Nigeria vs Liberia

After a tumultuous two years, Nigeria is looking to head back to the African Cup of Nations (AFCON), nearly 20 years after setting the standard in African football. Liberia stands in its path to returning to Africa’s biggest stage, who will look to reach AFCON for only the third time.

Nearly 20 years ago, Nigeria set the standard for African football, as the nation was ranked fifth in the world, the highest ranking ever for an African nation, two months before World Cup 1994.

Brothers Ikechukwu and Kalu Uche have scored goals for Nigeria at major tournaments and qualifying. The older brother scored two goals at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, while Ikechukwu scored a goal that almost sent Nigeria to AFCON 2012. However, a late goal at home to Guinea would send Guinea throught and Nigeria out of the tournament altogether.

Two of Nigeria’s most capped players have been playing for the national team for over a decade. Goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama, who has been voted as best goalkeeper in AFCON tournaments previously, has had a knack for goal scoring also, particularly in penalty kick situations, while Joseph Yobo is Nigeria’s most capped player of all time with 87 appearances, surpassing Nwankwo Kanu and Mudashiru Lawal for most in the country.

Liberia, on the other hand, has appeared at AFCON only twice, in 1996 and 2002. Both teams were led by its greatest player in the country’s history, George Weah. In their first AFCON tournament, Liberia would have played Nigeria, who was the defending champions in the tournament. However, Nigeria withdrew prior to AFCON 1996. Liberia, it its first AFCON game, played at Durban’s Kings Park Stadium won 2-1 against Gabon. The goal Liberia gave up proved costly because Liberia would miss out on the quarterfinals on goal difference: Liberia lost to Zaire 2-0, and Gabon beat Zaire by the same score line.

Liberia would soon feel even more heartbreak in 2002, as the country blew leads against Mali and Algeria before losing to Nigeria 1-0 on a goal by Julius Agahowa and missing out again.

Since AFCON 2002, Liberia has struggled to be one of the top teams in Africa. Yet, Liberia did play spoiler to the Cape Verde Islands, who was threatening to shock Africa and reach AFCON 2012, avenging an earlier 4-2 defeat with a 1-0 victory in Paynesville.

Liberia has reached this stage of the 2013 AFCON qualification process by virtue of a Dioh Williams goal in the first leg against Namibia, and that was the only goal in the two legs from that matchup. For Nigeria, they were held scoreless in Rwanda before Ikechuku Uche and Ahmed Musa scored the only goals for Nigeria as the country survived.

In between its AFCON qualifiers, Liberia suffered a 3-1 reverse in Senegal and held Angola to a scoreless draw. Nigeria, for its part, beat Namibia 1-0 and tied at Malawi 1-1. In addition to the AFCON 2002 meeting, the nations met recently in a friendly, which Nigeria won 2-0. Nigeria had also lost in friendlies against Egypt and Peru earlier this year.

Will Nigeria make amends after failing to reach AFCON 2012, or will Liberia upset the odds and reach South Africa? The answer will come this October.