As a devoted football fan, I find myself deeply saddened by the recent turn of events in our nation’s football. The uncharacteristic resignation of Finidi George as Super Eagles coach, an unprecedented move in our polity and our latest drop in FIFA rankings to 38th place serve as stark reminders of how far we have fallen from our once lofty perch in the beautiful game. It was not so long ago that Nigeria was the toast of African football and a rising power on the global stage.
Who can forget the golden era of the 1990s, when our Super Eagles soared to unprecedented heights? In 1994, we reached our peak FIFA ranking of 5th in the world – a testament to the incredible talents that donned the green and white jerseys. That magical year saw us clinch our second Africa Cup of Nations title in Tunisia before making our World Cup debut in the USA. The memories of that tournament still bring smiles to Nigerian faces three decades later.
Our 3-0 demolition of Bulgaria announced our arrival on the world stage in emphatic fashion. The iconic image of Rashidi Yekini celebrating our first-ever World Cup goal, hands gripping the net as he shouted “Rashidi Yekini, Rashidi Yekini..
.!”, is forever etched in our collective consciousness. We were voted the second most entertaining team of that World Cup, behind only eventual champions Brazil.
Players like Sunday Oliseh, Jay-Jay Okocha, Finidi George and Daniel Amokachi became household names across the globe. Nigerian football was on the.