Super Eagles would indeed have done the unthinkable by winning the World Cup on their debut at USA’94, but they rather chose the early route back home, IKENWA NNABUOGOR revisits their inaugural Mundial outing…
The long walk to the 1994 World Cup began as one of those fights the Eagles took on to hit the World Cup after several hiccups meant as the qualifiers to USA ’94 got the Eagles hitting the home stretch after dispatching Algeria on an extremely cold evening in Tlecem.
Dutch coach Clemens Westerhof had been building this team he inherited from interim coach Paul Hamilton after they agonisingly failed to reach the 1990 World Cup in Italy at Cameroon’s expense, and he quickly got down to work.
The team building was gradual, tedious, focused and backed by the government of the time when the Dutchman welcomed some Nigerian blood gushing in his veins by seeking and getting the government to advance his building process.
The arrival of Westerhof changed the face of the Nigerian football totally and earned a brand-new moniker ‘Super’ to replace old, outdated ‘ ‘Green’ Eagles as Westerhof’s Eagles continued to live up to their name Super by cruising with the colourful Dutchman in the dugout.
It took Westerhof five years to shepard his wards to the US after testing them at the 1990, 1992 and 1994 African Nations Cup finals, before they emerged champions in Tunisia to hit the USA in turbo-charged high spirits for the mission.
The best of Westerhof’s legs – 22 of them – were undoubtedly selected for the US out of a whole bunch he inherited from Hamilton in 1989 and even earned the approval of the ever-critical Nigerian fans, though a strong case was made for VVV Venlo flying winger Tijjani Babangida in some quarters.
With these men, there was no need to abort mission as Westerhof’s foot soldiers appeared set to run over the enemy lines and it seemed so at the global soccer fiesta that brought together the best in the world including multiple-time champions Brazil, Italy and Germany.
Bulgaria had turned back France in the last second of the qualifiers, leading up to the USA finals and marched on to the pitch at the Cotton Bowl with the same confidence to run over the Africans, but were dead wrong as the African champions proved too good for Hristo Stoichkov and his mates, silencing them emphatically 3-0 as Westerhof and his men announced their Coming to America in grand style.
Confidence rocketed as the game progressed even Stoichkov’s disallowed goal off a free kick appeared not to have any effects on their will power and roundly, they killed off the game.
The first round was as good as forgone as Argentina fought through to a 2-1 win and Greece received the baptism of fire from Daniel Amokachi and Finidi George.
Now the real business of the tournament in the knockout stage as the competition got hotter and more interesting, as Italy, three-time World Cup, were pitted against Mundial debutants from Africa at Foxboro Stadium, Foxborough, after the Group D Cinderella team topped their group to remain in the State of Massachusetts.
Westerhof was having the biggest test of his life as a coach, but he trusted his men to do the unthinkable against Arrigo Sacchi’s Italy and he was almost through to the quarter-finals, but for Roberto Baggio’s magic with just four minutes left on the clock got the badly sought after equaliser.
It was no doubt that Super Eagles were cruising on an ultra-high altitude in Foxborough despite the baking heat, but surprisingly they surrendered to Baggio’s supremely inspired Azzuris for a very painful defeat that would end Westerhof’s glorious six-year stint.
On hindsight, Super Eagles helped save lot of things for the Azzuris back home in Italy as the Mafia and the Carmona would definitely have none of it that the African upstarts turned back their beloved Azzuris.
Eagles found time to turn the Foxboro pitch into a circus show as the clock ticked away, tossing the ball around while gunning for more glory in Italy’s goal would have made the game safer for the supremely impressive but inexperienced Super Eagles.
Poor Sacchi appeared to be gradually developing hypertension, shouting himself hoarse in the dugout, urging his team on and screaming Dino Baggio’s name for that timely intervention to save on his life from an imminent danger back home in Italy.
While Westerhof’s men were enjoying the circus show to the delight of the Foxboro fans, Sachi was hatching up plans because he knew the Africans were lacking that World Cup experience that would help pull this imminent Italy defeat through.
Westerhof was dead wrong; Sachi was right as Dino Baggio’s name he had replacing his heart in his mouth inspired that all-important Roberto Baggio’s leveller after Sunday Oliseh’s schoolboy error to haul the Azzuris back into the game.
Sachi breathed again and got back his confidence to finish his business with the Africans who would have dangerously pit him against the die-hard supporters back home.
Stand-in captain Augustine Eguavoen helped Sacchi complete his comeback Italian job when the former KAA Gent defender “stylishly” wrestled down full back Bennarivo for the spot kick for the over stretched Italians in the extra time. Baggio made no mistake to make the game safe for his country.
Lacking World Cup Experience
Could the Eagles have lost this crucial game because they lacked World Cup experience?
Super Eagles clearly demonstrated the unpredictability of football and proved they could compete with the best in the World Cup even on their debut.
They had the best legs in Africa then and competed with the very best in world football and looked pretty good to go all the way.
But they chose to lose at the crucial stage when they needed everything to continue their sweet cruise that attracted them more admirers than enemies.
Italy, on the other hand, entered the US as World Cup veterans and a three-time champions with a very rich World Cup pedigree and welcomed all the bookmakers’ kind odds to “kill” the Africans, but were disappointed it was not business as usual with Africans at this World Cup.
