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When we were kings: Super Eagles who stunned Africa and the world

The Super Eagles played their first international match on October 8, 1949 – a 2-0 victory against Sierra Leone, in Free Town. But it was not until 1994 that they qualified for the FIFA World Cup.

 That squad of the early 90s is still remembered by many football fans across the continent, and perhaps the world, for its exceptional talents and dribbling skills. Despite being their maiden appearance at the biggest football stage, Nigeria made it to the round of 16 in the USA Games.

 They would later equal that feat in 1998 and 2014.  But Nigeria’s success didn’t fall from the sky. It took them almost ten years to put up the team together, a youth structure that gave birth to the Golden generation of the mid-90s.  Nigeria won the under-17 World Cup in 93, the African Cup of Nations the following year and the Olympic games in 1996, Atlanta, Georgia.

Two years before the Super Eagles was ranked 5th in the world which to date still remains the highest FIFA ranking position ever achieved by an African football team.  And as AFCON fever continues to spread across the continent, as some of the big names tumble on the first block, The Nairobian takes a look at some of the Super Eagles golden generation who once entertained the world with their skills.

Vincent Enyeama

 Still considered Nigeria’s greatest goalkeeper of all time and joint-most capped player of all time, Enyeama spent 13 years between the sticks in the green and white Super eagles colours. A one-time Afcon winner, Enyeama raked in over 100 caps for Nigeria. His consistency was evident even at club level having spent six years with French side Lille.

 Interestingly, Enyeama made his international debut  against Harambee Stars in May 2002.  While playing for Enyimba International with whom he won two CAF Champions League titles, Enyeama earned a distinctive trait. He was always substituted before penalty shootouts. He was so good in the shot that in 2006 he stopped three kicks in the quarter-final shootout against Tunisia.

Peter Rufai

 Before Enyeama, there was Peter Rufai. Though Enyeama inherited the glove from Ike Shorunmu, Rufai had his golden moments in the 80s. The keeper for Nigeria’s Golden generation, Rufai won his first cap in 1983 and was a common face in the Nigeria squad until 1998, immersing 65 caps in the process. Rufai featured in two FIFA World Cup and two AFCON finals and scored one goal in the process.

Uche Okechukwu

 The central defender featured for the Super Eagles for 12 years. Now known in Turkey as Deniz Uygar, Okochukwu was rewarded with Turkish citizenship after he was honoured as the foreign player who played in Turkey for the longest period. He spent 13 years with Fenerbahce where he won two Super League titles.  The lanky defender was a no-nonsense player. He won the 1994 Afcon with the Super Eagles.

Joseph Yobo

Yobo is the most capped outfield player in Nigeria football history, joint only to Enyeama. The former skipper held the captain’s armband for the Super Eagles until his retirement from the international stage in 2014.

 But he was not only famous in Nigeria with whom he earned 101 caps, Yobo made over two centuries appearances with Everton where he spent nine years at Goodison Park.

Celestine Babayaro

 Celestine Hycieth Babayaro was a versatile player who featured both as a defender and midfielder but is among the least capped players in the Super Eagles’ history.

 The former Chelsea and Newcastle United player was part of the Nigerian team that won the Under-17 World Championships in 1993. He made his senior debut in 1995, at the Afro-Asian Cup of Nations against Uzbekistan and would be named in the Atlanta Olympic squad the following year.

  Babayaro is fondly remembered for two things; scoring in the gold medal game itself against Argentina and being sent off in his UEFA Champions League debut match despite making history as the youngest player to make an appearance and to receive a red card in the European club tournament.

  He was aged 16 years and 86 days when he played against Steaua Bucuresti.  Babayaro played in two Olympics, two FIFA World Cup and three AFCON finals. He was once kicked out of the Olympics camp, alongside Yakubu Ayegbeni Victor Agali for indiscipline.

Stephen Keshi

 An intelligent central defender with a thunderous shot, the ‘big boss’ scored 54 goals at club level and nine in 64 appearances for Nigeria.  Keshi later managed Nigeria until 2015 but died of a heart attack less than just a year after leaving the Super Eagles.

Sunday Oliseh

 A former Ajax, Borussia Dortmund and Juventus, Oliseh is still regarded as one of the best African midfielders of all time. Now a football manager, Oliseh, a physical yet technically gifted defensive midfielder, won both AFCON and the Olympics for Nigeria before retiring in June 2002, at the age of 31.

 Oliseh is mostly remembered for scoring the winning goal in the group stage match against Spin in the 1998 World Cup, being sacked by Dortmund for headbutting teammate (Vahid Hashemian) while on loan at VfL Bochum, allegedly over racial remarks.

 His other memorable moment off the pitch was his abrupt resignation in the wee hours of the morning of February 26 2016 as Nigeria head coach. Oliseh sent out his resignation letter at 2:28 am, exactly a month before Nigeria faced Egypt in the AFCON qualifiers. He cited contractual violations, lack of support by the Nigerian FA, unpaid wages and benefits to his players.  It is also worth noting that Oliseh was once omitted from the (2002) World Cup squad for having led the team on a go-slow as they demanded unpaid allowances and dues owed to them.

Augustine Azuka “Jay-Jay” Okocha

 So good was he that they named him twice. You don’t get to be named seven-time Nigerian Footballer of the Year if you are not good enough.  Okocha was a joy to watch when he was on your side and pain to the heart when playing for the opposing side.

 Jay Jay had several options in his tool kit and so dangerous were they that even his teammates wouldn’t attempt them in training. Defenders feared him, coaches frowned at him but fans loved him.  Okocha's star shone early when he was still kicking anything round that he came across as he grew up in Enugu state where his parents lived in government housing.

 So good was he that the teenage Okocha, while playing for Enugu Rangers, once rounded experienced Nigerian goalkeeper Willy Okpara in a match against BCC Lions.

 In 1990, Okocha had a chance to visit a friend in West Germany, the country that has won the FIFA World Cup. One morning he accompanied his friend, Binebi Numa, who was then playing for a third division side – Borussia Neunkirchen, to a training session and asked to join in. It is said that the Neunkirchen coach was so impressed with Okocha’s skills that invited him back the next day before offering him a contract.

 Okocha made his national team debut in their 2–1 defeat against Ivory Coast in the 1994 FIFA World Cup Qualifier away loss in May 1993.

 But he would have to wait until the second leg, at home, where he endeared himself with the Nigerian supporters. With Nigeria trailing 1–0 against Algeria, in a match they needed to win, Jay Jay scored from a direct free-kick to equalize the scores. They later won the match 4–1 as Nigeria eventually secured qualification to their first World Cup.

 A quick thinker, a talented dribbler and playmaker, who operated as an attacking midfielder, Okocha is widely considered by certain pundits as one of the best African players of all time.

 Known for faints and trickery with the ball, flair, ball control and dribbling skills, Okacha was a member of the squad that lifted the AFCON title in 1994 and reached the second round of the FIFA World Cup before they lost in a dramatic match against eventual runners-up Italy.

Nwankwo Kanu

 A wonderfully technical striker, Kanu was a member of the Arsenal Invincibles and was renowned for being a super sub. He won the Champions League with Ajax and UEFA Cup with Inter Milan and also played for Portsmouth.

Despite his relative success at club level, Kanu managed just 12 goals from 87 appearances for Nigeria but he remains one of the Super Eagles stars who entertained the continent during his reign.