Super Eagles’ 2024 in Review: The year ought to have ended as regards the Super Eagles of Nigeria after FIFA released an update on its latest ranking, which saw the nation fall again. However, there was more in store for the three-time champions of Africa with latest revelation of unpaid bills.
It may news no longer, but given the year the team has had in 2024 and the uncertainties it potentially takes into the next calendar year, there is no assurance that the team or the NFF can weather the approaching storm, casting another doubt on their return to prominence on a consistent basis in the near future.
From the mesmerizing ride to the Alessane Outtarra stadium for the AFCON final against Ivory Coast in February, in a match that saw the end of a short-lived but spectacular start to the year, to the decline in their global status, we take a review of the Super Eagles in the year 2024, and what could await in the next calendar year.
Super Eagles 2024 in Review
Journey to AFCON 2023 Final
Not really a huge favorite of the bookers ahead of the start of the 34th edition of African continental competition, but under the watch of Portuguese manager Jose Peseiro, the West African powerhouse rode their luck into the final, until their flaws was brutally exposed in the final 30 minutes by a rampant host.
Never had the most assuring preparation either, but the Eagles did find their bearing through the games. Their 1-1 draw with Equatorial Guinea was far removed from memories as the team cruised to wins in their other two group games against Ivory Coast and Guinea-Bissau.
The round of 16 saw the team produced what was unarguably their best performance in Ivory Coast 2023, and a brace from CAF Player of the Year winner, Ademola Lookman propelled them to a deserved win and a place in the last eight at the expense of Indomitable Lions of Cameroon.
The Atalanta man was again the hero a few days later as his lone strike before the interval saw them topple the Sable antelopes of Angola in the quarters while in the semifinals, they won the battle of nerves in a penalty shoot-out to oust Bafana Bafana of South Africa following a one all draw after a dramatic extra time, which saw their opponent reduced to 10 men, sealing their eighth final in the championship.
There were question marks about the team, most especially in midfield, where there was shortage in both men and menace, but all was completely forgotten as the team progressed from one round to the other.
Nonetheless, the route to the final was rather too kind thanks to the failure of heavyweights like Morocco, Senegal, Algeria, Egypt and the likes, who were all sent packing either in the group or in the early rounds of the knockout stages.
On the other side of the draw, host nation Ivory Coast, who miraculously avoided group elimination, went on to reach the final against the odds. Thanks to the masterclass of their assistance turned Coach Emerse Fae, the Elephants had and overcame tougher obstacles before reaching the final, eliminating the likes of defending champions Senegal and ending DR Congo’s fairytale run.
Captain William Troost-Ekong, who was named player of the tournament, headed Nigeria in front with half-time approaching in the final with his third goal of the tournament, silencing the home supporters in the Alessane Outtarra stadium for the remainder of the half.
Though a loss would have been more than just a consolation given the narrative behind their outing, Emerse Fae charge got much more than expected in a climax finale, as two goals, both assisted by Simon Adingra in the final 30 minutes helped turned things around, gifting the host their third AFON title, while Nigeria picked up silver for the fifth time.
Post AFCON Reception and Appreciation
After the tournament, members of the Super Eagles squad and staff received appreciation from the federal government of Nigeria. Despite a narrow 2-1 loss in the final, the team’s resilience was celebrated, understanding not all contests end in climax.
The Nigerian populace also expressed immense pride in the Super Eagles‘ journey throughout the tournament. Upon their return, the team was greeted with celebratory events, including a heroes’ welcome.
In summary, the post-AFCON 2023 period was marked by a unified national appreciation for the Super Eagles, while there was no shortage of support during the tournament either. Nigerians flooded social media platforms with praises of individuals and collective displays in Ivory Coast.
Presidential Honors and Rewards
In recognition of their efforts, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu hosted the Super Eagles at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. During the reception, he conferred upon each player the national honor of Member of the Order of the Niger (MON).
Additionally, the players were awarded plots of land and flats in the Federal Capital Territory as tokens of appreciation for elevating Nigeria’s stature in continental football.
The Fall-Off Post AFCON: Life after Jose Peseiro
In March, Jose Peseiro announced his decision to quit his role as Super Eagles boss, stating that there was too much stress and that the decision had already been made, and wouldn’t have changed had he won the AFCON tournament.
