On This Day In 2013: Nigeria won AFCON Title
On the 10th of February in 2013, the Super Eagles of Nigeria won the Africa Cup of Nations for the third time in it’s history, after beating Burkina Faso 1-0 in the final at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Sunday Mba scored the only goal of the game.
The Late Stephen Keshi led the team and brought in young, home-based players such as Sunday Mba and Godfrey Oboabona, and foreign-based players like Victor Moses, Vincent Enyeama, Emmanuel Emenike, Brown Ideye, John Obi Mikel and Uwa Elderson Echiéjilé who were crucial to Nigeria’s run in the tournament.
Keshi was able to merge the technical skills of the Europe-based players with the raw talent of local players. They combined well to form a new Super Eagles that the country was beginning to place its hopes.
The Super Eagles missed out on qualifying for the 2012 tournament in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea for the first time in 26 years. However, the Eagles returned to the continental competition with a point to prove.
Former captain and then coach, Stephen Keshi, was hoping to rebuild a side that would emulate his 1994 championship-winning team.
Defender Joseph Yobo took over the skipper’s armband from Nwankwo Kanu. Yobo brought calmness to the backline and lead on and off the pitch, as he was plagued by persistent injuries during the tournament.
Road to the Final
Nigeria’s first match was a 1–1 draw to Burkina Faso, where the Eagles scored through Emmanuel Emenike, but Burkina Faso’s Alain Traoré cancelled out the lead with moments to go.
The Super Eagles then drew with defending champions Zambia 1–1, as another late goal from a penalty kick by Zambian goalkeeper Kennedy Mweene cancelled out Emenike’s second goal of the tournament.
In Nigeria’s last group game against Ethiopia, they were going out to Zambia for a worse booking record, but thanks to midfielder Victor Moses, Nigerian won 2–0 and advanced at the expense of the defending champions.
In the quarter-finals, Nigeria defeated tournament favorites Ivory Coast 2–1 in a shocking upset where Emenike and Sunday Mba scored goals.
Nigeria crushed Mali 4–1 in the semi-finals with goals from Echiejele, Ideye, Musa and Emenike.
The Final
After Nigeria and Burkina Faso played out a 1-1 draw in their group match early on in the competition, the Super Eagles had grown in stature and went into the game as favourites.
The Super Eagles made the brighter start and Moses was involved in the first good chances of the match, dinking in a free-kick which Efe Ambrose headed over. And then winning the corner from which Brown Ideye shot high and wide after keeper Daouda Diakite had spilled the ball at the midfielder’s feet.
While Nigeria assumed some measure of control, the Stallions were completely unable to retain possession.
Aristide Bance tried to lift his side when he fired over Burkina Faso’s first effort on goal and then dragged a free-kick wide. With Pitroipa anonymous in the first half, there was little threat posed to the Nigerians.
In contrast, Nigeria’s Mba produced a moment of sheer brilliance to break the deadlock just before half-time.
When the ball ricocheted to the midfielder on the edge of the box, he used his right foot to delicately flick the ball over Koffi and as the ball dropped on the other side of the defender, Mba volleyed in superbly with his left boot.
Nigeria came close to doubling their lead soon after the restart when Moses, involved in most of his side’s best work, played in Ideye who drove a shot across goal from a tight angle.
But the Super Eagles had done enough to clinch the trophy. Despite the narrow margin of victory, Nigeria’s win was considered a comfortable one.
Nigeria’s resurgence as the giants in African football sparked huge celebrations in Nigeria.
Stephen Keshi, who captained the Super Eagles when they last won the title in 1994 became only the second man to lift the trophy as a player and as a coach after Egyptian Mahmoud El Gohary.
The Eagles scored 11 goals enroute to winning the trophy for the third time in it’s 16th visit to the Nations Cup. Nigeria had previously won the competition in 1980 and 1994.
“Winning this is mainly for my nation,” the late Stephen Keshi said. “When I came on board a year and a half ago my dream was to make all Nigerians happy, and to construct a great Nigerian team. We are not there yet, it’s still in process,”
“You don’t want to know what was going through my head. To represent Africa in Brazil at the Confed Cup is an honour for Nigeria.”
Follow us relive this great moment in history.
‼️#OTD In 2013: Our @NGSuperEagles won her third #Afcon title. Relive the memories. #SoarSuperEagles #Team9jaSteong pic.twitter.com/0lURiDz0rP
— The NFF
