Re: Sunday Oliseh Reveals The Secret Behind The Success Of The 1994 Super Eagles. by johnie: 10:44am On Apr 11, 2019 |
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. I remember this day clearly. I had a very close female friend who loved football dearly. She passed on around this time. One thought that nagged me throughout that period was "So, she won't see Nigeria play at her first World Cup despite her love for the game." Her death was quite painful. Interestingly, Africa's Pillar Sport was also not privileged to watch Nigeria play at her first World Cup live.
Imagine if MKO was a free man when Nigeria appeared at USA'94! |
Re: Sunday Oliseh Reveals The Secret Behind The Success Of The 1994 Super Eagles. by johnie: 10:52am On Apr 11, 2019 |
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. My earlier comment on this match: https://www.nairaland.com/4032139/epic-encounters-between-nigeria-cameroon/1#60124826johnie:
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!
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Re: Sunday Oliseh Reveals The Secret Behind The Success Of The 1994 Super Eagles. by johnie: 11:00am On Apr 11, 2019 |
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Re: Sunday Oliseh Reveals The Secret Behind The Success Of The 1994 Super Eagles. by Blankstare(m): 3:34am On Apr 13, 2019 |
Memories... |
Re: Sunday Oliseh Reveals The Secret Behind The Success Of The 1994 Super Eagles. by Boyooosa(m): 6:27am On Apr 13, 2019 |
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 Thank you jere, for d briliant info. |
Re: Sunday Oliseh Reveals The Secret Behind The Success Of The 1994 Super Eagles. by tck2000(m): 4:15pm On Jan 04, 2020 |
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Re: Sunday Oliseh Reveals The Secret Behind The Success Of The 1994 Super Eagles. by ejimatic: 8:57pm On Feb 28, 2020 |
naptu2:
b. Historic.....All were precise and true....Thank you. for your report |
Re: Sunday Oliseh Reveals The Secret Behind The Success Of The 1994 Super Eagles. by milann: 7:47pm On Jun 17, 2021 |
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Re: Sunday Oliseh Reveals The Secret Behind The Success Of The 1994 Super Eagles. by emmabest2000(m): 3:54am On Jun 18, 2021 |
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 6 Likes 1 Share |
Re: Sunday Oliseh Reveals The Secret Behind The Success Of The 1994 Super Eagles. by emmabest2000(m): 4:00am On Jun 18, 2021 |
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 – 6 Likes 1 Share |