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One of the most topical issues in Nigerian football at the moment is the Group D of the 2018 World Cup where the Super Eagles have been drawn with perennial rivals Argentina, Croatia and debutants, Iceland.
For Nigerian football fans, it was a disappointing draw because Nigeria was unable to break the ‘jinx’ of drawing Argentina at almost every FIFA World Cup.
Apart from the 1998 World Cup, the Eagles faced Argentina at the group stages of all other four World Cup appearances.
They were in the same group when they debuted in 1994 in USA, 2002 in Korea/Japan, 2010 in South Africa and 2014 in Brazil.
Out of the four World Cup clashes, the South Americans won all leaving a sour taste in the mouth of the Eagles and their teeming fans. They won 2-1 in USA, 1-0 in 2002, 1-0 in 2010 and 4-2 in Brazil 2014.
Consequently, despite their recent thrashing of the Argentines, it was the prayer of almost all Nigerian football fans that the Eagles shouldn’t be drawn in the same group with Argentina.
Unfortunately, it did not happen as Nigeria will be facing Argentina for the fifth time in their six appearances at the FIFA World Cup.
Although a lot of fans have concentrated on the danger posed by the Argentines, the South Americans are not the only threat to the Super Eagles as other group opponents Croatia and Iceland are equally tricky customers.
Those who underrate the strength of new comers Iceland may be forgiven but anyone who thinks the same of Croatia who will be making their fifth World Cup appearance won’t be taken seriously by those who know the might of the Croats.
The modern Croatia national team was formed in 1990 shortly after independence from Yugoslovia and became a member of FIFA in 1993. They made their debut in the World Cup in 1998, four years after the Super Eagles.
In their debut, they achieved what the Super Eagles failed to achieve on their debut as they finished third and produced the tournament’s top scorer, Davor Suker who is presently the country’s football federation president.
Although they have not gone beyond the group stages in their subsequent appearances, Croatia have missed only one edition of the World Cup which was the 2006 edition in Germany. They have appeared at France ’98, Korea/Japan 2002, Germany 2006 and Brazil 2014.
Without doubt, Argentine stars likes former world player Messi, Aguero, Higuain, Dybala, Angel Di Maria, Icardi, Otamendi, Mascherano and Benega can easily instil fear into opponents but Croatia will be coming to the party in Russia with extravagantly talented players like Real Madrid star Luka Modric, Daniel Subasic, Dejan Lovern, Ivan Perisic, Ivan Rakitic, Marcelo Brozovic, Nikola Vlasic, Andrej Kramaric, Nikola Kalinic and the legendary Mario Mandzukic.
Nigeria’s other group opponent Iceland may be viewed as the weakest in the group but such assumption is wrong. Instead Nigeria is the weakest team in the group and that was why the Super Eagles were in pot 4.
The heroics of Iceland at EURO 2016 where they knocked out almighty England at the quarter-finals and the relative ease with which they qualified for the 2018 World Cup have shown clearly that may not be the whipping team of the group.
The Icelanders also boast of Johann Berg, Gudmundsson, Aaron Gunnarson and the dark horse Gylfi Sigurdsson for the party in Russia.
It may not be an easy group for the Super Eagles who are the least ranked team in the group but recent performances by Gernot Rohr’s men have indicated that they will not be in Russia to make up the numbers.
Having qualified for the 2018 World Cup without suffering any defeat, the John Mikel Obi, Victor Moses, Alex Iwobi, Simon Moses and kelechi Iheancho inspired Super Eagles are also favoured to qualify from the group.
However, they must be ready to deal decisively with their albatross, the Albicelestes (Argentina) who have appeared in five World Cup finals.
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