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Nairaland Forum / Entertainment / Sports / Jim Nwobodo: What Abacha Did After Atlanta '96; What I Did For Kanu Nwankwo (29366 Views)
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Jim Nwobodo: What Abacha Did After Atlanta '96; What I Did For Kanu Nwankwo by Magichand: 10:23pm On Aug 05, 2018 |
Jim Nwobodo, a former old Anambra governor, has revealed some events that happened during the Atlanta 1996 Olympics. A former governor of old Anambra State, Chief Jim Nwobodo, relives the victory of the Super Eagles in Atlanta Olympics of 1996 and how he saved Kanu Nwankwo from Coach Westerhof. The Super Eagles won the gold medal in the Atlanta Olympics in 1996 when you were the Sports Minister. Can you share with us the story of what happened then? They (Super Eagles) beat Japan, beat Brazil and also beat other big teams. That was the time we had wonderful players. You can only know the best team when they go out of the country and play the best teams in the world. Mikel Obi is playing in China and there are other young boys like Alex Iwobi, Ahmed Musa, Kelechi Iheanacho and many others. There is one thing I like about Nigerian football. Nigerians are football lovers, there is no doubt about that and football has the ability to unite Nigerians. I remember very well the 1996 event when we played in Atlanta Olympics. Nigeria was a pariah nation. The day we reached the climax was the day Nigeria met Brazil. We had a very strong team, those who were determined to do their best to make Nigeria proud. Two things happened that day. We got into the field and, in the first half, they (Brazil) were leading Nigeria by 3-1. I sat by the side of then – FIFA President, Joao Havelange, a Brazilian lawyer, businessman and athlete who served as the 7th FIFA President from 1974 to 1998 and I told him we will beat Brazil and he started laughing because we were two goals down. Half time break pep talk During the half time break, I went to our boys in the dressing room and called them one by one, starting with Sunday Oliseh, then Daniel Omokachi, Kanu Nwankwo, Jay Jay Okocha, Victor Ikpeba, Celestine Babayaro and others. I urged them not to disgrace me and Nigerians and they assured me that they will beat Brazil. I then called the coach, Clemens Westerhof, who complained that Kanu was not playing well and that he would remove him. I ordered him not to remove the young man. I threatened to sack him if he removed Kanu. He complied with my order and allowed Kanu to play in the second half. In the second half, Okocha scored the second goal, making it 2-3; another goal was scored by Kanu to make it 3-3 and second half ended. In the extra time, we had what is called the golden goal then and, five minutes after, Kanu scored the golden goal and the match ended. Everyone was surprised but God was at work and I heard Him (God) when I said Kanu should not be removed. Kanu became the man of the match. We were excited and many whites and many Africans, who did not know about the Dream Team, started painting themselves in green white green. I was also told that families that were not in talking terms for ten years reconciled because of that match. Sweet victory Then – Head of State, General Sani Abacha, who was not in the habit of answering telephone calls, called almost all of us, including my wife. He did not stop there. He had to wait for us alongside some state governors for two days under the rain at the City Gate, Abuja when we returned to Nigeria and that was what that victory did to Nigeria. What a sweet victory! The second thing that happened was that Chioma Ajunwa told me that she and other Nigerian athletes were yet to be paid their 300 dollars per day on the day she would compete. I saw reason with her but I told her it was a very small amount. I promised her that I will give her 10,000 dollars if she won a gold medal, she was shocked. I advised her to go for the long jump if she was good at that. Her first jump earned her gold medal for Nigeria and I gave her 10,000 dollars. This thing is about leadership and encouraging people around you. So, sport, in itself, is something that, if properly developed, will bring the country together. Look at what sport is doing in the world today. If you are a sports administrator, you are known all over the world. FIFA President is bigger that any President in the world. My worry is that Nigeria has not given proper attention to sports. What is your rating of journalists in Nigeria? Nigeria has the freest press in the world; journalists write anything and get away with it and they hold people accountable and nobody can fight them. In Nigeria, I can say that we have a very free and strong press. I really don’t see anything wrong with what they are doing, except that they should always get their facts right. What is your take on employers owing workers? Any employer that owes his workers should not expect them to be loyal to him. Such could expose workers to temptation because they have to take care of themselves and their families. It is not good to owe your workers; whether they are journalists, footballers, civil servants, you don’t need to owe them. Workers deserve their wages. So it is not good at all. You should do everything possible not to