AFCON: Is it too early to dream of Nigeria’s Super Eagles winning gold?

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The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is gradually coming to a conclusion.

The Super Eagles of Nigeria still a part of the four that will take on each other in the semi-finals and come their fate in that encounter, the 3rd place affair and the final.

In the 20 AFCON appearances so far, this stage of the tourney has always accompanied mixed feelings for the national team.

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Going on to win on three occasions, runners-up four different times and settling for the 3rd place spot for a record high eight times.

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Bronze merchants

Jose Peseiro’s lads are already remarked as the third place poster boys in the AFCON over the years. Overall, the Nigerians have accumulated eight bronze medals (more than any other in the competition’s history).

The ill-fated affair began with consecutive ones in 1976 and 1978 before adding a third in the 1992 edition.

Boasting one of the national team’s best squads in the early 2000s, they still somehow mustered 4 bronze finishes in 5 editions between 2000-2005. 

The last and final came in the 2019 edition. Should the Super Eagles pick up another bronze medal, they’ll set an unprecedented record of 9 3rd place finishes.

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Potential second place?

On four occasions, the Super Eagles have been AFCON runner-ups. Losing to the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon on three of those encounters.

1984 at Ivory Coast, 1988 at Casablanca, Morocco and more humiliating in 2000 on home soil at Lagos National stadium, Lagos.

The only other final not being a loss to the Cameroonian national team was in 1990. Cherif Oudjani’s 38th minute winner ensuring the Algerians retained the trophy in front of their own fans at Algiers.

With Cameroon now out of the way owing to Ademola Lookman’s brilliance, perhaps the Super Eagles should be enroute for gold.

However, should this tournament end in another final loss, they will tie West-African rivals Ghana for the most AFCON finals lost (5).

The one with the gold medal

Should the national team go all the way and take the tournament, this will be the fourth triumph for the giants of Africa.

The first came in the 1980 3-0 victory over Algeria at the Lagos National stadium courtesy a brace from Segun Odegbami and Muda Lawal’s goal. 

The Nigerian faithful had to wait another 14 years to cart home another nations cup title. The Green Eagles went past Zambia with a 2-1 margin.

The Zambian team which was just put together, following the 1993 air disaster in which eighteen players and several staff members passed.

The 2013 victory in Soccer City under Stephen Keshi being the most recent. Ahmed Musa and Kenneth Omeruo both with that squad are now veterans in the team challenging for glory 11 years later.