1.0Mathematical 7https://mathematical7.com/m7rich600338<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="a2xX5YQDnT"><a href="https://mathematical7.com/m7/my-personal-world-cup-experience/">My personal World Cup Experience!</a></blockquote><iframe sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" src="https://mathematical7.com/m7/my-personal-world-cup-experience/embed/#?secret=a2xX5YQDnT" width="600" height="338" title="“My personal World Cup Experience!” — Mathematical 7" data-secret="a2xX5YQDnT" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" class="wp-embedded-content"></iframe><script> /*! This file is auto-generated */ !function(d,l){"use strict";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&"undefined"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!/[^a-zA-Z0-9]/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),c=new RegExp("^https?:$","i"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display="none";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute("style"),"height"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):"link"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute("src")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener("message",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll("iframe.wp-embedded-content"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute("data-secret"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+="#?secret="+t,e.setAttribute("data-secret",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:"ready",secret:t},"*")},!1)))}(window,document); //# sourceURL=https://mathematical7.com/m7/wp-includes/js/wp-embed.min.js </script> https://mathematical7.com/m7/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Russia_2018.png168186Nigeria has been to the FIFA World Cup 5 times in her history – 1994, 1998, 2002, 2010 and 2014.  I have been to every one of them, but never as a player.  That may be the most painful part of my football career that had everything great and beautiful in it except that aspect of showcasing my talent before a global audience.  Probably, in order to compensate myself for that void that will never be filled again in my life, I have ensured, come rain or shine, that I went to all the World Cups involving the Nigerian national team since 1994, in one capacity or the other.  Before then, however, my story with the World Cup was a catalogue of failures.  My World Cup failuresTwice I was an integral part of Nigeria’s national team, the Green Eagles that got to the final hurdle of qualifying for the World Cup when FIFA had only one slot for the entire country but failed to cross it.  Both experiences have left very painful memories that will not go away 40 and 36 years after.   Argentina ‘78In 1977, the Green Eagles had actually arrived at the gates of Argentina, with only Tunisia to play against on home ground (a hallowed ground where visiting teams were regularly ‘massacred’), to win that match and to become the first Nigerian national squad to go to the World Cup.  It was supposed to be a routine match until disaster struck and ‘Nigeria scored Nigeria’.  An unfortunate ‘own goal’ headed beyond the reach of his own goalkeeper, Emmanuel Okala, by the most dependable defender, Godwin Odiye, sealed Nigeria’s fate.  Unfortunately, Godwin has had to live his life since that match with the ‘stigma’ of being responsible for Nigeria’s failure to qualify for her first World Cup experience.