Opinion
Nigeria at 62: How sports put country on high spotlight, yet…
By Ori Martins
Even six years before Nigeria attained independence, what sensationally established her as a country to be reckoned with was sports.
In that instance, a medical under – graduate at the University of Ibadan, who later became an army major, Emmanuel Ifeajuna, by self efforts, dramatically launched Nigeria and wrote her name in gold in the global map of sports.
His high jump of above six inches wrote that historic and symbolic landmark.
Urged on by the wonderful performance of Ifeajuna, Nureeden Mayeigun kept the flag flying as he became the first Nigerian ever to be bedecked with an Olympic bronze medal in boxing in the 1964 Olympics in Rome.
About a year before that, on August 10, hard fighting Dick Tiger Ihetu, in what was the first world title bout ever staged in Africa, retained his belt by purging America’s Fulmer to stupor.
The sports success story continued, and by the Munich Olympics, the first in the 1970s, another Nigerian golden boxer, Ikhuhoria, once again, came home with bronze.
In 1973 also, Nigeria hosted and was crowned the winners of the football event.
Remarkably, club football completions had grown in bounds and leaps, and so, in 1975, Rangers Football Club of Enugu, handled by the great Dan Anyiam and stuffed with wonderboy players like Emma Okala, Christian Chukwu, Mathias Obianika, Kelechi Emetole, Christian Madu and others were the first Nigerian club to play in the final of any CAF organized competition when they encountered Haifa of Guinea in the now CAF Champions League final but lost gallantly.
Made invincible by players largely drawn from Rangers, IICC Shooting Stars, Bendel Insurance, Mity Jets, and Calabar Rovers, Nigeria, through Father Tiko, had built a formidable national team – the Greent Eagles currently called Super Eagles.
“Therefore, based on the team which was put together by Father Tiko but inherited by Otto Gloria, Nigeria easily lifted the African Nations Cup for the first time on home soil.
“To that effect, I must tell you that players like Christian Chukwu who was the captain of the team, Emma Okala, Best Ogedegbe, David Adiele, Okey Isima, Tunji Banjo, Tunde Bamidele, Segun Odegbami, Alloy Atuegbu, Ifeanyi Onyedikachi, Muda Lawal, Sylvester Okapala, Kadiri Ikhana, Godwin Odiye, Henry Nwosu and few others did us proud”, veteran sports journalist and former chairman, Imo Sports Commission, Chief (Sir) Fan Ndubuoke, contributed.
He recalled even before the 1980 noble achievement, Nigeria missed the 1978 World Cup on Argentina by the whiskers.
Returning to the Olympics in 1984 in Los Angeles, Nigerian boxer, Peter Kaonyenwachie ensured Nigeria’s national anthem was played as he climbed the rostrum for his third place medal.
However, the country’s performance in the 1988 Olympics was abysmal as she never got any medal to her credit.
Be it as it may, Nigeria played in the final of the 1988 Nations Cup Finals in Morocco but lost controversially to the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon.
Again that year, Iwuanyanwu Nationale now with the name, Heartland, also went to the final of the CAF Champions League but, again, like in 1975 and 1984 where Rangers lost to Haifa of Guinea and Shooting Stars lost to Zamalek of Egypt, Heartland lost to Setif of Algeria.
The 1990 Nations Cup in Algiers also did not favour the country as it lost to Algeria in the final. Again, Cameroon knocked out Nigeria from the Italia ’90 World Cup Finals.
One Nations Cup Finals most Nigerians will not easily forget was the 2000 edition co – hosted by Ghana and Nigeria. In the final,the Eagles lost Cameroon in the epic final. It was the fourth time Nigeria lost to Cameron in the final of the Nations Cup Finals.
It must be recorded that a Nigerian player, Sam Okwaraji, slumped and died in an Italia ’90 World Cup qualifier against Angola in Lagos on August 12, 1989.
And in 1993, a Nigerian player, Rashidi Yekini was for the first time voted the African Player of the Year.
Subsequently, Kanu Nwankwo (twice) and Victor Ikpeba were equally named.
Finally, the Super Eagles were one of the teams that represented Africa in the 1994 World Cup Finals. The Eagles really did very well as it was ranked the fifth playing team in the world before the finals and ninth after the Mundial.
Nigeria’s other participation in the World Cup in France ’98, Korea Japan 2002, South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018 were not very encouraging.
In all Nigeria have been thrice African champions even as it has won bronze medals than any other country in the competition.
In the under – grade teams, Nigeria lifted the maiden edition of the FIFA U – 17 World Cup in China in 1985. Since then, the Golden Eaglets had won more four titles – all in Asian countries.
In the FIFA U – 20 Word Cup Finals, Nigeria through the Flying Eagles, reached the semi final in 1985 and grabbed bronze, final in 1989 and 2005.
It is instructive to note that Nigeria, represented by the Dream Team 1, emerged the first African country to be crowned champions of the soccer event of an Olympic Games. That noble feat was made possible in Atlanta ’96. And it also struck silver and bronze in the football event of the Olympics in later years.
In the female football category, The Super Falcons have been African champions for a record of nine times even as they have dominated African female football since 1991.
Again, Nigeria has also dominated the athletics world. Athletes like Chidi Imo, Innocent Egbunike, Mary Onyeali – Omagbemi, Chioma Ajunwa, The Ezinwa Brothers, Falilat Ogunkoya, Charity Opara Thompson, and most recently, Amusan, have at one time or the other, done Nigeria proud.
In other sports like tennis, basketball, handball, and few others, Nigeria has been quite outstanding.
“The fact remains that Nigeria has been doing well, relatively. We have pluses and minuses.
“We have won several titles, many trophies and crowns. However, I think virtually all our achievements were really got through self struggles and efforts.
“I want us to note that we could have done more if there were adequate preparations, world class equipment and experienced administrators, and exposed mangers. Nigeria through Enyimba lifted the CAF Champions League in 2003 and 2004 but since then nothing is happening again”, Uche Abala, a sports promoter stated.