Speaking in an interview with SABC earlier in the year, the 64-year-old said;
“There was too much stress,” Peseiro explained. “I had the support of my staff and the best from my players, but it wasn’t enough. I wanted to win the AFCON for the fans, the government, for everyone, but even before the tournament, I had already decided to leave. Even if I had won the trophy, I would have still left.”
Forgettable Spell Under Finidi George
In the wake of Peseiro’s departure, Finidi George, who served as his assistant was appointed as the interim boss on a permanent basis, and the former international, on his first assignment, led the Super Eagles to a 2-1 win over Ghana, ending an 18 year wait for a win in the jollof rice in March.
The team would go on to lose their final game of the international break by a scoreline of 2-0 to Mali, their first defeat to the Stallions in 39 years. Yet, the NFF continued to seal the appointment of George as the Head Coach on a permanent basis.
His reign was short-lived after failure to win in any of his two games in June, as Nigeria was held in Uyo by South Africa and lost to Benin in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers, leaving them fifth in group C with three points from four games.
Although the UEFA Champions League winner with Ajax has moved on with Enyimba international in the Nigerian Premier League, his short stint has left a huge scar, which is bound to become more obvious when the FIFA World Cup qualifiers resume in March 2025.
Epic Failure in Attempts to Appoint a Foreign manager
Bruno Labbadia Saga
The NFF announced the appointment of German tactician Bruno Labbadia late in August. He was supposed to resume work and take charge of the team for the AFCON qualifiers against Benin and Rwanda but he was not there.
It turned out that the NFF had hoped to finalize contractual details with the German when he arrived to sign the documents to make official his appointment. Unfortunately, they were caught up in an embarrassing situation as agreement could not be reached on the terms and conditions of the deal.
According to reports in Germany, Labbadia was already prepared to kick off his reigns as the new National team coach. His team have also get themselves ready for the task, and were in the process of securing their work permit as well as their traveling documents.
However, they had to stay back due to this disagreement, and the Federation was forced to improvise with an interim coach.
Securing AFCON 2025 Ticket in an Unconvincing Qualifying Campaign
Life under Austin Eguavoen
Austin Eguavoen has since been in charge of the team as the interim manager, leading them to a first place finish in the AFCON 2025 qualifiers with a record of two wins, two draws and one defeat, while they were awarded three points and as many goals for the canceled fixture with Libya in the Martyrs of February stadium in Benina.
It wasn’t the most impressive qualifiers. Despite well ranked above their Group D counterparts in Benin, Rwanda and Libya, the Super Eagles struggled, failing to at all beat Rwanda in their two meetings, losing the reverse fixture by two goals to one in Uyo back in November.
However, the goal is to reach Morocco 2025, and Eguavoen has played his part by delivering the ticket, while at the same time leaving clues that Nigeria will need a seasoned manager to get thee best out of the current crop of talent.
Highlights of the year
Road to AFCON final: The ecstatic journey to the final of the continental tournament was a period of cheer delight for Nigerians. Though it didn’t end as wanted, the joy in their first 630 minutes in the competition is worth so much.
William Troost-Ekong AFCON Best Prize: Following his astonishing performance in Ivory Coast, Super Eagles captain, Ekong was recognized as the player of the tournament by CAF observers, becoming the second Nigerian to claim the award when the country has not won the tournament after Austin Okocha in Tunisia 2004.
Bragging rights in the Jollof Rice derby: for the first time in 18 years, Super Eagles got one over the Black Stars of Ghana thanks to a 2-1 victory, secured courtesy of goals from Cyriel Dessers and Ademola Lookman in Marrakech in March.
Back-to-back CAF Best Award: In December, Ademola Lookman was crowned CAF Men’s Best Player of the year, succeeding Victor Osimhen, who won the most prestigious individual prize in African football, in 2023.
Best Players
Captain William Troost-Ekong and Ademola Lookman stood out during the year, winning the AFCON Player of the tournament and CAF Best Player awards respectively.
Ekong was a rock in defense as the Super Eagles kept seven clean sheets during the year, while also adding returns in attack with three goals, all of which came in the AFCON, making him Nigeria’s joint top scorer in the tournament, alongside Ademola Lookman.
