₦airaland Forum

naptu2:
The Miracle of Dammam

February 25th, 1989.

This was a quarter-final match between Nigerian and the Soviet Union at the 1989 FIFA Under 20 World Championship in Saudi Arabia. The Soviet Union was leading 4-0 in the 60th minute when Nigeria began its fight back. A pair of freekick goals by Christopher Ohenhen (61st and 75th minutes) and goals by Samuel Elijah (83rd minute) and captain Nduka Ugbade (84th minute) made the scores 4-4 at full time. Dimeji Lawal missed a chance to give Nigeria victory before full time. It went to penalties and Samuel Elijah defeated the Prophets of Baal to score the winning freekick for Nigeria.

Oleg Salenko, who scored one of the goals for the Soviet Union, scored a record 5 goals for Russia in the 6-1 victory over Cameroon in the 1994 FIFA World Cup.


The NTA did not show the matches live because they were played in the middle of the afternoon (Nigerian time). The whole country was hooked on Radio Nigeria for commentaries of the matches. However, NTA showed the matches later at night at 10pm.

This is a clip of the NTA's coverage of the Miracle of Dammam and your commentator is Fabio Lanipekun and the co-commentator is Charles Ojugbana.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EqqElKXURI

That day my mum was in labour.
The nxt morning she gave birth to me

I listen to Godwin Enagena last week wen he celebrated this man on his show when he is 80, he z this man was one of his mentor when it comes to talking sport he called baba but one of is son pick d call and speak to him on d show d son z baba is sleeping that day that is 4days ago, baba Rip

May God Rest his Soul... Amen.

naptu2:
This was one of the funniest things that I remember about Saudi '89. We were going from Glover Road, Ikoyi towards Obalende when Nigeria scored a goal. We got to Kingsway Road and the traffic warden stopped us right in the middle of the road. "Who scored? What's the scores"? he shouted. We told him that Nigeria had scored and Nigeria was leading and the man started dancing right in the middle of the road.

Pure Nostalgia

Good old days...

Can Nigeria ever come close again to what it used to be? Smh

I respect the legend. Though I was very young then but he made me interested in watching football matches live. Wow! Nigeria just list another legend in sports commentary especially football. Yes,I can also remember Ernest Okonkwo,who gave Segun Odegbami (mathematical) christian Chukwu (Chairman)..also late Akinloye Oyebanji,Hammered Adio,Walter Oyatogun,Yinka Craig,mainassara Ilo ,Model Sharafa-Yusuf( then Modele Osinaiki) who was the pioneer lady football analyst on NTA then ..... What a sweet memories. Then anytime any local team like shooting stars,Rangers,Abiola Babes,Leventis united if Ibadan was playing any international matches ,the National stadium would have filled up to capacity as 10:00 - 11.00 am in the morning. The NTA will be covering all live activities at the National stadium announcing that people may not bother to come to the Stadium again because it was already filled up NEPA was very effective then. The economy was good. But nowadays,I can even remember more than two names of our premier league team. Up NIGERIA. GOOD PEOPLE. GOOD NATION.

bolabadmus38:
I respect the legend. Though I was very young then but he made me interested in watching football matches live. Wow! Nigeria just list another legend in sports commentary especially football. Yes,I can also remember Ernest Okonkwo,who gave Segun Odegbami (mathematical) christian Chukwu (Chairman)..also late Akinloye Oyebanji,Hammered Adio,Walter Oyatogun,Yinka Craig,mainassara Ilo ,Model Sharafa-Yusuf( then Modele Osinaiki) who was the pioneer lady football analyst on NTA then ..... What a sweet memories. Then anytime any local team like shooting stars,Rangers,Abiola Babes,Leventis united if Ibadan was playing any international matches ,the National stadium would have filled up to capacity as 10:00 - 11.00 am in the morning. The NTA will be covering all live activities at the National stadium announcing that people may not bother to come to the Stadium again because it was already filled up NEPA was very effective then. The economy was good. But nowadays,I can even remember more than two names of our premier league team. Up NIGERIA. GOOD PEOPLE. GOOD NATION.

Back then they used to show the stadium on the 12 o'clock news and it would already be full. That's for a match that would start by 4pm!

Where are all those yester years. FA cup 1990 final Stationery stores. You wont want to stay home..Straight to National stadium.

akins33:
Where are all those yester years. FA cup 1990 final Stationery stores. You wont want to stay home..Straight to National stadium.

Do you remember how full Onikan Stadium was for that FA Cup final in 1990? I thought that people were going to die!

A sad loss indeed. You were not properly watching an IICC match if he wasn't commentating.