FULL List of Nigeria 1998 World Cup Squad
Whether it was worth it or not is a different story.
France 1998 was the Super Eagles‘ second appearance in the World Cup Finals.
But as far as I’m concerned – as most of you will agree with me – it wasn’t the best. The 1994 maiden appearance still stands out for me, ranking 5th position in the world!
No doubt Philippe Troussier did a great job qualifying Nigeria to the World Cup. But what were the Nigeria Football Association, NFA (as they were then known) and sports ministry thinking?!
Troussier wasn’t a world-class coach and so what?!
Is the current coach of the Super Eagles a world-class coach? Was the one before him a world-class coach? Has Nigeria even ever hired a world-class coach?!
Obviously, the football federation never knew times like this will come.
They eventually showed Troussier the exit door and hired a ‘’world-class coach’’ in the person of Bora Milutinović a few months to the World Cup finals in France.
Clearly, appearing in three World Cups impressed the NFA.
But did they know that Milutinović did not qualify any of those teams to the World Cup finals?
Mexico in 1986 and USA in 1994 – they were hosts and did not have to play qualifying matches. There was also Costa Rica in Italia 1990, they fired the coach that qualified them to the World Cup and hired him.
You would expect a football governing body to know these things, right?
But NO!
Nigeria hired him and he led us to France ’98 World Cup, giving Milutinović a fourth World Cup appearance without the rigors of qualifying games.
Those qualifiers would have put Bora’s competence to the test.
Denmark mauled Nigeria 4-1 to send us out of the tournament in the second round.
The Nigeria 1998 World Cup Squad just couldn’t match the resilience and flair of the Super Eagles squad 1994 in the US.
Only the 3-2 victory against Spain can be said to be classical and spectacular as it remains memorable.
Nigeria 1998 World Cup Group/Fixtures
1998 World Cup Group D
- 13th June: Nigeria vs. Spain (3:2) in Nantes
- 19th June: Nigeria vs. Bulgaria (1:0) in Paris
- 24th June: Nigeria vs. Paraguay (1:3) in Toulouse
Nigeria won their group thanks largely to their opening game victory against Spain.
Nigeria Squad 1998 Knockout Stage
(2nd Round)
28th June: Nigeria vs. Denmark (1:4) in Saint-Denis.
The 1998 Nigeria world cup squad cannot totally be condemned when you look at their impressive displays in the group games against Spain and Bulgaria. The Super Eagles qualified already after just two matches against the Europeans while losing an unimportant match to Paraguay.
It was when the Bora Milutinović’s side – as group leaders – were drawn with Denmark in the round of 16 that many saw the coach's deficiencies.
The Scandinavians condemned the Nigeria squad 1998 to a humiliating 1-4 defeat breaking the Super Eagles feathers.
Nigeria 1998 World Cup Squad
Goalkeeper | Jersey | Name | Club | DOB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
22 | Abiodun Baruwa | FC Sion | 11/16/1974 | |
12 | Willy Okpara | Orlando Pirates | 5/7/1968 | |
1 | Peter Rufai | Deportivo La Coruña | 8/24/1963 | |
Defender | ||||
3 | Celestine Babayaro | Chelsea FC | 8/29/1978 | |
17 | Augustine Eguavoen | Torpedo Moskva | 8/19/1965 | |
19 | Ben Iroha | Elche CF | 11/29/1969 | |
16 | Uche Okafor | Kansas City Wizards | 8/8/1967 | |
5 | Uche Okechukwu | Fenerbahçe | 9/27/1967 | |
21 | Godwin Okpara | RC Strasbourg | 9/20/1972 | |
2 | Mobi Oparaku | KFC Turnhout | 12/1/1976 | |
6 | Taribo West | Inter | 3/26/1974 | |
Midfielder | ||||
8 | Mutiu Adepoju | Real Sociedad | 12/22/1970 | |
11 | Garba Lawal | Roda JC Kerkrade | 5/22/1974 | |
10 | Jay Jay Okocha | Fenerbahçe | 8/14/1973 | |
15 | Sunday Oliseh | AFC Ajax | 9/14/1974 | |
18 | Wilson Oruma | RC Lens | 12/30/1976 | |
Forward | ||||
14 | Daniel Amokachi | Beşiktaş | 12/30/1972 | |
13 | Tijjani Babangida | AFC Ajax | 9/25/1973 | |
7 | Finidi George | Real Betis | 4/15/1971 | |
20 | Victor Ikpeba | AS Monaco | 6/12/1973 | |
4 | Nwankwo Kanu | Inter | 8/1/1976 | |
9 | Rashidi Yekini | FC Zürich | 10/23/1963 | |
Manager | ||||
Bora Milutinović | 9/7/1944 |
Nigeria vs Spain 1998 Lineup
Nigeria vs Spain 1998 world cup held on June 13.
