Remembering Super Eagles ’94 Golden Squad 25 Years After

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Remembering Super Eagles ’94 Golden Squad 25 Years After

By Amaechi Agbo

In 1994, Nigeria made a landmark history in the global football stage when they qualified for the FIFA World Cup for the first time after winning the Africa Cup of Nations earlier in the year in Tunisia.

After Cameroon’s dramatic run to the quarter-finals of the 1990 FIFA World Cup, there were high hopes for Africa’s representatives at USA 1994. The continent had three places for the first time and the Indomitable Lions were there again, still with the evergreen Roger Milla, as well as Morocco, who had become the first African side to reach the second round in 1986, and, finally, newcomers Nigeria.

One of the biggest mysteries going into the tournament, the Super Eagles turned out to be the break-out stars of the bunch, surpassing by some way Cameroon and Morocco, who claimed only a point between them. By advancing to the second round – where they would be felled by the just-stirring giant that was Italy – the green-clad Nigerians captured the imagination and kept alive African football’s exciting emergence.

In the short view, a place in the last eight was riding on the Round-of-16 tie between Nigeria and Italy at Foxboro Stadium outside of Boston. In the long view, Nigeria stood at the precipice of history, within touching distance of Cameroon’s achievement of four years before with a guaranteed spot in the pantheon if they could overcome the three-time world champions.

The Super Eagles had served notice of their intentions in the US with a resounding 3-0 defeat of eventual semi-finalists Bulgaria in their opener. That match provided Nigeria with perhaps their most memorable FIFA World Cup moment: Rasheed Yekini’s ecstatic celebration – arms through the net, tearfully clutching his face – after scoring his country’s first-ever finals goal. The west Africans recovered from a subsequent narrow 2-1 loss to Argentina with a 2-0 win over group whipping boys Greece to finish top of the table on goal difference and were now poised to pluck the Italians from the vine. It was the first and only time that the Super Eagles won two matches in a group stage of the World Cup.

If the Nigerians were surprised to have the world’s gaze turned on them, the Azzurri, who had finished third as hosts four years earlier, were mortified by their performance to that point. They had yet to fully recover their way after a stunning 1-0 loss to the Republic of Ireland, and their golden boy, Baggio, had yet to find the net despite being one of the most heralded stars heading into the finals. The Italians beat Norway and drew with Mexico to limp into the second round as one of the better third-placed sides. But by the end of their extra-time slugfest with Nigeria, the Europeans and their striking talisman would start to look more and more like the slow-starting, Paulo Rossi-led champions of Spain 1982.

The Super Eagles attained their highest peak 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.

Come this April, it will be exactly 25 years since the ’94 team achieved all that and, deservedly, there are plans to mark their silver jubilee this year in Lagos.

Just in case you’d forgotten, the ’94 team bragged of legendary players like Rashidi Yekini, Emmanuel Amunike, Sunday Oliseh and Daniel Amokachi, as well as leading to the discovery of icons like Nwankwo Kanu and Jay-Jay Okocha.

The anniversary is being planned by sports administrator, Tony Nnacheta and it is scheduled to last for three days, starting on April 26. It will also witness the arrival of 37 football legends in Africa and beyond including four-time Africa Footballer of the Year, Samuel Eto’o, Chelsea of England legend, Didier Drogba among others, as well as the unveiling of a book and a documentary about the squad.

The planned ceremonies aren’t just about 1994. The team also made history by becoming the first from Africa to win the Summer Olympics in 1996. Fans will get a chance to see them in action again, as the players will reunite for an exhibition match against other African legends in Onikan Stadium, Lagos.

Below is the22-man squad list that participated in the 1994 World Cup

Goalkeeper: Peter Rufai, Wilfred Agbonavbare, Alloy Agu

Defender: Augustine Eguavoen, Ben Iroha, Stephen Keshi, Uche Okechukwu, Chidi Nwanu, Emeka Ezeugo, Michael Emenalo

Midfielder: Thompson Oliha, Jay Jay Okocha, Emmanuel Amuneke, Sunday Oliseh, Uche Okafor, Mutiu Adepoju

Forward: Finidi George, Rasheed Yekini, Samson Siasia, Daniel Amokachi, Victor Ikpeba, Efan Ekoku,

Coach: Westerhof Clemens

Additional report with FIFA.com

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