In 1996, Nigeria’s greatest ever football team, left eternal footprints on the sands of time.


Daniel Amokachi, Emmanuel Amuneke, Tijjani Babangida, Celestine Babayaro, Emmanuel Babayaro, Teslim Fatusi, Victor Ikpeba, Dosu Joseph, Nwankwo Kanu, Garba Lawal, Abiodun Obafemi, Kingsley Obiekwu, Uche Okechukwu, Jay-Jay Okocha, Sunday Oliseh, Mobi Oparaku, Wilson Oruma and Taribo West , created celestial glory on the football pitches of Atlanta.


This group of players simply had it all, youthful exuberance, speed, technicality, endurance, patriotism, suspense and they provided entertainment too. They were called the Dream Team.


On Wednesday, under persisting troubles, the Nigeria dream team IX fumbled to Germany, leaving Nigerians to wait for four more years for another gold triumph. But with the team from 1996, there were no such disappointments.


The team had gone into the tournament on the back of a shocking defeat to fellow Africans, Togo. But by the time the first group game began on July 21st, a gold medal triumph on August 3rd for the Nigeria team, was simply not part of the script of football fans at the games.


Nigeria kick-started proceedings against Hungary, Nwankwo Kanu, registering the only goal of the match on the stroke of half-time. Two days later, it was the turn of Japan to experience the might of the burgeoning Africans. Late goals from Tijani Babangida and Jay Jay Okocha (pen), secured Nigeria’s passage to the next round. And in the final group game against Brazil, the South Americans ran out 1-0 winners. But the Nigerian boys were not going to be deterred.


It was time for the quarter-finals and the hurdle for Nigeria was another South American team Mexico. Lessons were well learnt from the Brazil defeat and it led to a 2-0 success for the Dream team. The goals coming Okocha and Celestine Babayaro.


And then came the semi-finals, against group stage conquerors Brazil. Flavio Conceicao put the South Americans ahead in the first minute of the match, but a Roberto Carlos own goal, leveled things up for Nigeria on 20 minutes. Eight minutes later, Bebeto restored Brazil’s lead.


Brazil looked to running away with yet another victory against Nigeria, but with twelve minutes remaining on the clock, Victor Ikpeba stepped up, hitting a brilliant shot from 20 meters to bring Nigeria back into the game. And then the moment came. Normal regulation time was exhausted and both teams had about four added minutes to prevent the game from going into extra time.


With just one minute into added time, Nigeria took the lead for the first time in the game. Kanu scrambled in the third and with virtually the last kick of the game, the lanky forward struck home a beautiful effort from 16 meters to seal an unbelievable win, but the "unbelievable" was yet to come.


The once unspeakable dream, was now a single match away. Argentina, everybody’s favourite for the gold, stood in opposition.


They expectedly took the lead through Claudio Lopez. Celestine Babayaro responded for Nigeria. And with five minutes into the second half, Hernan Crespo restored the Argentina’s lead, this time from the penalty spot. But just like the semi-final, Nigeria performed a late miracle.


Daniel Amokachi scored his first goal of the tournament on 74 minutes to break the hearts of the Argentines but Emmanuel Amuneke ensured that the Argentines, left the pitch with no heart, when he beat the offside trap to fire past Pablo Cavallero, in goal for Argentina, making it 3-2 for Nigeria.


At this point, the Nigerian team still could not believe what had just happened. But when referee Pierluigi Collina blew the final whistle, then they realized they had created history. What no other African team has done before in Olympics football, they had just done.


And so it was, the whole of Africa, and not just Nigeria was sent into riotous jubilation. Black Africa had its first true heroes.


However, it was not just fans who celebrated, the players too. Joseph Dosu, Nigeria’s goalkeeper at the tournament recalled,


"It was fun. We were chatting and dancing and singing all night long after we left the pitch. We had done something that no other African team had done, so we couldn’t sleep."


They were well rewarded upon their return home.


Each of them was given a luxury apartment together with a plot of land in a new development in an undeveloped area of Lagos and a whopping sum of 1m naira (£236,000).


They didn't just return home heroes, but forever remained heroes.

http://www.11goals.com.ng/2016/08/the-big-old-moments-nigeria-football.html