The Atlanta 1996 Olympics holds a special place in Nigeria’s sporting history. The Nigerian squad that represented the country in the games consisted of talented athletes who made their mark on the international stage.
In the final of the men’s football tournament at Atlanta 1996, Nigeria played against Argentina, a formidable opponent. Despite a valiant effort, Nigeria lost the match, with Argentina claiming the gold medal.
However, Nigeria’s Olympic journey in 1996 was not without triumph. The Nigerian men’s football team, led by coach Jo Bonfrere, secured the gold medal at the Olympics. The winning goal was scored by Emmanuel Amuneke in the final against Argentina, marking a significant moment for Nigerian football.
Nigeria’s victory in the football tournament at the Atlanta Olympics was a historic achievement. It was the first time an African country had won an Olympic gold medal in football. This triumph showcased Nigeria’s growing prowess in the sport.
While Nigeria has had success in various Olympic events, the Atlanta 1996 Olympics marked a significant milestone. The country’s performance highlighted its potential on the global stage and paved the way for future successes in international competitions.
As for hosting the Olympics, Nigeria has yet to host the prestigious event. However, the country continues to produce exceptional athletes who represent Nigeria on the Olympic stage.
The funding for the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta was primarily through a combination of public and private financing. The organizing committee secured sponsorships and generated revenue through ticket sales and broadcasting rights.
In terms of overall medal count, the United States emerged as the top-performing nation in the 1996 Olympics, winning the most medals.
While Nigeria did not win the Olympics as a whole, its victory in the football tournament and the achievements of its athletes made the Atlanta 1996 Olympics a memorable event for the country.
Today, Nigeria continues to participate in the Olympics, fielding athletes across various disciplines. The country’s Olympic team represents the nation’s aspirations and showcases the talent and dedication of Nigerian athletes.
Regarding the financial aspect, the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta did not make a profit. The event experienced financial challenges, with costs exceeding revenues. However, it is important to note that hosting the Olympics often involves substantial investments in infrastructure and facilities, leaving a lasting legacy for the host city.
As for Nigeria ruling the world, it is a phrase often used to describe Nigeria’s dominance in football during the 1990s. The Nigerian national team achieved significant success during this period, winning the Africa Cup of Nations in 1994 and the Olympic gold medal in 1996.
See Also: Nigeria Squad 1998 In FIFA World Cup All Listed
Atlanta 1996 Olympic Football Results
Group Stages
20 Jul 1996 – Portugal 2-0 Tunisia
22 Jul 1996 – Argentina 1-1 Portugal
22 Jul 1996 – USA 2-0 Tunisia
24 Jul 1996 – Argentina 1-1 Tunisia
24 Jul 1996 – USA 1-1 Portugal
20 Jul 1996 – France 2-0 Australia
22 Jul 1996 – Australia 2-1 Saudi Arabia
22 Jul 1996 – France 1-1 Spain
24 Jul 1996 – France 2-1 Saudi Arabia
24 Jul 1996 – Spain 3-2 Australia
21 Jul 1996 – Korea Republic 1-0 Ghana
21 Jul 1996 – Mexico 1-0 Italy
23 Jul 1996 – Ghana 3-2 Italy
25 Jul 1996 – Ghana 1-1 Mexico
21 Jul 1996 – Japan 1-0 Brazil
21 Jul 1996 – Nigeria 1-0 Hungary
23 Jul 1996 – Brazil 3-1 Hungary
23 Jul 1996 – Nigeria 2-0 Japan
25 Jul 1996 – Brazil 1-0 Nigeria
25 Jul 1996 – Japan 3-2 Hungary
Quarter-finals
27 Jul 1996 – Argentina 4:0 Spain
27 Jul 1996 – France 1:2 Portugal
28 Jul 1996 – Brazil 4:2 Ghana
28 Jul 1996 – Nigeria 2:0 Mexico
Semi-finals
30 Jul 1996 – Argentina 2:0 Portugal
31 Jul 1996 – Nigeria 4:3 Brazil
3rd place
02 Aug 1996 – Brazil 5:2 Portugal
Final
03 Aug 1996 – Nigeria 3:2 Argentina
Olympics 1996 Goal Scorers
7 Goals
Ronaldo (Brazil)
6 Goals
Bebeto (Brazil)
