Nigeria can repeat 1996 Olympics heroics –Amuneke

Former Super Eagles striker, Emmanuel Amuneke, has backed the current U-23 Eagles to win the football gold of the 2016 Olympics billed for Rio, Brazil in August.

Amuneke who scored the winning goal when Nigeria stunned Argentina 3-2 in the 1996 final to become the first African football nation to win Olympic gold 20 years ago, believes Nigeria can repeat the feat.

“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 told FIFA.com

Read also: Onazi regrets red card, to miss Kaduna match

“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.”

The former Barcelona striker who currently manages Nigeria’s U-20 Team after leading the country’s U-17 team to win
the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup, however attributed team work as the keep to their success in 1996.

“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.”

RipplesNigeria …without borders, without fears

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now