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Remembering Nigeria’s Overflowing Crop of Strikers at the 2010 World Cup
The World Cup is here, and for the second straight edition of the tournament, the summer will go on without Nigerian involvement. The Super Eagles endured a disastrous qualifying campaign, winning just one of their opening six games and facing an uphill battle to qualify.
They did recover somewhat, and a run of three wins in four — including a thrilling 4-0 victory against Benin on the final day when they needed to win by three clear goals — secured a spot in the playoffs. However, that too would end in misery after losing the playoff final on penalties to underdogs DR Congo.
Africa’s Contingent at the World Cup
A ten-strong African contingent will now jet out to North America, with the bookies making Morocco the pick of them. One top crypto sports betting outlet currently makes the Atlas Lions a 50/1 shot to become the first winner from the continent of Africa, four years on from becoming its first-ever semifinalists. For Nigeria, however, a long summer lies ahead of simply watching on, as opposed to being involved.
Nigeria’s Glory Days
It wasn’t always this way. The Super Eagles featured in six of the seven tournaments held between 1994 and 2018, reaching the Round of 16 in three of them. Throughout that run, Nigeria had a slew of strikers in their attacking arsenal, capable of scoring goals against any defence.
Never was this more apparent than in the 2010 showpiece in South Africa, when then-manager Lars Lagerbäck named no fewer than seven strikers in his 23-man squad. While their goalscoring form would abandon them in their hour of need that summer, let’s see if you can remember who they were.
Nwankwo Kanu
When it comes to the greatest Nigerian strikers of all time, Nwankwo Kanu has to be near the top of the list. He shot to prominence with Arsenal in the early 2000s, announcing himself with a blistering 15-minute hat trick against rivals Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. He would go on to claim two Premier League titles with the Gunners, but by the time the 2010 World Cup rolled around, he was in the twilight of his career.
Kanu was still in the Premier League with Portsmouth, and Super Eagles boss Lagerbäck made him captain for the tournament. Even still, he sat on the bench for the first two games before playing an hour in the third against South Korea.
Yakubu
Feed the Yak, and he will score. That’s what English fans used to sing about cult-hero Yakubu during his days with Portsmouth, Everton, and Middlesbrough. He had just netted five Premier League goals for the Toffees in the run-up to the 2010 World Cup, and he was supposed to be the man to fire Nigeria to glory. Instead, it’s his disastrous miss in the third group stage game against South Korea — a miss that saw the Super Eagles exit the tournament — that he is best remembered for.
Obafemi Martins
Another genuine superstar. Obafemi Martins scored goals for fun alongside Brazilian Adriano at Inter Milan, before moving on to Newcastle United, where he would net 35 goals in three seasons. In 2009/10, he was playing for German outfit Wolfsburg and was still deadly.
Despite his unquestionable prowess at the club level, he wasn’t able to make an impression on the 2010 World Cup. He came off the bench in the games against Argentina and South Korea, but he was never able to find the net, and the Super Eagles duly bowed out.
Peter Odemwingie
Peter Odemwingie was somewhat of an unknown commodity back in 2010. He had spent the last three and a half years in Russia, never truly setting the world alight with Lokomotiv Moscow. He went to the World Cup anyway, despite his lack of form. He, too, would come off the bench for each of the opening two games but never found the net.
At the culmination of the tournament, Odemwingie joined West Bromwich Albion and immediately shot to prominence after scoring 15 goals in his debut campaign. He is perhaps best remembered for driving to Loftus Road, home of Queen’s Park Rangers, in an effort to force through a move on transfer deadline day in 2013, even though the club hadn’t even made an offer to sign him.
John Utaka
Jon Utaka was another in miserable form heading into the World Cup. He had just suffered relegation from the Premier League with Portsmouth alongside Kanu, but Lagerbäck called him to the international squad anyway. He wouldn’t see a single minute of game time at the tournament.
Brown Ideye
21-year-old striker Brown Ideye had never played for Nigeria before, but Lagerback called him up to the World Cup squad as well, despite him netting just two league goals for Sochaux in the season leading up to the tournament. He wouldn’t see a single minute of action either, but he would find form immediately following the tournament. In 2010/11, he hit 17 goals for his French side and secured a big-money move to Ukrainian outfit Dynamo Kyiv, where the goals would continue to flow.
Kalu Uche
Almeria striker Kalu Uche was perhaps the most in-form out of this entire crop after netting nine goals in La Liga in the buildup to the World Cup. Truth be told, he is the only one who managed to leave South Africa with his head held high after netting twice on football’s grandest stage, firstly against Greece and then against South Korea. The goals would dry up from there, however, and he only ever found the back of the net twice more in a Nigeria shirt before falling out of favour.
World leaders have called for sustained, more equitable investment in pandemic prevention and preparedness, warning that progress made since COVID-19 will need continued action to protect countries from future outbreaks.
The call was made on Friday at the second United Nations General Assembly High-level Meeting on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response (PPPR) in New York.
The meeting reviewed progress since the first high-level meeting in 2023, which was convened in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and gaps exposed in global health security.
The World Health Organisation (WHO), in a statement issued on Friday, said countries recognised progress made over the past three years, including the adoption of the WHO Pandemic Agreement and amendments to the International Health Regulations (2005).
WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus in his remarks emphasised that countries must continue investing in stronger health systems, local and national capacities and equitable access to vaccines, medicines, diagnostics and other health tools.
“The COVID-19 pandemic exposed and exacerbated the fault lines of global health security, and taught the world many painful lessons,” Mr Ghebreyesus said.
He said the political commitments made at the meeting included calls for “concrete, measurable and urgent action” to strengthen health systems and expand equitable access to health products and resources.
Pandemic agreement
Countries also called for the completion of negotiations on an annex to the WHO Pandemic Agreement that would establish a Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) system.
The proposed system, according to the WHO, is intended to facilitate the timely sharing of pathogens with pandemic potential and ensure that benefits arising from their use, including vaccines, medicines and diagnostics, are shared equitably.
WHO said adoption of the annex at the World Health Assembly in May 2027 is necessary for member states to begin national consideration of ratifying the Pandemic Agreement.
United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, speaking on behalf of Secretary-General António Guterres, urged countries to accelerate the negotiations.
“The Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing System, under negotiation, is critical to unlocking the full potential of the WHO Pandemic Agreement,” Ms Mohammed said.
Lessons from COVID-19
Mr Ghebreyesus said the COVID-19 pandemic was linked to more than 20 million excess deaths between 2020 and 2023 and wiped more than $10 trillion from the global economy.
The meeting also stressed that pandemic preparedness should not be treated solely as a health-sector responsibility.
According to the WHO, countries called for a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach involving communities and other sectors.
The political declaration also highlighted the One Health approach, which recognises the links between human, animal and environmental health.
Sustained action
The President of the 81st UN General Assembly, Khalilur Rahman, said international cooperation would be necessary to prepare for future pandemics, including through equitable access to vaccines, diagnostics and other essential medical supplies.
READ ALSO: Shettima joins world leaders at UNGA 81 opening
“We have the knowledge, we have the tools, we have the science and expertise, and we have the hard lessons of COVID-19,” Mr Rahman said at the meeting.
“Let us use them for ourselves, our families and our loved ones. And also in memory of those we lost and in recognition of all those who suffered, needlessly.”
The meeting’s participants stressed that pandemic prevention, preparedness and response should remain a political priority between health emergencies, rather than becoming a focus only when outbreaks occur.
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