I'm not going to South Africa. So instead I'm gonna try and watch a bit if not all of every game at work, or at home or in a bar or wherever. On the telly. With a beer. And I'm gonna predict who I think is gonna win. And talk about football stuff. So there.

Tuesday, 22 June 2010

28th: NIGERIA

What a poor World Cup the African nations are having. I'd have put a little money on at least two making the knockout stages, but there's a very real chance that zero of them will make it through. I think many will be pinning their hopes on Ghana tomorrow night.

I fear this Nigerian campaign will be forever haunted by Yakubu's miss in the last vital game against South Korea. I'm still haunted to this day by Gascoigne's outstretched, grey-socked leg at Wembley failing to make contact with the ball at the Euro 96 semi-final against Germany. Many Nigerians won't forget Yakubu's miss in a hurry.

I'd tipped Nigeria to make it to the semi-finals of the World Cup, so what the hell went wrong, I just don't know. They were always playing catch-up after starting with a loss against Argentina, but losing to Greece and drawing with South Korea after leading in both games is going to be a bitter pill to swallow. Meanwhile, I'll have to swallow my pride and admit that so far, my predictions have been shocking.