Referee: Esfandiar Baharmast
Venue: Stade de la Beaujoire, Nantes
Kick-off: 2.30pm
Goal scorers for Spain:
- Hierro: 21st min
- Raúl: 47th min
Goal scorers for Nigeria:
- Mutiu Adepoju: 25th min
- Zubizarreta: (own goal) 73rd min
- Sunday Oliseh: 78th min
Starting lineup:
- Goalkeeper: Peter Rufai
- Defender: Uche Okechukwu (captain)
- Defender: Mobi Oparaku
- Defender/Centre back: Taribo West
- Defender/Left back: Celestine Babayaro
- Midfielder: Mutiu Adepoju
- Midfielder: Garba Lawal
- Midfielder: Jay Jay Okocha
- Midfielder: Sunday Oliseh
- Midfielder/Forward: Finidi George
- Forward: Victor Ikpeba
Substitutions:
- Rachidi Yekini for Mobi Oparaku: 69th min
- Tijana Babangida for Victor Ikpeba: 83rd min
- Godwin Okpara for Garba Lawal: 90th min
Cards Issued:
Uche Okechukwu: 62nd min.
See Spain's lineup here.
See Nigeria vs Spain 1998 video highlight below:
Nigeria vs. Bulgaria 1998 Lineup
Nigeria v Bulgaria 1998 world cup held on June 19.
Referee: MF Sanchez Yanten
Venue: Parc des Princes, Paris
Kick Off: 17:30 Local (16:30 BST)
Goal scorer for Nigeria:
Victor Ikpeba: 27th min
Starting lineup:
- Goalkeeper: Peter Rufai
- Defender: Uche Okechukwu (captain)
- Defender/Centre back: Taribo West
- Defender/Left back: Celestine Babayaro
- Midfielder: Mutiu Adepoju
- Midfielder: Garba Lawal
- Midfielder: Jay-Jay Okocha
- Midfielder: Sunday Oliseh
- Midfielder/Forward: Finidi George
- Forward: Daniel Amokachi
- Forward: Victor Ikpeba
Substitutions:
- Nwankwo Kanu for Victor Ikpeba: 67th min
- Rachidi Yekini for Daniel Amokachi: 75th min
- Tijana Babangida for Finidi George: 84th min
Cards:
- Mutiu Adepoju: 20th min (Y)
- Uche Okechukwu: 43rd min (Y)
- Victor Ikpeba :49th min (Y)
- Jay Jay Okocha: 72nd min (Y)
Nigeria v Paraguay 1998 world cup Lineup
Nigeria v Paraguay 1998 world cup held on June 24
Referee: Pirom Un-Prasert
Venue: Stade De La Mosson, Montpellier
Kick Off: 21:00 Local (20:00 BST)
Goal scorer for Nigeria:
- Wilson Oruma : 11th min
Goal scorers for Paraguay:
- Celso Ayala: 1st min
- Miguel Angel Benitez: 59th min
- Jose Cardozo: 86th min
Starting lineup:
- Goalkeeper: Peter Rufai (captain)
- Defender: Augustine Eguavoen
- Defender: Benedict Iroha
- Defender: Uchenna Okafor
- Defender/Centre back: Taribo West
- Midfielder: Garba Lawal
- Midfielder: Sunday Oliseh
- Midfielder: Wilson Oruma
- Forward: Tijana Babangida
- Forward: Nwankwo Kanu
- Forward: Rashidi Yekini
Substitutions:
Godwin Okpara for Sunday Oliseh in the 46th min.
Finidi George for Wilson Oruma in the 69th min.
Cards:
Augustine Eguavoen: 26th min (Y)
Benedict Iroha: 39th min (Y)
Nigeria v Denmark World Cup Lineup
Nigeria v Denmark 1998 world cup held June 28.
Referee: Urs Meier
Venue: Stade de France, Paris
Kick Off: 21:00 Local (20:00 BST)
Goal scorer for Nigeria:
- Tijana Babangida in the 78th min
Goal scorers for Denmark:
- Peter Moller in the 3rd min
- Brian Laudrup in the 12th min
- Ebbe Sand in the 60th min
- Thomas Helveg in the 7th min
Starting lineup:
- Goalkeeper: Peter Rufai
- Defender: Uche Okechukwu (captain)
- Defender/Centre back: Taribo West
- Defender/Left back: Celestine Babayaro
- Midfielder: Mutiu Adepoju
- Midfielder: Garba Lawal
- Midfielder: Jay Jay Okocha
- Midfielder: Sunday Oliseh
- Midfielder/Forward: Finidi George
- Forward: Victor Ikpeba
- Forward: Nwankwo Kanu
Substitutions:
- Rachidi Yekini for Nwankwo Kanu in the 64th min
- Tijana Babangida for Garba Lawal in the 72nd min
Cards:
- Jay Jay Okocha in the 49th min (Y)
Henry
just love writing about football and playing video games, love my quiet time also. contact me @ [email protected]
