Nigerian football, specifically the Super Eagles—the Nigerian senior male football team—has experienced only lows and lows in recent times. From failing to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar to allegations of bribery and corruption levied against the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF), last November by Sven Goran Eriksson, the Swedish coach best known for coaching England’s golden generation from the early to mid 2000s.
Nigeria is currently ranked 35th in the world by FIFA. But there was a time when the Super Eagles was ranked 5th by FIFA— the so-called golden era of Nigerian football.
The Golden Era of Nigerian Football
In 1993, the year before Nigerian football first peaked, the country was embroiled in political turmoil. Moshood Abiola had won Nigeria’s first democratic elections on the 12th of June 1993, after ten years of military rule. 11 days later, Ibrahim Babangida, the then military ruler, annulled the elections. What followed was a period of political chaos and protests, and an interim government which was installed in August of 1993, only to be overthrown three months later by another military coup led by General Sani Abacha.
Abacha’s reign as military dictator was marked by human rights violations, culminating in 1995 with the execution of the ‘Ogoni 9’ activists, of whom was the renowned playwright and environmentalist Ken Saro-Wiwa. It was in this atmosphere of military dictatorship that the Super Eagles first peaked in football in 1994 when they won the Africa Cup of Nations and made their debut at the World Cup. The team was so phenomenal that FIFA ranked Nigeria fifth in the world—the highest position ever achieved by an African football team.
Playing at the 1994 Nations Cup inTunisia were players such as Peter Rufai, Ike Shorunmu, Austin Jay Jay Okocha, Uche Okechukwu, Mutiu Adepoju, Rashidi Yekini, Edema Fuludu, Finidi George, Daniel Amokachi, Emmanuel Amuneke, and many others . They went all the way to win the Nations Cup, after defeating a Zambian team led by Kalusha Bwalya 2-0 in the final.
At the 1994 World Cup held in the United States, the Super Eagles were in blazing form, defeating Bulgaria 3-0 in the first match with Rashidi Yekini scoring the first Nigerian goal in the FIFA World Cup. They went ahead to defeat Greece 2-0 but lost 1-2 to an Argentinian side, after a late strike by Claudio Cannigia. The team played the second round game against an Italian team captained by Paolo Maldini. The Super Eagles lost in the Round of 16, after Italy’s Roberto Baggio scored a penalty during extra time—but had they won the match and gone on to the quarterfinals, they would have been the second African team then to have done so, after Cameroon in 1990.
Between 1994 and 2002, many Nigerian players, including Rasheed Yekini, Emmanuel Amunike, Victor Ikpeba and Nwankwo Kanu, were crowned African Player of the Year.
A Second Golden Era
For many Nigerians, 1996 remains an important cultural memory as it was the year its soccer team, the Super Eagles, became global icons during the Summer Olympics.
The offshoot of the 1994 team was the Dream Team which won a gold medal at the 1996 Olympic games.
But by 1995, it seemed that Nigeria’s hopes of becoming a world soccer power would be dashed by harsh political conditions. The country was subjected to the tumult of the brutal military government of General Sani Abacha and the team’s success was hampered by the lack of organisation on the part of the Nigerian Football Federation, (known then as the National Football Association or NFA), as well as tribalism.
Just six months before the Olympics, as the AFCON tournament was about to commence in South Africa, General Abacha ordered the national team to withdraw. Officially, the two countries had been experiencing diplomatic tensions, Abacha said he feared for the Super Eagles’ safety. But this move was widely perceived as a response to the South African President Nelson Mandela and his administration’s vocal criticism of the Nigerian leader’s human rights abuses, which intensified after the execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa in 1995.
So, with the centennial Olympics taking place in Atlanta in July and August, the Super Eagles were determined to showcase what the world had missed out on at AFCON. But first, they had to overcome a laundry list of hurdles brought on by the NFA, like pay and benefits which players— including Victor Ikpeba, African Player of the Year 1997—say went unpaid to the squad and their coach Jo Bonfrère, they also had to deal with the association’s interference in picking the team and inadequate provision for the team’s preparations.
Given what the team had been through in the lead-up to the Olympics, it perhaps was not surprising that the players arrived at the Olympics in 1996 with modest hopes—even after winning their first game in the group stages, beating Hungary 1-0. In Group D, which also included Brazil and Japan, Nigeria only lost to the Brazilians, the tournament favourites. According to winger Emmanuel Amunike, the team was mostly aiming to just make it to the final round.
And they did. After qualifying from their group—along with Brazil—the Super Eagles defeated Mexico in the quarterfinals, 2-0, and found themselves in the semifinals, once again facing Brazil. Many people imagined Brazil to easily defeat Nigeria. But, according to Okocha, each win for the Super Eagles inspired more confidence in the team.
The team’s mental boost might have also been because of the support they received from fans. The Nigerian community in the United States rallied around them.
On the day of the match between them, Nigeria conceded a goal to Brazil within the first minute, this was followed up by two more before the end of the first half. By halftime, the score was 3-1 to Brazil. Nigeria first got on the scoresheet courtesy of an own goal from Brazilian defender Roberto Carlos.
In the second half, the game changed for the better in Nigeria’s favour—especially after Brazilian player Ronaldo was substituted. Nigeria’s play drastically improved, with a 78-minute goal by Ikpeba and another 90-minute strike by forward Nwankwo Kanu, the Super Eagles brought the score to a 3-3 draw at the end of the regulation period. The teams had to go into extra time. And then, in the 94th minute, the game was decided by another Kanu strike, a “golden goal” that ended the match. Nigeria had defeated almighty Brazil.
The Super Eagles would go on to face Argentina next as the first African team to be in the finals of the Olympic football competition.
As in the match against Brazil, Nigeria started slow against the Argentines, with the latter scoring a goal within the first few minutes, courtesy of forward Claudio Lopez. But by the end of the first half, the score was 1-1, thanks to a header by defender Celestine Babayaro.
Nigerian defender Taribo West gave away a penalty to the Argentines five minutes into the second half, allowing them to take the lead, 2-1. Coming on for Ikpeba in the 72nd minute, forward Daniel Amokachi would get the needed equaliser for Nigeria within two minutes of substitution. The score was 2-2 with just over 15 minutes and one goal left between the second place and gold for both teams.
Then, in the 89th minute, Nigeria won a freekick. Midfielder Wilson Oruma took it. The Argentine defence attempted to play the Nigerian attack offside but were unsuccessful. Amunike struck the ball, winning the match for the Super Eagles. Against all odds, Nigeria won the Olympic gold medal in football.