Recall that Africa have had a poor record in the World Cup until Cameroon even surprised themselves to reach the quarter-finals at the Italia’90 World Cup.
Super Eagles had everything going for them in this game, but lack of World Cup experience clearly did them in in the game that they had under wraps.
Westerhof lacked tactical discipline
Westerhof was brutally exposed at that crucial level as lacking the tactical discipline to fly the Eagles over the Azzuris and it took only his tactical ineptitude to let the Azzuris nick this and deny Nigeria the opportunity to go all the way, if not the title because they were good enough, after all they were ranked the fourth best team in the world at that point in time.
Many argued that Westerhof’s substitutions were grossly suspect and lacking any tactics and that allowed Italy to come back into the game after hit men Emmanuel Amuneke, the goal scorer and bullish striker Daniel “Da Bull” Amokachi were tactically “invited” for early showers by the tactical Azzuris to haul Eagles to the back seat in that hot evening at Foxboro.
Sacchi accepted Westerhof’s “offer” of Thompson Oliha and Mutiu Adepoju who replaced the injured duo and were to compete with the Baggios in the Foxboro midfield wholeheartedly and gleefully guided the Baggios to finish off the stubborn Africans.
Star striker Rashidi Yekini was carefully and tactically manhandled by the Azzuris hatchet men by captain Paolo Maldini, Alessandro Costacurti and Roberto Mussi, while AC Milan youngster Demetrio Albertini grew in confidence as the game wore on to join forces with the Baggios to curtail the rampaging Eagles.
Yekini was feeling the heat and needed re-enforcement in the attack after his comrade-in-crime Amokachi had been taken off and the trio of Samson Siasia, untested Victor Ikpeba and Efan Ekoku were on the bench watching helplessly.
Experienced utility player Emeka Ezeugo, who had charged as a bull coming on in the opening game against Bulgaria, was also on the bench when Westerhop clearly needed experience to keep their one goal lead safe and move on to a touching distance of the World Cup.
Ezeugo would have safely settled into the game taking Oliseh’s place in the defensive midfield to help curtail the Azzuris late-minute surge.
It was from Oliseh’s error that Azzuris’ quick thinking let them back into the game when Dino Baggio’s wicked pass off a throw-in after Oliseh had boyishly kicked the ball into touch without any Azzuris charging at him when a pass to his colleague would have sufficed, freed Baggio for the killer leveller.
Eagles never recovered after the equaliser and it was as bad as it got for the African champions as the Azzuris took control and even invited Italy’s famous Opera singer Luciano Pavarotti to join conduct the orchestra in the hot Foxborough evening.
Eagles would only chase shadows afterwards.
Only Westerhof will explain what happened in that Italy encounter.
Westerhof rowed with some players?
Reports of Westerhof falling out with some players notably unused Victor Ikpeba remain unconfirmed till date and it clearly showed in the game that all may not have been well with Westerhof and the said players.
Siasia, who scored against Argentina, was completely left on the bench as the game yearned for his goal, skill and tireless runs, but Westerhof defiantly refused to play him.
There was also no report that Siasia had copped an injury that prevented him to bring his Argentina show along to fight Italy to finish, but then Westerhof chose to sideline him.
Ikpeba was spoiling for action as a USA ’94 World Cup brand new and fresh untested legs he was, but never got to show the Azzuris what he could do on the pitch as Westerhof saw no need for him despite the nightmarish summer holiday Yekini was having on the islands of Maldini and Costacurta.
What was Eguavoen thinking?
Though Eagles were falling badly as the Italians kept up the chase, Eguavoen “helped” them with the unnecessary wrestling down of Antonio Bennarivo who was not even a threat to hand the game gleefully to Italy.
Chidi Nwanu was safe and waiting to mop up and re-launch another attack after Dino Baggio had skillfully looped the ball over Eguavoen for Bennarivo to race to from miles away to try his luck, but Nwanu was on his blind side to mop up but amateurishly brought down Bennarivo for the spot kick. Roberto Baggio completed the Italian Job and that proved to be enough.
Eagles, not Brazil for the title?
There was a general belief that the Eagles would have gone all the way to win the World Cup because they had all it took to achieve it.
Laughable, wishful thinking it may seem to be but, the team, named the fifth best, looked good to at least hit the semis, if not win the top prize itself.
Named the Best Entertaining team of the tournament, Eagles left their fans yearning for more entertainment as they exited with their crisp-passing brand of football.
Fans went to town analyzing Eagles’ route to the final – Spain would have been their guests at Foxboro if they had beaten Italy and the smoking Eagles would have been odds-on favourites to beat Spain to meet Bulgaria for the second time in the tournament in the semis and on paper, Eagles appeared the more likely team to entertain Brazil in the final.
All those went away with the winds as Italy saved their own blushes by stopping the Africans in the second round.
Westerhof never returned to Nigeria with the team after the ouster as his contract reportedly expired at the World Cup and so he headed straight back to his native Holland.
The history of Nigerian football will never be complete without the worthy mention of the now 82-year old retired coach who brought a brand-new dimension to the team that would take ages to match.
Nice one taking me back memory lane.