EAGLES WHO MADE CAF ELEVEN.

By Emeka Obasi

Gangling Rashidi Yekini was the first Nigerian to be voted Player of the African Nations Cup and Top scorer at the same time. He achieved that at the Tunisia 1994 edition.The top striker made the CAF Team of the Tournament twice, at Senegal 1992 and Tunisia 1994, respectively.

Austin Okocha equaled that record at the Tunisia 2004 Afcon. He was Player of the Tournament and joint Top Scorer, with the trio of Patrick Mboma, Frederic Kanoute, and Francileudo Santos. Jay Jay was part of the CAF Team of Tournament at Tunisia 1994, Nigeria/Ghana 2000 and Tunisia 2004, thus standing out as the only Nigeria to have been so chosen, three times.

Christian Chukwu made the CAF team in 1980 alongside Segun Odegbami and Best Ogedegbe. Chairman was also voted Player of the Tournament. Mathematical was joint leading scorer at Ghana 1978 and Nigeria 1980. He was also picked as a member of the 1978 Team of the Tournament.

William Troost Ekong made the CAF Team  at Cote d’Ivoire 2023, and so did Ola Aina and Ademola Lookman. Ekong was voted Player of the Tournament, as well. Emmanuel Emenike became the Top scorer at South Africa 2013. That was the only time five Nigerians were included in the CAF Team of the Tournament. Vincent Enyeama, Efe Ambrose, Victor Moses, and Mikel Obi made the list.

Odion Ighalo grabbed the Top Scorer title at Egypt 2019. He was included in the Team of the Tournament. At Angola 2010, Osaze Odemwingie was the lone Eagle member of the CAF Team of the Tournament. At Egypt 2006, only Taiye Taiwo was included in the CAF Team of the Tournament.

Stephen Keshi was picked twice at Cote d’Ivoire 1984 and again at Senegal 1992. Clement Temile joined Skippo in 1984 while Yekini did in 1992. Henry Nwosu was named in the Maroc 1988 team, while Moses Kpakor got lucky at Algeria 1990. Daniel Amokachi’s turn came at Tunisia 1994.

Those who made it in 2002 were Taribo West, Ifeanyi Udeze, and Julius Aghahowa. Vincent Enyeama and John Utaka joined Okocha in the 2004 Team of the Tournament.

However, the first Nigerians to join the CAF Team of the Tournament were Haruna Ilerika and Kunle Awesu in 1976. This should correct the impression that Baba Otu Mohammed was among the Best Eleven.

When Nigeria debuted at Ghana 1963, it was a complete disaster. Egypt pummeled them 6-3 in Kumasi. Sudan made things worse with an emphatic 4-0 drubbing. Ghana hosted and won and retained the trophy in 1965. Two Nigerians, Amusa ‘Pele’ Gbadamosi and Ganiyu ‘Salakwa’ Salami, were part of the success story.

Green Eagles, as the Nigerians were then known, became the first team to concede six goals in an African Nations Cup championships game when they fell 6-3 to Egypt. Hassan El – Shazly scored four of the six goals. Skipper Asuquo Ekpe got the first Nigerian AFCON goal.

Burniston Olayombo and his brother, Kenneth, became the first from the same family to feature for Nigeria at Afcon. The Ile Ife men were raised in Aba, where Burniston first played for Giant Killers. The senior was at Ghana 1963, and the younger brother won bronze at Ethiopia 1976.

Emmanuel Okala was Voted African Footballer of the Year, 1978, by the African Sports Journalists Union (ASJU) but never featured in an Afcon grand finale. His younger brother, Patrick, did at Cote d’Ivoire 1984. However, Patrick did not win gold. His elder brother bagged gold at Nigeria 1980.

The Odegbami family became the first in Nigeria to win AFCON gold, silver, and bronze. Segun got a bronze at Ghana 1978 before rushing to gold at Nigeria 1980. Wole brought silver into the family at Maroc 1988.

The Okocha family followed. Emma was part of the Algeria 1990 silver winning Eagles squad. Austin started with gold at Tunisia 1994, hit silver at Nigeria/Ghana 2000, grabbed bronze at Mali 2002, Tunisia 2004, and again at Egypt 2006. Their nephew, Alex Iwobi, has kissed bronze and silver. They are the first three family members to play in the grand finale, thrice, respectively.

The first Nigerian to win Afcon gold, silver, and bronze was Muda Lawal. He began with a bronze at Ethiopia 1976, another bronze came at Ghana 1978, gold in 1989 and silver at Cote d’Ivoire 1984.

Nwankwo Kanu, Victor Ikpeba, and Victor Osimhen were African Footballers of the Year but never made the CAF Team of the Tournament. Yekini and Lookman did. Chukwu, Okocha, and Troost Ekong were unable to become African Footballer of the Year, even after being named among Players of Respective Tournaments.

Peter Rufai was involved in three Afcon semifinals penalty shoot out – Cote d’Ivoire 1984, Maroc 1988 and Tunisia 1994. The Eagles did not lose. His first goal for the national team in open play was from the penalty spot in 1993, against Ethiopia in an Afcon qualifier.