₦airaland Forum

On August 11, 1985 at the Workers Stadium in Beijing China, a group of Nigerian youngsters (the baby eagles) shocked the whole world by becoming the first African side to reach and win the final of a FIFA competition.

The 1985 FIFA U-16 World Championship, was the first edition of the tournament, it was held in the cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, and Dalian in People's Republic of China from July 31, 1985 to August 11, 1985

The finals played at the 80,000 capacity Workers Stadium in Beijing China saw the baby eagle become the tournaments first winners and thus were called golden eaglets after their feat.


"Today becomes even more memorable as the first Nigerian U-16 side that won the inaugural FIFA Kodak World Youth Championship in China 31 years ago.

Prior to the triumphant outing in Beijing China in August 1985, an unheralded Nigeria U-16 team team, called Baby Eagles then, toured all the Nigerian states. They travelled to China unnoticed, but their return was triumphant, with a massive crowd – probably surpassed only by the return of the Atlanta 96 Dream Team.

While hosting the team captained by Nduka Ugbade and coached by Sebastian Broderick -Imasuen, an overjoyed Buhari hailed them as 'World Golden Eaglets'. And the name stuck since then. He went on to announce the 1985 heroes' rewards: CBN shares, scholarships and immortalization by way of street names in the players' respective states.

Buhari was overthrown by a military coup of Major Ibrahim Babangida so he could not fulfil his promises to his World Golden Eaglets. For 30 years, different Nigerian governments refused to redeem the pledges made to the heroes.

Back as civilian president, Buhari has graciously offered to fulfil what he could not do in 1985."




Today we celebrate the after 31 years of this victory.



Nigeria’s “China 1985” Squad

Name
1 Lucky AGBONSEVAFE
2 Tenworimi DUERE
3 Nduka UGBADE
4 Fatai ATERE
5 Binabei NUMA
6 Kingsley AIKHIONBORE
7 Salisu NAKADE
8 Sani ADAMU
9 Jonathan AKPOBORIE
10 Victor IGBINOBA
11 Billa MOMOH
12 Imama AMAPAKABOR
13 Baudwin BAZUAYE
14 Joseph BABATUNDE
15 Chukwuma NWOHA
16 Mohamed YAHAYA
17 Hilary ADIKI
18 Dele ABUBAKAR

Coach: Sebastian BRODERICK IMASUEN (NGA)

cc: lalasticlala
http://www.completesportsnigeria.com/now-buharis-85-world-golden-eaglets/


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=howlEzAL1io

Happy birthday to dem...
Long live golden eaglet

The baby eaglets (as they were called before the tournament ) went unannounced but came back as conquerors of the world.
the military head of state could not hold his feelings he called them GOLDEN EAGLES .... and thats the name now.

the only issue they are yet to receive what was promised them

kudos lets celebrate them

Ni papa China
Ni Papa China

Tolexander:
Ni papa China
Ni Papa China

viva Africa

viva Nigeria

robosky02:
viva Africa
viva Nigeria

viva forever

Tolexander:
viva forever

viva spice girls

the boys that did it




LUCKY AGBONSEVBARE
Position and Jersey Number: Goalkeeper, 1
Lucky Agbonsevbare was the first choice goalkeeper of the Nigerian team in China. He was in goal in all of Nigeria's six games in China.

After his football career, Agbonsevbare relocated to the United Kingdom where is based today.

TENEWORIMI DUERE
Position and Jersey Number: Defender, 2
Tenworimi Duere is currently based in Italy. What he does presently is unknown even to some of his then colleagues as Completesportsnigeria.com found out.

NDUKA UGBADE
Position and Jersey Number: Defender, 3
Nduka Ugbade is currently into coaching. He was a tv football pundit before veering into coaching. He was the assistant coach to Manu Garba when the Golden Eaglets won the U-17 World Cup for the fourth time in United Arab Emirates in 2013.

Ugbade was a coach at an Academy club in Lagos called the Mountain of Fire Football Club before his national team duty.

FATAI ATERE

Position and Jersey Number: Defender, 4
A street in Mushin, Lagos was named after him, called 'Fatai Atere Way'. He is one of the few squad members who benefitted from the government's immortalization reward for his achievement with the Eaglets.


Fatai Atere is presently living in Maryland, USA. He moved to the United States in 1990. He was Managing Director of the EJJE Youth Soccer Academy in Tampa, Florida.

