Cybereagles

Statistically, the 2018 team may be slightly better than the heralded 1994 version. This sounds like sacrilege. However, the numbers tell the tale. Of course, the 2018 team has not achieved any thing yet compared to the 1994 team that was ranked #5 in the world and was two minutes from a World Cup quarter final place.

The 2018 team completed the World Cup qualifiers without a loss, never mind the technical loss assigned within FIFA boardroom over the use of an ineligible player in the last game of the qualifiers. That loss-less campaign leads to an efficiency of 0.75 which is better than 0.71 achieved by the 1994 team (see Table 1). Moreover, the coach for the 2018 team, Gernot Rohr, has an efficiency score of 0.73 compared to Westerhoff's 0.66, in the year before the World Cup (Table 2). Sounds shocking but yet true. Both teams, however, are comparable on disciplinary issues with the 1994 team accumulating 13 cautions in its qualifying games and the 2018 team accumulating 14 (Table 1).

Details are found by clicking the following link:
http://eaglecity.blogspot.com/2018/04/2 ... teams.html

Please can we merge this with the other 1994-2018 thread.

Enugu II wrote:

Statistically, the 2018 team may be slightly better than the heralded 1994 version. This sounds like sacrilege. However, the numbers tell the tale. Of course, the 2018 team has not achieved any thing yet compared to the 1994 team that was ranked #5 in the world and was two minutes from a World Cup quarter final place.

The 2018 team completed the World Cup qualifiers without a loss, never mind the technical loss assigned within FIFA boardroom over the use of an ineligible player in the last game of the qualifiers. That loss-less campaign leads to an efficiency of 0.75 which is better than 0.71 achieved by the 1994 team (see Table 1). Moreover, the coach for the 2018 team, Gernot Rohr, has an efficiency score of 0.73 compared to Westerhoff's 0.66, in the year before the World Cup (Table 2). Sounds shocking but yet true. Both teams, however, are comparable on disciplinary issues with the 1994 team accumulating 13 cautions in its qualifying games and the 2018 team accumulating 14 (Table 1).

Details are found by clicking the following link:
http://eaglecity.blogspot.com/2018/04/2 ... teams.html

How did you arrive at the number of caps for the 1994 squad? what date was used as benchmark? Some of the caps appear incorrect e.g Rufai, Yekini.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1994_FIFA ... ds#Nigeria

The players' age, caps and clubs are as of 16 June 1994 (the tournament started on 17 June).

Nigeria Nigeria
Head coach: Netherlands Clemens Westerhof

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Club
1 GK Peter Rufai 24 August 1963 (aged 30) 55 Netherlands Go Ahead Eagles
2 DF Augustine Eguavoen 19 August 1965 (aged 28) 35 Belgium Kortrijk
3 DF Benedict Iroha 29 November 1969 (aged 24) N/A Netherlands Vitesse
4 DF Stephen Keshi (c) 23 January 1962 (aged 32) 59 Belgium Molenbeek
5 DF Uche Okechukwu 27 September 1967 (aged 26) 26 Turkey Fenerbahçe
6 DF Chidi Nwanu 1 January 1967 (aged 27) N/A Belgium Anderlecht
7 MF Finidi George 15 April 1971 (aged 23) 23 Netherlands Ajax
8 MF Thompson Oliha 4 October 1968 (aged 25) N/A Ivory Coast Africa Sports
9 FW Rashidi Yekini 23 October 1963 (aged 30) 46 Portugal Vitória de Setúbal
10 MF Jay-Jay Okocha 14 August 1973 (aged 20) 10 Germany Eintracht Frankfurt
11 MF Emmanuel Amunike 25 December 1970 (aged 23) N/A Egypt Zamalek
12 FW Samson Siasia 14 August 1967 (aged 26) 32 France Nantes
13 DF Emeka Ezeugo 16 December 1965 (aged 28) N/A Hungary Budapest Honvéd
14 FW Daniel Amokachi 30 December 1972 (aged 21) 26 Belgium Club Brugge
15 MF Sunday Oliseh 14 September 1974 (aged 19) 8 Belgium FC Liège
16 GK Alloysius Agu 12 July 1967 (aged 26) N/A Belgium FC Liège
17 FW Victor Ikpeba 12 June 1973 (aged 21) N/A France Monaco
18 FW Efan Ekoku 8 June 1967 (aged 27) N/A England Norwich City
19 DF Michael Emenalo 14 July 1965 (aged 28) N/A Germany Eintracht Trier
20 DF Uche Okafor 8 August 1967 (aged 26) N/A Germany Hannover 96
21 MF Mutiu Adepoju 22 December 1970 (aged 23) 18 Spain Racing Santander
22 GK Wilfred Agbonavbare 5 October 1966 (aged 27) N/A Spain Rayo Vallecano

folem wrote:

Enugu II wrote:

Statistically, the 2018 team may be slightly better than the heralded 1994 version. This sounds like sacrilege. However, the numbers tell the tale. Of course, the 2018 team has not achieved any thing yet compared to the 1994 team that was ranked #5 in the world and was two minutes from a World Cup quarter final place.

