When the chips are down and the state of emergency requires someone to salvage the situation – as long as it is football – the ilk of Emmanuel Amuneke provides the Midas touch.
Amuneke, a deft and daring winger in his playing days, provided the lifeline; in this case, the important goals, to turn things around for his side. Many a time, Amuneke turned around hitherto helpless situations, more often representing his country than with club though, to give long-savoured victory to his country men, who forget their differences when it comes to football.
Leading up to the final of the 1994 edition of the Africa Cup of Nations in Tunisia, the Nigerian national team, the Super Eagles, had played five matches, all without Amuneke, who was a member of that squad but was nursing an injury. But well before the April 10 final showdown against the Chipolopolo of Zambia, he had recovered.
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Following his recovery, the player became a subject of controversy between players and the coaching crew, on whether he should be included in a game as crucial as the final. Those who opposed his inclusion had feared that Amuneke might be match-rusty having not played competitive match for some time. However, those who clamoured for his inclusion took that position based on what they had seen him do at training.
At the end of the day, Amuneke was included in the first eleven and lo and behold, he scored Nigeria’s two goals that were just enough to give them their second continental tournament title. The match ended 2-1.
On November 10, 1995, Amuneke ended up as the hero when he headed in the solitary goal as Nigeria beat Uzbekistan to win the first ever Afro-Asia Cup in front of a packed National Stadium in Lagos.
Fast forward to August 1996. The Nigerian U23 team to that year’s Summer Olympics in Atlanta, the Dream Team, they had been called, went to the United States of America with the dream of returning with the gold – never won until then by any African country – to the continent. But with a field that included power houses like Brazil, Argentina and Mexico, that dream seemed unachievable.
But having surprisingly eliminated Mexico and Brazil in the quarter final and semi final, Nigeria came face to face with Argentina in the final. Defeat looked inevitable for the Dream Team who were always coming from behind to draw level after the South Americans had taken the lead. So at 2-2, it was a popular belief that the Argentines would take the lead only as a matter of course.
Though the fifth goal of the match came truly, against all expectations, it was scored by Nigeria. Argentina never recovered to score another goal and neither did any other one come in that match because Emmanuel Amuneke had sealed the match with his strike.
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Today in the history of FIFA U-17 World Cup, Nigeria hold a record (together with Brazil) of winning the tournament five times. The Golden Eaglets won four of those titles in the Asian continent; China ’85, Japan ’93, Korea 2007 and UAE 2013 and when Nigeria were to add to history after winning the tournament outside of Asia, it was courtesy Amuneke as the head coach of the Golden Eaglets. Amuneke guided his wards to the title, Nigeria’s fifth, on November 8, 2015 at Vina del Mar, Chile, in South America.
Ahead of the Chile outing, the former FC Barcelona of Spain player had declared his assemblage of Nigeria’s best for the tournament. Little wonder then that Amuneke’s heroics came in style as the Golden Eaglets set produced the highest goal scorer in the history of the tournament following Victor Osimhen’s 10 goals in one tournament. Four years on, Osimhen is seething in form. The Libya U23 team have a story to tell about him.
The latest of Amuneke’s achievement is his qualifying Tanzania for the Africa Cup of Nations finals to be hosted by Egypt later this year. It is the first time in 39 years and the second time in history that the Taifa Stars will be taking part in Africa’s biggest football showcase. Tanzania, before a massive 60,000 crowd, bagged the ticket to Egypt 2019 after a 3-0 victory against the Ugandan Cranes, at the National Stadium, Dar es Salaam, last Sunday.
The former Julius Berger of Lagos player took the Tanzania job on August 6, 2018 and he becomes the second Nigerian after Stephen Keshi to lead another country to win a ticket to a major tournament. ‘Big Boss’ had guided the Hawks of Togo to the 2016 World Cup ticket before he was relieved of his job.
The Tanzanians earned their first Nations Cup ticket under Polish coach, Slawomir Wolk in 1979, ahead the tournament proper hosted by Nigeria in 1980.
The reward for hard work is more hard work and this aptly applies to Amuneke who would now be concerned with sustaining the quality he is bringing back into Tanzanian football.
Until recent past, Tanzanian football had enjoyed relative success with the Taifa Stars qualifying for the 1980 Nations Cup. Before then, the country had also reigned as CECAFA Challenge Cup winners. Efforts to take the country’s football to the level it belonged, if not higher, could be said to have started around 2006 when then president, Jakaya Kikwete, promised new lease of life for football.
Against this background, Brazilian Marcio Maximo, with his experience, was appointed in 2016 to turn football around. But Maximo, who nurtured Brazil World Cup winners Ronaldo and Ronaldinho as coach of Brazil’s U17 and U20 players, achieved little or nothing in Tanzania after four years at the helm.
Maximo was once hailed in the the streets of Dar es Salaam but after failing to achieve the immediate task of returning the Taifa Stars to the continent, he lost it. Here, Amuneke has succeeded. With his latest feat, Amuneke has set a standard in Tanzania and many would see him as a messiah.
But a lot still depends on him as he journeys along.