World Cup Team Profiles: Group B: Nigeria

Teams / Ari Last / 17 February 2010 / Leave a comment Free £25 Bet

As the following details disclose, the World Cup is one of the few tournaments Nigeria have yet to win...

Not so long ago they used to be the cream of Africa, yet now they're the continent's also-rans. At odds of [160.0] to win it, there are four African sides being given more of a chance of success than Nigeria, although they are the second-favourites at [2.1] behind Argentina to qualify from Group B.

Also known as...
'The Super Eagles'

Road to South Africa...
Nigeria owe a huge thank-you to Mozambique for their place in South Africa. With Tunisia on course for qualification at the Super Eagle's expense, it was Mozambique who saved the day, defeating Tunisia 1-0 while Nigeria came from behind twice to beat Kenya 3-2 and secure their place at the World Cup.

World Cup Pedigree...
Up until recently, Nigeria were tipped to be the African nation most likely to make a real impact at a World Cup. Their spirited performances in both 1994 and 1998, including a memorable 3-2 win over Spain in the latter, suggested that Nigeria were on their way to becoming a force to be reckoned with in world football. However, their progress has tailed off in recent years, and they enter their fourth tournament with little expected of them.

They'll be relying on...
Inconsistent stars experiencing a purple patch. At the back, Joseph Yobo can be a pillar of strength when fully fit and focussed, while up front, the enigma that is Obafemi Martins will trouble any defence when on his game. If these two have good tournaments, Nigeria will have a great chance of getting out of the group, and a fighting chance of going even further.

Something you may not have known is...
While World Cup glory has so far eluded them, Nigeria have proved to be an extremely successful nation in other world football events. As well as winning Gold in the 1996 Olympics, they've also won the Under-17 World Cup on three separate occasions, most recently in 2007. A record which makes the recent poor performances of their senior side all the more puzzling.

Tags: nigeria, World cup betting, world cup news, world cup odds, world cup tem profiles