World Cup ’94 : WORLD CUP USA ’94 / GROUP D PREVIEW : Nigeria at a Glance
* COACH: Clemens Westerhof.
* KEY PLAYERS: Rashidi Yekini, Stephen Keshi, Daniel Amokachi.
* STRENGTHS: The Nigerian team is the only World Cup participant to have been tested this year in a real tournament. It won the African Nations Cup in Tunisia in March. Yekini, the top striker in the Portuguese League, was the leading scorer in the Nations Cup and was voted Africa’s player of the year in one poll. Most starters on the team are playing professionally with leading clubs in Europe.
* WEAKNESSES: World Cup nerves could come into play, as can the distractions of the United States, although Westerhof rules with an iron hand. Administrative problems and internal bickering among federation officials could be disruptive. The defense is something of a question mark.
* WORLD CUP HISTORY: First appearance.
* LITTLE-KNOWN FACT: Nigeria already has made its mark at the junior level, winning the inaugural under-17 world championship in 1985 and finishing second in 1987. It also finished second in the 1989 under-20 world championship but was stripped of the silver medal for using over-age players.
* OUTLOOK: Nigeria is poised to be the surprise team of 1994. It has talent aplenty, is not in an especially difficult group and certainly will advance to the second round, quite possibly as the group winner, even though Argentina is the logical favorite.
* PREDICTED FIRST-ROUND FINISH: First.
ROSTERS
No. Name Position 1 Peter Ruffai Goalkeeper 16 Aly Agu Goalkeeper 22 Wilfred Agbonivbare Goalkeeper 4 Stephen Keshi Defender 2 Austin Eguavoen Defender 5 Uche Okechukwu Defender 6 Chidi Nwanu Defender 3 Ben Iroha Defender 13 Emeka Ezeugo Defender 19 Mile Emenalo Defender 10 Austin Okocha Midfielder 11 Emmanuel Amunike Midfielder 7 George Finidi Midfielder 20 Uche Okafor Midfielder 15 Sunday Oliseh Midfielder 8 Thompson Oliha Midfielder 21 Mutiu Adepoju Midfielder 9 Rashidi Yekini Forward 14 Daniel Amokachi Forward 12 Samson Siasia Forward 18 Efan Ekoku Forward 17 Victor Ikpeba Forward
