Nigeria will participate to a World Cup for the 7th time in its football history.
The african national football team reached the World Cup Round of 16 three times (1994, 1998 and 2014), in the first 2 competition played one of the best nigerian players: Jay-Jay Okocha.

Okocha won the African Cup of Nations with Nigeria in 1994 and also played the final lost against Cameroon in 2000.
Between Nigerians and Cameroonians there is a strong rivalry since the second half of the 80s. That's because Cameroon won 3 African Cup finals against Nigeria.

The Super Eagles won their first African Cup of Nations in 1980, when they hosted the competition.
Four years later Nigeria reached the knockout stage, and there they won the semifinals against Egypt on penalties. In the final against Cameroon the Nigerians scored the first goal, but the opponents scored the goal for the draw and 2 goals more in the second half: Cameroon raised the trophy.

In 1988 the African Cup was hosted by Morocco. Nigeria national football team did a great performance reaching the final, once again, against Cameroon. Unfortunately for the Super Eagles, the outcome was the same and the Cameroonians won their second title.
In the 90s Nigeria played 3 African Cup: being runners-up in 1990, winning the third place in 1992 and finally being champions in 1994.

But in 2000, when Nigeria and Ghana hosted the tournament, the final was against Super Eagles versus Indomitable Lions.
Samuel Eto’o was 18 at the time, Patrick Mboma, Nwankwo Kanu and Okocha were at their peaks.
Eto'o and M'Bomba scored the first 2 goals for Cameroon in the first half, then Chukwu was the author of the 2-1 and Okocha scored for the 2-2 in the second half. At the Penalty shootout Kanu and Ikpeba missed and for the third time Cameroon was the champion against Nigeria.

The Nigerians will win their third African Cup in 2013 against Burkina Faso and qualified to Russia 2018 winning the group stage against Zambia, Algeria, and their rivals from Cameroon.

For the occasion of the 2018 World Cup, Retrofootball® launches the Nigeria national football team retro shirt of the 80s.

Buy the Nigeria national football team retro shirt of 1988