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How Nigeria stars Nwankwo Kanu and Jay-Jay Okocha stunned Roberto Carlos, Ronaldo, Diego Simeone and Hernan Crespo to win Africa’s first gold in football at the 1996 Olympics
Football may not be the biggest event at the Olympics, but there have been some iconic moments at the Games.
One of the best was when Nigeria stunned Argentina at Atlanta 1996 to become the first African Olympic football champions.
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The Nigeria side was chock full of gifted players - including Premier League icons Jay-Jay Okocha and Nwankwo Kanu.
And with the Olympics under way, we at marvelbet369.com thought it's only right to reflect back 25 years and see how the Nigerians defied the odds to claim gold.
Having edged past Hungary and Japan in their opening two Group games, the west Africans then lost 1-0 to Brazil in their final Group D match in Orlando, Florida.
However, they qualified from their group and sailed into the next round with a 2-0 defeat of Mexico in the quarter-finals.
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Nigeria, nicknamed the 'Dream Team' by the millions supporting from the continent back home, would then face off against the Selecao once more in what was an epic semi-final.
"The Olympics in 1996 is one of the most fantastic periods in my career," another star of the team, Taribo West, told the in 2016.
"We had a team that could match any in the world."
DREAM TEAM IS BACK!
The encounter against Brazil - who boasted the likes of Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos in their ranks - is one that will live long in the memory of the Nigerian players.
But the Eagles got off to the worst possible start with Flavio Conceicao scoring in the game's very first minute and the half finishing 3--1.
But Victor Ikpeba gave the west Africans hope in the78th minute.
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It was when Jay-Jay Okocha fluffed the opportunity to equalise in the last minutes of normal time that the whole of Africa thought that the tie was over.
But two-time African footballer of the year Kanu had different ideas.
The Arsenal icon scored a dramatic equaliser in the 90th minute before demonstrating incredible calmness and finesse to score the winner in extra time and send the Eagles' bench wild.
They were in their first final - but Dutch coach Jo Bonfrere knew that an even tougher test in the shape of Argentina awaited in the final.
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La Albiceleste had a star-studded team with the likes Javier Zanetti and Hernan Crespo, and Diego Simeone off the bench.
The 81,100 showpiece saw Nigeria consigned to the back foot in the opening stages - just as they were in the semi-final - as a Claudio Lopez goal in the third minute gave Argentina momentum.
Celestine Babayaro equalised but Crespo, one of the most highly-rated young forwards in Europe at the time, then scored a penalty in the 50th with the South Americans seemingly racing to an early victory.
However, Nigeria's never-say-die attitude once again shone through and goals by Daniel Amokachi and Emmanuel Amuneke in the 74th and 90th minutes turned the tide in favour of the underdogs.
Back in Nigeria, the streets descended into delirium.
All-night parties took place across the country, with bars running out of beer and leaving their generators on till dawn.
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"There was something in our spirit that made us realise that we going to win, although we didn't know how," defender Taribo West recalled.
"As soon as Argentina got the first goal, we were not discouraged. Amunike was able to give us the winning strike.
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"When [Italian referee Pierluigi] Collina blew that whistle, I just collapsed on the field and knew my dream had come true.
"My [gold] medal in is the bank overseas. It is something to show to my children."
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