[Mhiz Rebecca]

When the Olympic Men's Football Tournament kicks off later this year
in Rio de Janeiro, Nigeria's football mad supporters will be anxious
for their side to emulate the memorable success of the original
Nigerian 'Dream Team'. It was 20 years ago this summer that a
renowned Nigerian team stunned Argentina 3-2 in the 1996 final in
front of almost 90,000 people near Atlanta to become the first African
football nation to win Olympic gold.
The winning goal was scored by Emmanuel Amuneke, who came on
in the 72nd minute. It was a life-changing moment for the striker,
who at the time was contracted to Sporting Lisbon. “Before going to
the Olympics, there was an agreement with Barcelona, but I was
struggling with injury, so there were doubts about my ability,”
Amuneke recalled in an interview with FIFA.com . "But after the
Olympics, Barcelona picked up their interest again, and I eventually
moved there. The impact I made in Atlanta allowed people to see that
this guy is a good player and you can count on him."
Making golden memories
Although they had made waves at the 1994 FIFA World Cup, which
was also in the USA, little was expected of the west Africans, who
were drawn into a tough group in the 16-team tournament, with
favourites Brazil among their opponents. Victories against Japan and
Hungary were enough to send the team into the knockout rounds
despite a 1-0 defeat to A Selecao . In the quarter-final, the Nigerians
impressively defeated Mexico 2-0 with goals from Jay-Jay Okocha
and Celestine Babayaro to set up a rematch with mighty Brazil in the
last four. It was a game that will live long in the memory.
With 12 minutes remaining, Brazil were leading 3-1 and inching
closer to a first gold medal that today is still missing from their
impressive haul of football titles. Victor Ikpeba pulled one back in the
78th minute before Nwankwo Kanu scored a dramatic last-gasp
equaliser. Four minutes into extra time the lanky striker made it three
goals in a quarter-hour with a golden goal. “Going into the
tournament we had the self-belief that if we applied ourselves well we
could do something great for ourselves and the country," said
Amuneke. "Don’t forget we had some players who featured for the
senior national team at the 1994 World Cup. But beating Brazil
boosted our confidence because it was a dramatic match. We were
almost out, but we fought and pulled it off.”
Amuneke, who had already earned his place in Nigerian footballing
folklore by scoring both goals in the Super Eagles' 2-1 victory against
Zambia in the 1994 CAF Africa Cup of Nations final, was benched for
the gold medal match despite having started in all games leading up
to the final. However, he was to make a huge impact, entering the
contest in the latter stages and scoring another dramatic last-minute
winner. “Two days before the final, our coach, Jo Bonfrere, told me
that some people were complaining that I was not playing at my best
for the team. But in the match, he told me to stay warmed up and, as
fate would have it, I scored the winning goal. So I was happy that
when I came on, I contributed my own part to the team.”
Expectations and differences
Despite a career limited by injuries, Amuneke has remained a leader in
Nigerian football and currently coaches the country's U-17 side. He is
confident that the Dream Team VI can do well in Rio. “We have to be
realistic about our chances too. It is not going to be an easy task,
but the coach (Samson Siasia) is experienced. He was in charge
when Nigeria won the silver medal in 2008 and also led the team to
second at the FIFA Under-20 World Cup in 2005.”
He does see some key differences between the Class of 96 and the
current team. “We had a very experienced team in 1996 with a lot of
talented players most of whom had also played at the FIFA World Cup
in 1994. I’m not saying that the players we have now are not
talented, but I think winning tournaments these days is not only about
talent. It is about how the players can adapt to the changes and
demands of the games along the way.”
Amuneke, who says that his gold medal was stolen from his house in
Lagos a few years ago, remains confident though, saying: “There is
nothing to say Nigeria cannot repeat the feat of 1996. It was a
beautiful thing that we laid the foundation and others have followed
our path, and I think our current team can repeat that success.”