5 Goals
Hernan Crespo (Argentina)
3 Goals
Flavio Conceicao (Brazil); Nwankwo Kanu (Nigeria); Florian Maurice (France)
2 Goals
Celestine Babayaro (Nigeria); Marco Branca (Italy); Claudio Lopez (Argentina); Csaba Madar (Hungary); Masakiyo Maezono (Japan); Brian Maisonneuve (USA); Afonso Martins (Portugal); Jay Jay Okocha (Nigeria); Ariel Ortega (Argentina); Raúl (Spain); Christian Sabah (Ghana); Peter Tsekenis (Australia)
1 Goal
Junior Oswaldo ‘Juninho’ (Brazil); Felix Aboagye (Ghana); José Abundis (Mexico); Augustine Ahinful (Ghana); Charles Akunnor (Ghana); Daniel Amokachi (Nigeria); Emmanuel Amunike (Nigeria); Faud Anwar (Saudi Arabia); Tijana Babangida (Nigeria); Capucho (Portugal); SANTI Denia Sanchez (Spain); OSCAR Garcia Junyent (Spain); Ebenezer Hagan (Ghana); Victor Ikpeba (Nigeria); Teruyoshi Ito (Japan); YOON Jong-Hwan (Korea Republic); José Calado (Portugal); Jovan Kirovski (USA); Sylvain Legwinski (France); Mohamed Mkacher (Tunisia); Nuno Gomes (Portugal); Francisco Palencia (Mexico); Paulo Alves (Portugal); Robert Pirés (France); Tamás Sándor (Hungary); Antoine Sibierski (France); Kenichi Uemura (Japan); Aurelio Vidmar (Australia); Mark Viduka (Australia)
1996 Nigeria V Hungary Lineup
- Goalkeeper: Joseph Dosu
- Defenders: Uche Okechukwu; Mobi Obaraku; Taribo West; Celestine Babayaro
- Midfielders: Emmanuel Amunike; Jay-Jay Okocha; Sunday Oliseh
- Forwards: Daniel Amokachi; Tijana Babangida; Nwankwo Kanu
Garba Lawal came in for Amunike in the 75th minute and Victor Ikpeba for Kanu in the 80th minute.
The scoreline ended as Nigeria 1-0 Hungary and the goal was scored by Kanu (77″).
1996 Nigeria V Japan Lineup
- Goalkeeper: Joseph Dosu
- Defenders: Mobi Obaraku; Uche Okechukwu; Taribo West; Celestine Babayaro
- Midfielders: Emmanuel Amunike; Jay-Jay Okocha; Sunday Oliseh
- Forwards: Daniel Amokachi; Tijana Babangida; Nwankwo Kanu
Garba Lawal came in as a substitute for Amunike in the 72nd minute and Victor Ikpeba for Kanu in the 86th minute.
The scoreline ended as Nigeria 2-0 Japan and the goals were scored by Babangida (82″) and Okocha (89″) via penalty kick.
Brazil Vs Nigeria 1996 Squad
- Goalkeeper: Joseph Dosu
- Defenders: Abiodun Obafemi; Mobi Obaraku; Uche Okechukwu; Taribo West
- Midfielders: Emmanuel Amunike; Jay-Jay Okocha; Sunday Oliseh
- Forwards: Daniel Amokachi; Tijana Babangida; Nwankwo Kanu
Garba Lawal came in for Obafemi in the 47th minute, Victor Ikpeba for Amunike in the 63rd minute and Teslim Babatunde Fatusi for Babangida in the 81st minute.
The scoreline ended as Brazil 1-0 Nigeria and the goal was scored by Ronaldo (30″).
Nigeria v Mexico Atlanta 96 Lineup
- Goalkeeper: Joseph Dosu
- Defenders: Mobi Obaraku; Uche Okechukwu; Taribo West; Celestine Babayaro
- Midfielders: Emmanuel Amunike; Jay-Jay Okocha; Sunday Oliseh
- Forwards: Daniel Amokachi; Tijana Babangida; Nwankwo Kanu
Victor Ikpeba was brought in for Babangida in the 56th minute, Teslim Fatusi for Kanu in the 67th minute and Garba Lawal for Amunike in the 86th minute.
The scoreline ended as Nigeria 2-0 Mexico and the goals were scored by Okocha (20″) and Babayaro (85″).
Nigeria Vs Brazil Olympic 1996 Lineup
- Goalkeeper: Joseph Dosu
- Defenders: Mobi Obaraku; Uche Okechukwu; Taribo West; Celestine Babayaro
- Midfielders: Emmanuel Amunike; Garba Lawal; Jay-Jay Okocha
- Forwards: Daniel Amokachi; Tijana Babangida; Nwankwo Kanu
Victor Ikpeba came in for Amunike in the 46th minute, Teslim Fatusi for Babangida in the 68th-minute and Wilson Oruma for Obaraku in the 83rd minute.
Unlike when both teams met in the group stage and Brazil beat Naija by a lone goal, the Atlanta 1996 Nigeria vs Brazil scores in the semifinal was 4-3 and the goals were scored by Roberto Carlos – Own Goal (20″), Ikpeba (78″), Kanu (90″), and Kanu (93″).
As for Brazil, their goals were scored by Flavio Conceicao (2″), Bebeto (27″) and Flavio Conceicao (37″).
See highlights of Nigeria vs Brazil Atlanta 1996 below:
Nigeria Vs Brazil 1996 Highlights Video
Isn’t the Nigeria Atlanta ’96 jersey a cool one?
