By Uzor Odigbo
Former Nigeria’s U-17 World Cup winning coach Emmanuel Amuneke has revealed that winning the Atlanta Olympic gold medal is more important than the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations.
Recall that Amuneke netted the two goals that gave Nigeria a 2-1 win over Zambia in the final of the AFCON tournament.
While in the final against Argentina at the 1996 Olympic games, he scored the winning goal that ensure Nigeria won their first Olympic gold medal in football.
The former International and Atlanta’96 Olympic gold medalist, in a chat, stated that he would stick with the Olympic medal as his favourite because it brought a lot of attention to African football.
“I would say the Olympic title and the gold medal that I won with the national team was a moment of pride for me,” Amuneke tells Tribalfootball.com.
“Also winning the African Cup of Nations was very important, but I would stick with the Olympic medal (as my favourite) because it brought a lot of attention to African football.”
Amuneke also advised Nigerian fans to be excited about the young players on the verge of breaking through the Super Eagles at the fast approaching 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
“I think we have young promising players that we have been able to develop from youth level,” he says. “I think this is a positive aspect regarding Nigerian football that we have seen these young players develop from the youngest age through now to playing in the first team.
“But still, we are well aware that football success doesn’t come only from this, but you have to get better also in other aspects. I can say for sure we have a promising young team. But we have to give them and create for them all the opportunities necessary to express themselves as best as they can.”
