In 1991, I signed with Julius Berger as a teenager alongside notable players like Monday and Austin Eguavoen, Godwin Kanu, Edema Fuludu, Taribo West, Ayo Ogunlana, Kabiru Mohammed, and others. After three seasons, I moved to Esperance of Tunis, where I was the only foreigner among the ten players on the Tunisian national team. The experience of playing for Esperance from November 1994 to 1996, after the Olympics, was amazing. Winning the Olympics was a defining moment for me. I then joined Roda JC in Holland, where I played for seven years. Playing football in Holland was a joy because it’s considered a hub for learning the sport. It was a great experience playing with renowned players like Austin Okocha, Finidi George, Daniel Amokachi, Taribo West, Uche Okechukwu, Celestine Babayaro, Tijani Babangida, Victor Ikpeba, Mutiu Adepoju, and Nwankwo Kanu in the national team. Later, talented young players like Julius Aghahowa, Joseph Yobo, Yakubu Aiyegbeni, John Utaka, and Ifeanyi Udeze emerged. It was a privilege to represent my country in the green shirt.
During our time, there was fierce competition in every position, with four or five players vying for each spot. That’s why when I see the current national teams play, I feel there is no competition at the moment. This lack of competition leads to struggles because players know they will retain their positions even if they perform poorly. However, in our time, if you made a mistake, you wouldn’t play in the next game. You had to plead for another chance, and discipline was crucial, aligned with the coach’s methodology.
Many people wondered why I was consistently selected for the national team, but it was the coach’s philosophy, not my doing. As a versatile player who could perform in multiple positions, coaches had confidence in me. If you have versatility, the coach will rely on you when there’s a problem, and you can come in and change the game.
I recall an instance during the 1996 Olympics when I had never trained as a left-back. In the group game against Brazil, which we lost 1-0, the coach asked me to warm up and told me I would play as a left-back. I had no choice but to accept. Sunday Oliseh had received a red card in the previous match, so he was suspended for the Brazil game. He had already informed me that I would play defensively, even though it wasn’t my natural position. At that time, whether you agreed or not, you had to play. So, I played as a left-back, as a No. 7 in attack, or as a holding midfielder, wherever we faced challenges. There was no way I would be dropped from the team because of my versatility, but people fail to understand that it’s not up to me to decide. The coach determines the roles, as he knows better than the players.The individuals who made those claims, were they present in the Super Eagles camp? If you want to know the truth, go and speak with the players themselves. I have known players like Babangida and Babayaro since our childhood days. We played together in youth competitions. I have known Amokachi since 1981, so we have a long history together, and we met again in the national team. When you see us together, it’s not because we form some kind of “mafia” in the camp, but rather because we already had established friendships from childhood. People tend to talk and criticize regardless of what you do.The 1998 team was truly exceptional. Despite Spain being considered one of the tournament favorites, we managed to defeat them. However, in the game against Denmark, we entered with overconfidence, assuming they couldn’t stop us since we had already beaten Spain. But things took a turn early on, and we found ourselves two goals down.
It’s true that the landscape of global football is changing, and European football has evolved significantly in the past 20 years. They have surpassed us in many ways, but it’s difficult to pinpoint the exact reasons for it. Some speculate that the influence of the internet and social media on this generation of footballers may play a role. During our time, we didn’t have social media, so perhaps that has had an impact on the current style of play.
In terms of our mindset during matches, there was no room for complacency. We believed that if we could come back from being three goals down against Brazil, we could defeat Argentina as well. We carried the pride of being the first African team present and the reigning Olympic champions. Nobody in Nigeria gave us a chance, so we wanted to prove ourselves.
Regarding our experience in the US, the challenges we faced were mostly related to financial constraints rather than preparation. We trained well, but money was tight. We had to wash our own kits and hang them outside to dry. The hotel staff didn’t appreciate it and asked us to keep them in the bathroom. We apologized and complied with their request.
As for the best moments in my career, winning the Olympics, playing in the World Cup twice, and participating in the Nations Cup four times are the highlights. These are the tournaments every player dreams of being a part of.
As for the worst moments, I don’t have any specific ones. Football is filled with ups and downs, and it’s natural to have both good and bad games throughout a career.