Nigeria Vs Argentina Olympic Final 1996 Lineup
- Goalkeeper: Joseph Dosu
- Defenders: Mobi Obaraku; Uche Okechukwu; Taribo West; Celestine Babayaro
- Midfielders: Jay-Jay Okocha; Sunday Oliseh
- Forwards: Daniel Amokachi; Tijana Babangida; Victor Ikpeba; Nwankwo Kanu
Garba Lawal came in for Okocha in the 59th minute, Wilson Oruma for Obaraku in the 61st minute, and Emmanuel Amunike for Ikpeba in the 72nd minute.
The Nigeria vs Argentina 1996 scoreline ended as 3-2 and the goals were scored by Babayaro (28″) and Amokachi (74″), Amunike (89″). As for Argentina, the goals were by Claudio Lopez (3″) and Hernan Crespo (49″) via penalty kick.
Atlanta 1996 Final Highlights
Let’s now see Atlanta 1996 Olympic Nigeria squad.
Nigeria Squad Atlanta 1996
| Position | Players | Club | DOB |
| Goalkeepers | Emmanuel Babayaro | Plateau United, Nigeria | 12/26/1976 |
| Abiodun Baruwa | Shooting Stars FC, Nigeria | 11/16/1974 | |
| Joseph Dosu | AC Reggiana, Italy | 6/19/1973 | |
| Defenders | |||
| Celestine Babayaro | RSC Anderlecht, Belgium | 8/29/1978 | |
| Patrick Ndah | 11/20/1973 | ||
| King Obie | 11/12/1974 | ||
| Uche Okechukwu | Fenerbahçe, Turkey | 9/27/1967 | |
| Mobi Oparaku | KFC Turnhout, Belgium | 12/1/1976 | |
| Taribo West | AJ Auxerre, France | 3/26/1974 | |
| Midfielders | |||
| Teslim Fatusi | Servette Genève, Switzerland | 9/17/1977 | |
| Garba Lawal | Espérance de Tunis, Tunisia | 5/22/1974 | |
| Abiodun Obafemi | Fortuna Düsseldorf, Germany | 12/25/1973 | |
| Jay Jay Okocha | Fenerbahçe, Turkey | 8/14/1973 | |
| Sunday Oliseh | 1. FC Köln, Germany | 9/14/1974 | |
| Wilson Oruma | AS Nancy, France | 12/30/1976 | |
| Forwards | |||
| Jonathan Akpoborie | Hansa Rostock, Germany | 10/20/1968 | |
| Daniel Amokachi | Beşiktaş, Turkey | 12/30/1972 | |
| Emmanuel Amunike | Sporting CP, Portugal | 12/25/1970 | |
| Tijjani Babangida | AFC Ajax, Netherlands | 9/25/1973 | |
| Victor Ikpeba | AS Monaco, France | 6/12/1973 | |
| Nwankwo Kanu | Inter, Italy | 8/1/1976 | |
| Pascal Onya | Shooting Stars FC, Nigeria | 12/24/1974 | |
| Manager | |||
| Jo Bonfrere | 6/15/1946 |
As you can see from the above table, the Nigeria Olympic football team 1996 coach is Jo Bonfrere while Kanu was the one who captained Nigeria in Atlanta 1996. The Atlanta 1996 Olympic Nigeria squad list above also showed the clubs each player was in during the tournament, their dates of birth and their jersey numbers.
But before I go, let’s take a look at the Olympic men’s football gold medal winners list history.
Olympic Men’s Football Winners List
| Year | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 | Great Britain | France | Belgium |
| 1904 | Canada | United States | United States |
| 1908 | Great Britain | Denmark | Netherlands |
| 1912 | Great Britain | Denmark | Netherlands |
| 1920 | Belgium | Spain | Netherlands |
| 1924 | Uruguay | Switzerland | Sweden |
| 1928 | Uruguay | Argentina | Italy |
| 1936 | Italy | Austria | Norway |
| 1948 | Sweden | Yugoslavia | Denmark |
| 1952 | Hungary | Yugoslavia | Sweden |
| 1956 | Soviet Union | Yugoslavia | Bulgaria |
| 1960 | Yugoslavia | Denmark | Hungary |
| 1964 | Hungary | Czechoslovakia | United Team Of Germany |
| 1968 | Hungary | Bulgaria | Japan |
| 1972 | Poland | Hungary | Soviet Union, East Germany |
| 1976 | East Germany | Poland | Soviet Union |
| 1980 | Czechoslovakia | East Germany | Soviet Union |
| 1984 | France | Brazil | Yugoslavia |
| 1988 | Soviet Union | Brazil | West Germany |
| 1992 | Spain | Poland | Ghana |
| 1996 | Nigeria | Argentina | Brazil |
| 2000 | Cameroon | Spain | Chile |
| 2004 | Argentina | Paraguay | Italy |
| 2008 | Argentina | Nigeria | Brazil |
| 2012 | Mexico | Brazil | South Korea |
| 2016 | Brazil | Germany | Nigeria |
This article was updated 4 days ago