By: Christopher Emenyonu
“If you had asked me what I wanted to do here, I would have said that I would like to make the Emirates the toughest stadium to play at in England, to create a really unique atmosphere that you feel on your skin when you go there.”
Mikel Arteta and indeed every coach in the world will give anything to ensure their home turf is an unfriendly place for any opponent.
This not only builds confidence in the home team or makes the fans super excited to make the place hostile, it also makes the opposition think and work extra hard with the mindset “Can we beat them there?”
Top teams including national teams ensure to do this always but in Nigeria, the reverse seems the case for the Super Eagles.
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s national team does not have a home ground. In years past the national stadium, Surulere, Lagos state used to be the fortress.
A ground where opponents were slaughtered and perched on.
Between 2014 and 2019, the nest of Champions, Godswill Akpabio stadium was the fortress the Eagles downed their opponents with the last game played there a 2-1 win over Benin Republic in November 2020.
But in recent years, the Super Eagles have moved from one place to another. Between 2020 and 2023, the team has played on three different grounds – Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium Benin (Edo state), Teslim Balogun Surulere (Lagos state), and Moshood Abiola Stadium (Abuja).
Discomfort in unfamiliarity
In November 2020 after the COVID-19 pandemic, the Super Eagles played their only match of the year in Benin.
The game ended in a dramatic 4-4 draw. The Eagles threw away a 4 goal lead. But the worst of it is a long-term injury to key man Victor Osimhen.
The agony lived long in the hearts of fans and especially in the career of Osimhen back then.
In 2021, a couple of mixed results at Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos.
The fans were not convinced by their performances and more so, the then coach Gernot Rohr was not convinced about the pitch.
2022 saw a return to Abuja and a very big heartbreak in the hearts of players, coaches, and fans.
The Super Eagles lost their Qatar 2022 World Cup place to arch-rivals Ghana on away goals.
However, the memories at the stadium were often not the best. Nigeria’s first game in the stadium was a 3-0 loss to Samba Boys of Brazil in 2003.
So why the Godswill Akpabio stadium?
The team had lost twice at the stadium. But the structure remains arguably the best football playing surface in Nigeria.
CAF approves that as the stadium is not only the only approved CAF stadium in Nigeria but remains the only stadium to hide an international game in recent years – the 2021 CAF Confederation Cup finals.
Jose Peseiro the head coach of the Super Eagles had a number of times on his visitation to the stadium lauded the stadium and the pitch.
Furthermore, former coach, Gernot Rohr was also full of praise for the stadium.
But what are the records in the almighty stadium in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state?
As compiled by the Akwa Ibom State Football Association media, the Super Eagles lost twice in 5 years in the stadium.
SUPER EAGLES RECORD IN UYO
1. Nigeria 2-2 South Africa
(2015 AFCON qualifier)
November 19, 2014
2. Nigeria 0-1 Uganda
(Friendly)
March 25, 2015
3. Nigeria 1-0 Tanzania
(2017 AFCON qualifier)
September 3, 2016
4. Nigeria 3-0 Algeria
(2018 WC qualifier)
November 12, 2016
5. Nigeria 0-2 South Africa
(2019 AFCON qualifier)
June 10, 2017
6. Nigeria 4-0 Cameroon
(2018 WC qualifier)
September 1, 2017
7. Nigeria 1-0 Zambia
(2018 WC qualifier)
October 7, 2017
8. Nigeria 4-0 Libya
(2019 AFCON qualifier)
October 13, 2018
9. Nigeria 2-1 Benin
(2021 AFCON qualifier)
November 13, 2019
So after a sojourn of 4 years, the Super Eagles will return to Akwa Ibom state to restart the journey they started in 2014.
