With the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar fast approaching, many are asking if Nigeria can get to the finals and progress beyond their previous best - they have reached the round of sixteen on three occasions - and cause an upset among the usual tournament favorites.

Part of the British Empire until independence in 1960, Nigeria spent 34 years in the international football wilderness, largely due to political unrest and economic uncertainty in the fledgling nation.

1994 saw the national team make their debut on the biggest stage, where in the USA they managed to get out of the group stage before being eliminated by Italy in the round of 16 - though they did manage to take the four-time champions to extra time.

Since then, Nigeria has qualified on four further occasions, reaching the round of 16 twice in 1998 and 2014.


Once the second round is completed, the contest moves into the final knockout stage. The ten teams that advance from the second round will play home-and-away over two legs. The five winners will qualify for the World Cup.

Despite players like Paul Onuachu - who won Belgium's Player of the Year and Golden Boot this year - Rohr says his players are making an impact, just not at top clubs.

Things aren’t too rosy when your coach doesn’t fancy your chances of making it out of the group stage. "When we have players in the biggest teams, then we can say we have a chance to get to the semifinal of the World Cup," said Rohr.

However, African teams have enjoyed success on the biggest stage, most notably Cameroon’s run to the quarterfinals in 1990 and Ghana just inches away from a semifinal in a heartbreaking tie with Uruguay in 2010 - there is always a chance.

Nigeria looks like one of the favorites to make it to Qatar, and although many don’t fancy their chances at the tournament, the World Cup is always full of surprises.