BINEBI NUMA

Position and Jersey Number: Defender, 5
'Carlos' Binebi Numa went into football administration after his playing days. Based in Rivers state, he is also into youth development programme and marketing of sports equipment.

KINGSLEY AIKIONBARE

Position and Jersey Number: Midfielder, 6

Flamboyant Central defender, Kingsley Aikhionbare, who was the bandana-wearing eaglet in team died in 1996, in London. His 74 year old mother, Cecilia Aikionbare presented herself to the NFF secretariat in Abuja ahead of the planned reception and introduced herself the deceased player's next of kin.


SALISU NAKADE
Position and Jersey Number: 7

Salisu Nakade told Completesportsnigeria.com a few years ago that he was into the business of buying and selling Italian shoes in Jos, Plateau State. He was part of the All-Star team comprising of former Nigerian internationals who converged in Surulere, Lagos to unwind and keep fit.

SANI ADAMU
Position And Jersey Number: Midfielder, 8
Sani Adamu is now a coach and presently holds the job as the Assistant coach of Plateau United Football Club of Jos.


JONATHAN AKPOBORIE
Position And Jersey Number: Forward, 9

Jonathan Akpoborie played for German clubs, Hansa Rostock, VfB Stuttgart Vfl ,Wolfsburg, amongst others.

Akpoborie went into shipping business as his career thrived.

But in 2001, his shipping business went down as it was alleged that his ship called Etireno was carrying children to Gabon, meant for slavery.

Female Award-winning Swiss film writer and director, Heidi Specogna did a documentary on the ill-fated ship titled 'The Goalgetters' Ship'.

Presently, Akpoborie is an analyst on Television. He worked with Supersport, and now Startimes, the pay tv station that has the exclusive coverage of the German Bundesliga for the Nigerian territory. He is also player agent for Rogon Sports Management.

VICTOR IGBINOBA
Position And Jersey Number: Forward, 10
Victor Igbinoba who scored in Nigeria's 2-0 win over West Germany in the final of the U-16 World Cup in China on August 11 1985, is now based in Holland. However Completesportsnigeria.com could not ascertain what he does presently there.


BELLA MOMOH

Position And Jersey: Forward, 11
Completesportsnigeria.com's source in the United States of America confirmed that Bella Momoh is presently in the US Army as a Staff Sergent and has been on Special duties for the US Army.



IMAMA AMAPAKABO
Position And Jersey Number: Goalkeeper, 12
Imama Amapakabor is presently the chief coach of Rangers International FC of Enugu. He was an assistant coach at former club Sharks, and also worked as coach with Nigerian league champions, Enyimba.

BALDWIN BAZUAYE
Position And Jersery Number: Defender, 13

Son of late Nigerian coach, Willy Bazuaye who was assistant coach at the 1996 Olympics. Like his late father, Baldwin Bazuaye went into coaching after his playing career and has managed Lobi Stars Football Club of Makurdi.

JOSEPH BABATUNDE
Position And Jersey Number: Forward, 14
Babatunde Joseph relocated to New York in 1988 where he worked for sometime. He is now into coaching at the grassroots level.

CHUKWUMA NWOHA
Position And Jersey Number: Defender, 15
Chukwuma Nwoha's whereabouts and his present commitments are unknown to some of his China '85 colleagues.

A street was named after him in Owerri; Chukwuma Nwoha Road in Trans Egbu Estate, close to the Imo State University (IMSU) Owerri, the Imo State capital.

MOHAMMED YAHAYA
Position And Jersey Number: Midfielder, 16
Mohammed Yahaya works with the Niger State Ministry of Sports Development as a civil servant. He read Purchasing and Supply at the Kaduna State Polytechnic.

HILARY ADIKI
Position And Jersey Number: Midfielder, 17
Hilary Adiki is now a school teacher in Port Harcourt. He read Human Kinetics at the University of Lagos.

DELE ABUBAKAR
Position And Jersey Number: Midfielder, 18

Not much has been heard about Dele Abubakar since that China '85 feat. In fact, one of his team-mates told Completesportsnigeria.com that most of the players in that squad hardly communicate with each other since that historic feat in Beijing, China.

A street was named after Abubakar in Ilorin following Nigeria's conquest- but the street now bears another name.


Read more at http://www.completesportsnigeria.com/now-buharis-85-world-golden-eaglets/#4ARBzkCDiZYflpFB.99

the boys and buhari 1985

"boys to men" Buhari and the boys 30 year later


lalasticlala

Nice

robosky02:

Kilode