Lookman, CAF Men’s player of the year winner had success both at club and country level. He wasn’t just Nigeria’s knight in shiny amour but for the whole of Africa. Just a couple of years since he switched international allegiances from England, now he’ll wonder why he was fighting his destiny at first.
Top scorer of the calendar year with six goals, Lookman was the only African nominee in the 2024 Ballon d’or final list and finished 14th, making him the best placed Nigerian in history, behind Victor Osimhen in 2023 and Kanu Nwankwo in 1996, eighth and 11th respectively.
Biggest Letdown
Though he enjoyed an historical year with his club Bayer Leverkusen, Victor Boniface had a tough year with the national team.
He missed the AFCON finals due to injury and after his return, he failed to replicate his club form with the Super Eagles. Seven games in 2024 plus four more from last year, the former Union St. Gilloise striker is still searching for his maiden goal.
Decline in FIFA Rankings: A Reflection of On-Field Struggles
Nigeria kicked off the year in 42nd and sixth positions globally and in Africa respectively. But after their great run in the AFCON, it moved up to third in Africa, behind only Morocco and Senegal, while it placed 28th globally in the February update.
The culmination of the challenges became evident in Nigeria’s plummet in the FIFA rankings and Super Eagles began to fall in the rankings. It was so poor that it fell out of the top five in Africa in September publication.
By December, the team places 44th in the world and fifth in Africa, highlighting how further things have drifted to the left when it has been so right less than ten months ago.
Administrative Inconsistency: Unpaid Salaries and Bonuses
Off the pitch, the team grappled with administrative issues that further dampened morale. Reports of players and coaches being owed backlog of unpaid salaries and winning bonuses running into billions, emerged recently.
Despite the aid from president Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who released 21 billion naira into the purse of the NFF, so the federation can see to the payment of the country’s contingents at different sexes and levels.
Oltsports also gathered that the NFF received a total prize money of 4 million euros from CAF for the Super Eagles’ second place finish in the AFCON earlier in the year, but appeared to struggle financially during the year.
In November, NFF President Ibrahim Gusau revealed that the federation has approached the MTN, Dangote Group, Baba Ijebu and others for sponsorship as they look for means to secure the finance of the appointment of a foreign coach.
Libya Ordeal and Other Super Eagles Moments that Fostered National Cohesion
The team’s resilience was tested during their trip to Libya for an AFCON qualifier, where the Super Eagles faced inhumane conditions, including being stranded at a Libyan airport without basic amenities for more than 16 hours.
Through their ordeal, the unity amongst Nigerians as a nation was showcased, and the Super Eagles not only won their protest to CAF as a win was awarded but also became a symbol of national cohesion during trying times as Nigerians voiced out in unison against the Libyan authorities.
A Gloomy Future: Addressing the Systemic Issues
The trajectory of the Super Eagles in 2024 serves as a cautionary tale of how off field issues can severely impact on-field performance.
To reverse this decline, a comprehensive improvement in administration is necessary. Ensuring timely payment of dues, improving logistical arrangements, securing stable and competent coaching staff in time will be decisive.
The NFF cannot afford to let the Super Eagles coaching role be vacant too long into the New Year lest the team’s chances of participation in the next FIFA World Cup be in jeopardy.
President Bola Tinubu has done well, setting up a committee to ensure that the country qualifies for the global showpiece in 2026 and a fund of 3 million naira, which was included in Nigeria’s budget for 2025 fiscal year, has been allocated for this purpose.
Nevertheless, without addressing these systemic problems, the future of Nigerian football will remain in uncertainties, with the risk of further decline in both continental and global standings.
The priorities for 2025 must include a strategic approach to ensure the federation can afford the appointment of a foreign manager, which has been the goal, while also ensuring it can keep it on a long-term.
The NFF, led by Ibrahim Gusau also need to be more transparent, while for the Super Eagles, securing the ticket to North America 2026 FIFA World Cup remains paramount to avoid back-to-back absence from the global showpiece.
The task ahead may be quite challenging but with world stars like Ademola Lookman and Victor Osimhen, there is no limit to what the Eagles can achieve in the continent of African under the right watch.
On a final note, special appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the support and commitment to the success of the team, and by extension, sports in Nigeria.
Kehinde-Hassan Afolabi
