really difficult match and we will have to fight,” Deschamps said in his post-match press conference after Les Blues drew their final preliminary game 0-0 against Ecuador on Wednesday.
Going by Deschamps complimentary remarks, it is obvious that the French know that playing against the Eagles is not going to be a stroll in the park. However, some Nigerians believe Eagles undoing would be giving undue respect to their opponents.
Former BCC Lions and Calabar Rovers player, Abraham Fackaa said if the Eagles would repeat the mistake they made against Argentina, they would pay dearly. “Against Argentina, the Eagles gave their opponents too much respect. They did not play their normal game. It was hard for them to string passes because they could not keep the ball.
“If they do the same thing against France, I am afraid, they would be bundled out. I want them to know that they are highly rated in World Football so no player should be big enough to intimidate them,” he said.
Monday’s match no doubt provides another chance for the Eagles to make amends. They could not make good use of the opportunity they had in 1994 when a last gasp goal by Italy’s Roberto Baggio broke Nigerians’ hearts and the same thing happened at France 1998 when they exited the tournament in the most embarrassing manner in the hands of Denmark. Eagles were beaten 4-1 with Tijani Babangida scoring the consolatory goal.
Have the Eagles learnt their lesson? Former international, Lawrence Ukaegbu says the Eagles are now wiser and more determined.
“I know France will not be easy to beat but I am sure the Eagles want to make history. They have failed at this stage in the past so something tells me they would do everything to prove they are African champions,” he said.