wayodude:


All true.

Let me add one more game to that list

Oct 1993 Algeria v Nigeria - final qualifying game for USA94 world cup

That was the highest tension I have ever experienced in any game. The final 10 mins with the game at 1 - 1 and the Algerians attacking us non stop like their lives depended on the game. Those 10 mins felt like 10 hours. If they had scored and beaten us 2-1 we would have been eliminated and there would have been no famous Class of 94 to talk about now.

I remember watching as a 13 yr old kid as Westerhof was frantically screaming at the referee that we had played the full 90mins and to blow the final whistle. The man was jumping and screaming, begging!

In the end we qualified for our first ever world cup, there was not a dry eye on the pitch remember keshi crying tears of joy and emotions in his interview.

History is made of moments like those.

mapet:


Let me add more perspective to this
1. Ivory Coast had taken out Ghana, one of the tournament favorites and strongest team in Africa
2. Abdolaye Traore (one of my favorite players) was at his peak. His diving header winning goal that took out Ghana was classic
3. Ivory Coast had the strongest midfield in that tournament. Probably one of the reasons we were shocked in the first half.
4. I too never heard of Basole until then
5. When Oliseh talked about players ahead of their time, one classic example was Ben Iroha. I think he started out as a midfielder till CW converted him to the left back. This was a wing-back when football was yet to know anything called wing-back. One of the reasons why the SE attack was powerful was that a couple of midfielders and defenders like Iroha had high-rate running and joined both the attack and defending at will. This I believe was the Dutch philosophy infused into Nigerian/Brazilina flare of the Super Eagles by CW and Bonfere Jo.
6. I believe this was the game that we discovered that JJ Okocha should actually be a regular rather than a bench player. Recal that prior to that, JJ (then yet to be matured) was given to too much dribling and sometimes not too productive, making CW to bench him. In this game, he brought out his creativity. Not only did himself and Oliseh combined to win the battle in the middle, his dribbling and passing this time was creative and troubled the Ivorians a lot.
7. I could have sworn that it was JJ Okocha that gave Iroha that pass that led to our first goal and not Yekini. I think the commentator got it wrong.
8. Oliseh could deliver a long distance pass from any distance. Did you see that pass to Finidi which led to the second goal?
9. This was a team built around the big boss- Stephen Keshi. Keshi was an inspiration to this team and to Nigerians. Keshi nutured and led this boys. Keshi battled the authorities on behalf of this team several times. I heard Keshi once asked Alex Akinyele (the then Sports Minister) to "excuse" (leave) the dressing room during the half-time of a match as the team needed to "concentrate". Keshi it was who will call, visit players in their clubs and countries to make sure they are well prepared for matches. Keshi it was that refused to "listen" to his club, opting to come to play a Super Eagles match against the club's position. Heard he lost his captainship of the club then, and he didn't bulge. Keshi had an injury around 1993, he didn't recover early enough and lost form; coupled with the fact that age had caught up on him. His dip in form showed in this game and he had to be replaced. So during this tournament, he was limited to few games.

johnie:


How could I have left Ivory Coast out?

I remember that match!

Tiehi's shirt tugging celebration after his
goal against us and Ben Iroha's waltz into the net for our own goal.

Iroha, our left fullback came to our rescue.

The penalty shoot-out was epic!

A pregnant colleague of mine at work had to leave the area of the office where we were watching at a point- couldn't bear the tension.

Finidi cooly rolled in his penatly.

That was a match!

naptu2:

mapet:


1. Daniel Amokachi was discovered at Government College Kaduna
2. Sunday Oliseh was discovered in Festac. He barely started his pre-degree in LASU then

naptu2:

johnie:
1994 World Cup team list


1 Peter RUFAI
Goalkeeper 24 August 1963

2 Augustine EGUAVOEN
Defender 19 August 1965

3 Ben IROHA
Defender 29 November 1969

4 Stephen KESHI
Defender 23 January 1962

5 Uche OKECHUKWU
Defender 27 September 1967

6 Chidi NWANU
Defender 1 January 1967

7 Finidi GEORGE
Forward 15 April 1971

8 Thompson OLIHA
Midfielder 4 October 1968

9 Rasheed YEKINI
Forward 23 October 1963

10 Jay Jay OKOCHA
Midfielder 14 August 1973

11 Emmanuel AMUNEKE
Midfielder 25 December 1970

12 Samson SIASIA
Forward 14 August 1967

13 Emeka EZEUGO
Defender 16 December 1965

14 Daniel AMOKACHI
Forward 30 December 1972

15 Sunday OLISEH
Midfielder 14 September 1974

16 Alloy AGU
Goalkeeper 12 July 1967

17 Victor IKPEBA
Forward 12 June 1973

18 Efan EKOKU
Forward 8 June 1967

19 Michael EMENALO
Defender 14 July 1965

20 Uche OKAFOR
Defender 8 August 1967

21 Mutiu ADEPOJU
Midfielder 22 December 1970

22 Wilfred AGBONAVBARE
Goalkeeper 5 October 1966

WESTERHOF Clemens (NED)
Coach

johnie:
Super Eagles ’94 Squad

Manager
Clemens Westerhof

Players

No Player Date Of Birth Caps

GoalKeepers
1 Peter Rufai 24 August 1963 55
16 Alloysius Agu 12 July 1967 –
22 Wilfred Agbonavbare 5 October 1966 –

Defenders
2 Augustine Eguavoen 19 August 1965 35
19 Michael Emenalo 14 July 1965 –
3 Bennedict Iroha 29 November 1969 –
4 Stephen Keshi
(Captain) 23 January 1962 59
6 Chidi N’Wanu 27 September 1967 –
20 Uche Okafor 8 August 1967 –
5 Uche Okechukwu 27 September 1967 26

Midfielders
7 Finidi George 15 April 1971 23
8 Thompson Oliha 04 October 1968 –
10 Jay Jay Okocha 14 August 1973 10
13 Emeka Ezeugo 16 December 1965 –
15 Sunday Oliseh 14 September 1974 –
18 Efan Ekoku 8 June 1967 –
21 Mutiu Adepoju 22 December 1970 18

Forwards
12 Samson Siasia 14 August 1967 32
9 Rashidi Yekini 23 October 1963 46
14 Daniel Amokachi 30 December 1972 26
17 Victor Ikpeba 12 June 1973 –