PANAPRESS
Panafrican News Agency
2013 AFCON: Amazing facts in Nigeria/Cote d'Ivoire head-to-head
Rustenburg, South Africa (PANA) - Following are the facts and figures between the Super Eagles of Nigeria and the Elephants of Cote d'Ivoire who are meeting Sunday here in the third quarter-final of the 2013 African Nations Cup finals in South Africa.
In the first quarter finals in Port Elizabeth, Ghana Black Stars defeated the Blue Sharks of Cape Verde 2-0 while Mali dismissed hosts South Africa 4-2 after a penalty shootout in Durban. The score at the end of 120 minutes of play ended 1-1 but the West Africans prevailed 3-1 in the shootout.
PANA recalls that Nigeria and Cote d’Ivoire have met five times in the finals of the African Nations Cup. Each time, the Ivorians have had the edge, but they ended up not winning the trophy. That was the situation in 2006 and 2008 when the Elephants beat the Super Eagles and ended up not winning Africa’s biggest football prize.
In contrast, anytime Nigeria survived the Ivoirians, the Super Eagles had reached the final, and possibly won the trophy. In 1980, the then Green Eagles survived a 0-0 group game in Lagos and won the trophy for the first time. In 1994, the Super Eagles survived a 19th-minute lead by the Elephants to stalemate scores at 2-2 even after extra time.
They also survived the initial penalty miss by Samson Siasia to snatch a 4-2 penalty win in their march to the 1994 African Cup victory. When the Super Eagles also beat Cote d’Ivoire 1-0 in a group game in 1990, they got to the final despite not having stars in the squad.
And now here's their Head-to-head figures, building up to Sunday's encounter.
Team P W D L F A
Nigeria 20 6 9 5 21 15
Cote d’Ivoire 20 5 9 6 15 21
-0- PANA KS/VAO 3Fedb2013
In the first quarter finals in Port Elizabeth, Ghana Black Stars defeated the Blue Sharks of Cape Verde 2-0 while Mali dismissed hosts South Africa 4-2 after a penalty shootout in Durban. The score at the end of 120 minutes of play ended 1-1 but the West Africans prevailed 3-1 in the shootout.
PANA recalls that Nigeria and Cote d’Ivoire have met five times in the finals of the African Nations Cup. Each time, the Ivorians have had the edge, but they ended up not winning the trophy. That was the situation in 2006 and 2008 when the Elephants beat the Super Eagles and ended up not winning Africa’s biggest football prize.
In contrast, anytime Nigeria survived the Ivoirians, the Super Eagles had reached the final, and possibly won the trophy. In 1980, the then Green Eagles survived a 0-0 group game in Lagos and won the trophy for the first time. In 1994, the Super Eagles survived a 19th-minute lead by the Elephants to stalemate scores at 2-2 even after extra time.
They also survived the initial penalty miss by Samson Siasia to snatch a 4-2 penalty win in their march to the 1994 African Cup victory. When the Super Eagles also beat Cote d’Ivoire 1-0 in a group game in 1990, they got to the final despite not having stars in the squad.
And now here's their Head-to-head figures, building up to Sunday's encounter.
Team P W D L F A
Nigeria 20 6 9 5 21 15
Cote d’Ivoire 20 5 9 6 15 21
-0- PANA KS/VAO 3Fedb2013