The 2018 team completed the World Cup qualifiers without a loss, never mind the technical loss assigned within FIFA boardroom over the use of an ineligible player in the last game of the qualifiers. That loss-less campaign leads to an efficiency of 0.75 which is better than 0.71 achieved by the 1994 team (see Table 1). Moreover, the coach for the 2018 team, Gernot Rohr, has an efficiency score of 0.73 compared to Westerhoff's 0.66, in the year before the World Cup (Table 2). Sounds shocking but yet true. Both teams, however, are comparable on disciplinary issues with the 1994 team accumulating 13 cautions in its qualifying games and the 2018 team accumulating 14 (Table 1).

Details are found by clicking the following link:
http://eaglecity.blogspot.com/2018/04/2 ... teams.html

How did you arrive at the number of caps for the 1994 squad? what date was used as benchmark? Some of the caps appear incorrect e.g Rufai, Yekini.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1994_FIFA ... ds#Nigeria

The players' age, caps and clubs are as of 16 June 1994 (the tournament started on 17 June).

Nigeria Nigeria
Head coach: Netherlands Clemens Westerhof

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Club
1 GK Peter Rufai 24 August 1963 (aged 30) 55 Netherlands Go Ahead Eagles
2 DF Augustine Eguavoen 19 August 1965 (aged 28) 35 Belgium Kortrijk
3 DF Benedict Iroha 29 November 1969 (aged 24) N/A Netherlands Vitesse
4 DF Stephen Keshi (c) 23 January 1962 (aged 32) 59 Belgium Molenbeek
5 DF Uche Okechukwu 27 September 1967 (aged 26) 26 Turkey Fenerbahçe
6 DF Chidi Nwanu 1 January 1967 (aged 27) N/A Belgium Anderlecht
7 MF Finidi George 15 April 1971 (aged 23) 23 Netherlands Ajax
8 MF Thompson Oliha 4 October 1968 (aged 25) N/A Ivory Coast Africa Sports
9 FW Rashidi Yekini 23 October 1963 (aged 30) 46 Portugal Vitória de Setúbal
10 MF Jay-Jay Okocha 14 August 1973 (aged 20) 10 Germany Eintracht Frankfurt
11 MF Emmanuel Amunike 25 December 1970 (aged 23) N/A Egypt Zamalek
12 FW Samson Siasia 14 August 1967 (aged 26) 32 France Nantes
13 DF Emeka Ezeugo 16 December 1965 (aged 28) N/A Hungary Budapest Honvéd
14 FW Daniel Amokachi 30 December 1972 (aged 21) 26 Belgium Club Brugge
15 MF Sunday Oliseh 14 September 1974 (aged 19) 8 Belgium FC Liège
16 GK Alloysius Agu 12 July 1967 (aged 26) N/A Belgium FC Liège
17 FW Victor Ikpeba 12 June 1973 (aged 21) N/A France Monaco
18 FW Efan Ekoku 8 June 1967 (aged 27) N/A England Norwich City
19 DF Michael Emenalo 14 July 1965 (aged 28) N/A Germany Eintracht Trier
20 DF Uche Okafor 8 August 1967 (aged 26) N/A Germany Hannover 96
21 MF Mutiu Adepoju 22 December 1970 (aged 23) 18 Spain Racing Santander
22 GK Wilfred Agbonavbare 5 October 1966 (aged 27) N/A Spain Rayo Vallecano

Folem,

The data I provide go until the Bulgaria game. If there is a difference between the figures that I provide and those provided here I will certainly stick with my numbers, which are backed up with a carefully verified list of games. I will certainly go back to check my data to be sure that I have copied the correct numbers, particularly as it relates to Rufai and Yekini. I also note differences with figures in there for Oliseh which is much easier to check.

In any case, my calculation of number of appearances is far more accurate than what you find in Wikipedia or FIFA. In fact, in most cases, the likes Wikipedia, IFFHS, and other sites likely rely on my work.

Nevertheless, and for comparison, it may be best to locate any of the listed players and identify each of the games that they have received credit from wikipedia so that we can then compare.

Can't really compare the 2018 team to the 1994 team. The data is not complete, also the 1994 team were African champs.

Statistics...damned statistics...

Says nothing about Quality...

1994 Squad was ranked 5th in the world...end of story...

FATHER TIKO wrote:Statistics...damned statistics...

Says nothing about Quality...

1994 Squad was ranked 5th in the world...end of story...

The FIFA ranking system used are different.

folem wrote:

FATHER TIKO wrote:Statistics...damned statistics...

Says nothing about Quality...

1994 Squad was ranked 5th in the world...end of story...

The FIFA ranking system used are different.

Matters not...

Nigeria was 5th in the world in 1994; and their performance at US94 proved the ranking was no fluke:

Easily beat Bulgaria 3-0 (Bulgaria reached the SF)

Lost in extra-time to Italy at the 2nd round (Italy were runners-up)

Check out our other performances at other WCups:
1998 - Lost 1-4 to Denmark in the 2nd round (Denmark went out in the QF)
2002 - Lost out in a group comprising England, Sweden, Argentina (None made it beyond QF)
2010 - Lost out in a group comprising Argentina, Greece, SKorea (None made it beyond QF)
2014 - Lost 0-2 to France in the 2nd round (France went out in the QF)

Fact: The 1994 squad had power, skills & swagger beyond anything we have witnessed in a Nigeria side before or since...
Like it or not, they remain the current benchmark for our football...