<P> Nigerian cuisine, like West African cuisine in general, is known for its richness and variety . Many different spices, herbs and flavourings are used in conjunction with palm oil or groundnut oil to create deeply flavoured sauces and soups often made very hot with chili peppers . Nigerian feasts are colourful and lavish, while aromatic market and roadside snacks cooked on barbecues or fried in oil are plentiful and varied . </P> <P> Football is largely considered Nigeria's national sport and the country has its own Premier League of football . Nigeria's national football team, known as the "Super Eagles", has made the World Cup on Six occasions 1994, 1998, 2002, 2010, 2014, and most recently in 2018 . In April 1994, the Super Eagles ranked 5th in the FIFA World Rankings, the highest ranking achieved by an African football team . They won the African Cup of Nations in 1980, 1994, and 2013, and have also hosted the U-17 & U-20 World Cup . They won the gold medal for football in the 1996 Summer Olympics (in which they beat Argentina) becoming the first African football team to win gold in Olympic Football . </P> <P> The nation's cadet team from Japan' 93 produced some international players notably Nwankwo Kanu, a two - time African Footballer of the year who won the European Champions League with Ajax Amsterdam and later played with Inter Milan, Arsenal, West Bromwich Albion and Portsmouth . Other players that graduated from the junior teams are Nduka Ugbade, Jonathan Akpoborie, Victor Ikpeba, Celestine Babayaro, Wilson Oruma and Taye Taiwo . Some other famous Nigerian footballers include John Obi Mikel, Obafemi Martins, Vincent Enyeama, Yakubu Aiyegbeni, Rashidi Yekini, Peter Odemwingie and Jay - Jay Okocha . </P> <P> According to the official May 2010 FIFA World Rankings, Nigeria was the second top - ranked football nation in Africa and the 21st highest in the world . Nigeria is also involved in other sports such as basketball, cricket and track and field . Boxing is also an important sport in Nigeria; Dick Tiger and Samuel Peter are both former World Champions . </P>

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