Non-Participation In 1996 AFCON Denies Nigeria 4th Title - Ex-African Player of The Year

Non-Participation In 1996 AFCON Denies Nigeria 4th Title - Ex-African Player of The Year

By Niyi Busari

Former African Player of The Year, Emmanuel Amunike believed the Super Eagles would have successfully defended the African Nations Cup title won in 1994 at the South Africa African Nations Cup, BSNSports.com.ng can report.

The former FC Barcelona and Eagles star admitted that football is one game that is difficult to predict sometimes but optimistic that the calibre and quality of the players in the squad are far ahead of their African counterparts.

The 1994 African Best Player while speaking with www.bsnsports.com.ng on the foremost Nigerian Sports WhatsApp group, NSM, said: "I think if we had participated in the 1996 African Nations Cup in South Africa, Nigeria would have won the title. Well, you cannot really predict but looking at the quality and calibre of individual and collective players in the team. I think we are in a position to compete but unfortunately when politics comes in, we sports men there us nothing we can do, we have to respect what the Head of State at the particular time was saying."

He revealed that despite the fallout between Nigeria and South Africa in 1996, the Super Eagles players were still optimistic and continued to train very hard with the aim of defending the title they won two years later.

"It was a painful thing that we didn't participatein 1996 AFCON, because i could remember that we were in Lagos training everyday, working very hard, running at the Beach, preparing ourselves for the AFCON Finals in South Africa, thinking, eventually there will be peace between Nigeria and South Africa to travel to participate in the tournament.

"So, most of us, we have to pack our bags and go back to our clubs. Of course, i believe that we have a team to defend the trophy we won two years later."

The 1996 Africa Cup of Nations was the 20th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, the soccer championship of Africa (CAF). It was hosted by South Africa, who replaced original hosts Kenya. The field expanded for the first time to sixteen teams, split into four groups of four; the top two teams in each group advancing to the quarterfinals.

However, Nigeria the defending champions withdrew from the tournament at the final moment under pressure from then-dictator President Sani Abacha, reducing the participating teams to fifteen.

South Africa won its first championship, beating Tunisia in the final 2–0