Okocha, Lawal, Taribo relieve USA ’94, Atlanta ’96 memories

Former Super Eagles captain, Austin Okocha
was looking every inch in tip-top shape on
April 8 , when he stepped on the synthetic
field of the Campos mini stadium in Lagos.



He bounced around like a newborn, strutting
his stuff, wagging his tail and juggled the
ball in a rhythmic flow that captivated those
watching him.

His presence at the stadium located in the
heart of Lagos Island sent the fans into a
frenzy as they scampered to catch a glimpse
of the one and only Jay Jay Okocha, the
midfield talisman, the master dribbler and the
great passer, who at one time, bestrode the
Nigerian football landscape like an octopus.

Okocha was not alone at the MTN-
sponsored Best 11 event, which attracted the
top acts of the USA 1994 Eagles World Cup
squad, like goalkeeper Peter Rufai, defensive
midfielder Garba Lawal, left-full back
Celestine Babayaro, Mutiu Adepuju, forward
Daniel Amokachi and Ike Shorunmu.

Other notable Eagles stars who played on
that date were striker Nwankwo Kanu,
goalkeeper Ike Shorunmu, Ifeanyi Udeze,
Etim Esin and Taribo West. Coach of the team
was Adegboye Onigbinde, who took Nigeria
to the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South
Korea

It was indeed a collection of Nigeria’s best
team at the World Cup and Olympic stage, as
most of the players were also part of the
1996 Atlanta Olympics, where Nigeria for the
first time won a gold in the men’s soccer
event after defeating Argentina in a pulsating
and thrilling final match.

Two years before the epochal Atlanta feat,
these same crop of players had actually
captivated the global football audience with
their romantic and attacking brand of football
in the same America, where the World Cup
came to uncle Sam’s country and got to the
second round, losing in injury time to a
Roberto Baggio-inspired Italian side 2-1.

These were players whose names are forever
written in gold as the remain the only
Nigerian side to have attained the fifth
position since the FIFA rankings were
introduced. That position remains Nigeria’s
best till date as successive teams have
foundered to the extent that the Eagles are
now ranked 45th in the current rankings.

So it was with these in mind that MTN
decided to reunite these heroes of Nigerian
football at a special launch of their Tru Talk
package.

Aware that the traditional African society is
one that encourages relationships and
fosters inter-dependence amongst people,
the telecommunications firm in its bid to
promote these values brought these ex-
players together to connect with the public.

The launch of the ‘My Best 11’ promo was a
pointer to the importance placed on staying
in touch with loved ones. The promo was
launched with a view to making its numerous
subscribers tap into the MTN Trutalk
initiative, a platform where-in one will
register 11 people amongst those that really
matter to them and call them at 50%
discount.

Knowing fully well that the concept of ‘Best
11’ emanated from the beautiful game of
soccer where a coach is bound to field his
‘Best 11’ at any given match, relating this to
our nature of interdependence, thus becomes
very interesting.

The match lived up to expectations as
Okocha and Kanu made their marks with
their deft touches as they rallied from a two-
goal deficit to level scores at 2-2, with
Okocha scoring both goals.

Garba had given the other team the lead
before a second goal by Etim Esin.
Speaking afterward, the gladiators said their
reunion reminded them of their glorious runs
in 1994 and 1996.

“Playing with these players made me to
remember what we went through at the World
Cup in USA. It was a big battle for us and our
first baptism at the global stage but thank
God, we went and gave a good account of
ourselves. It was a truly humbling
experience”, said Okocha, the former Bolton
captain.
Also speaking, Peter Rufai said that “USA
1994 was a defining point for most of us as it
was the first time we were going to the World
Cup to play in front of a global audience and
getting to the second round was a big
accomplishment for us.
“I cherish every minute I played with my
former teammates because they played like
champions even though we did not win the
cup”, said Rufai.
For Garba Lawal, playing with the likes of
Okocha and Adepoju rolled backs the years
when Nigerian football soared high.
“That was when our football was at its best.
We were truly super then and it showed in
the way we played. Compared to today, these
is nothing to talk because we shone like a
million stars”.
While commending MTN for reuniting the
players, defence ace, Taribo West urged
other telecommunication firms to toe the line
of MTN by unveiling propositions that will
boost interdependence and make us value
one another the more