What the three time African Champions will be missing as this years AFCON .
After playing other colonies in unofficial games since the 1930s, Nigeria played its first official game in October 1949, while still a British colony. The team played warm-up games in England against various amateur teams including Dulwich Hamlet, Bishop Auckland and South Liverpool.
The team's first major success was a gold medal in the 2nd All-Africa games, with 3rd-place finishes in the 1976 and 1978 African Cup of Nations to follow. In 1980, with players such as John Chiedozie and Tunji Banjo of Leyton Orient, the Super Eagles, led by Muda Lawal and Christian Chukwu, won the Cup for the first time in Lagos.
And with 8 days counting down the likes of Mikel, Moses, Iwobi among other talented Nigerians will be missed dearly.
credit: worldfact/nigeriasoccernet