owe your workers. What about state governments owing workers? I mean it’s unfair. It is ungodly and unchristian. If you don’t pay workers, what do you want them to do? In fact, when I was governor, I didn’t have anything as salary arrears. Throughout my stay in Government House, I never owed anybody for one month because one thing you do as a leader is to pay your workers before any other thing. That is the first charge and, from there, you motivate them to work harder. So, any governor that owes workers for months is not fit to be a governor. Although, some governors have said that the problem about payment of salaries stems from the many problems confronting them, that argument does not hold water because you can still sit down and arrange your budget to make the recurrent less than the capital. You give capital budget priority over recurrent. From Zenithnaija.com More below: https://zenithnaija.com/how-i-saved-kanu-nwankwo-from-coach-westerhof-during-atlanta-96-olympics-jim-nwobodo-opens-up/ 5 Likes
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Re: Jim Nwobodo: What Abacha Did After Atlanta '96; What I Did For Kanu Nwankwo by directorXixXICK(m): 10:27pm On Aug 05, 2018 |
Maybe they should have left iheanacho in the World Cup game against Argentina instead of that 'two left leg' Ighalo he perhaps might have helped us win... My 2cents 31 Likes 2 Shares |
Re: Jim Nwobodo: What Abacha Did After Atlanta '96; What I Did For Kanu Nwankwo by gcof(m): 10:36pm On Aug 05, 2018 |
That is what is killing Nigerian football today, sports administrators interfering with happenings on the pitch 33 Likes 4 Shares |
Re: Jim Nwobodo: What Abacha Did After Atlanta '96; What I Did For Kanu Nwankwo by FirstCounsel(m): 10:38pm On Aug 05, 2018 |
Abeg which Tournament is this Chief talking about? If my memory serves me right, Jo Bonfrere took us to the Olympics. 100 Likes 5 Shares |
Re: Jim Nwobodo: What Abacha Did After Atlanta '96; What I Did For Kanu Nwankwo by LuciferChristi: 10:40pm On Aug 05, 2018 |
If he did that then it was very unprofessional & he should be arrested immediately & tried. I don't care if Nigeria later won - we might have still won if Kanu was removed. Nothing annoys me in football than when a Manager isn't allowed to do his job. Is Jim Nwobodo qualified? No. Does he have any experience with coaching? No. More importantly, was he employed as the Head Coach? No. Why threaten to fire the Manager if he doesn't bow to your orders? What's it with Gorilla Africans and authority sef? He's only admitting this because he's lucky we won but he ought to be dealt with. 34 Likes 3 Shares |
Re: Jim Nwobodo: What Abacha Did After Atlanta '96; What I Did For Kanu Nwankwo by LuciferChristi: 10:43pm On Aug 05, 2018 |
FirstCounsel: Na true o Nwobodo is drunk or is showing signs of Alzheimer's. 16 Likes |
Re: Jim Nwobodo: What Abacha Did After Atlanta '96; What I Did For Kanu Nwankwo by goldbim(f): 10:43pm On Aug 05, 2018 |
Unfortunately, the Capone sports minister we have now is less concerned about motivation.. May we get it right someday!! |
Re: Jim Nwobodo: What Abacha Did After Atlanta '96; What I Did For Kanu Nwankwo by Teeboi56: 10:40am On Aug 06, 2018 |
Okay |
Re: Jim Nwobodo: What Abacha Did After Atlanta '96; What I Did For Kanu Nwankwo by Originality007: 10:41am On Aug 06, 2018 |
Re: Jim Nwobodo: What Abacha Did After Atlanta '96; What I Did For Kanu Nwankwo by tobilinoP(m): 10:43am On Aug 06, 2018 |
Coach was Bonfrere Jo, not Clemens Westerhof!!! 7 Likes |
Re: Jim Nwobodo: What Abacha Did After Atlanta '96; What I Did For Kanu Nwankwo by CuTTiieAngeL(f): 10:43am On Aug 06, 2018 |
Mtcheew... 1 Like |
Re: Jim Nwobodo: What Abacha Did After Atlanta '96; What I Did For Kanu Nwankwo by dazzlingd(m): 10:44am On Aug 06, 2018 |
Sunday Oliseh, then Daniel Omokachi, Kanu Nwankwo, Jay Jay Okocha, Victor Ikpeba, Celestine Babayaro See names 5 Likes |
Re: Jim Nwobodo: What Abacha Did After Atlanta '96; What I Did For Kanu Nwankwo by Mikeparlo12(m): 10:45am On Aug 06, 2018 |
Baba is getting Old, it wasn’t Clemence westerhorf that took Nigeria to atlanta 1996but Bon Jo. Also Okocha didn’t score the second goal but Victor Ikpeba 22 Likes |
Re: Jim Nwobodo: What Abacha Did After Atlanta '96; What I Did For Kanu Nwankwo by Iceman2017(m): 10:45am On Aug 06, 2018 |
Just give Igbo's mantle of leadership in any field, they would do better. Nigeria is where we are because they failed to recognise the importance of an Igbo man 6 Likes |
Re: Jim Nwobodo: What Abacha Did After Atlanta '96; What I Did For Kanu Nwankwo by carammel(f): 10:45am On Aug 06, 2018 |
Atlanta 96,still fresh in my memory,the semi-final was the most interesting. Jim Nwobodo, be lying upandan,unless this is what you want the indomie generation to know about the 1996 Olympics. That was how they lied to us that India gave Nigeria 100: 0 in one game. 6 Likes 1 Share |
Re: Jim Nwobodo: What Abacha Did After Atlanta '96; What I Did For Kanu Nwankwo by Authoreety: 10:45am On Aug 06, 2018 |
I watched that match with small pikin eye that year... Twas actually glorious that night gwinaB: Stupidity is when u quote an entire post of ds lenght jst to spew trash! Cant u jst say ur nonsense without quotin d entire post? 1 Like |
Re: Jim Nwobodo: What Abacha Did After Atlanta '96; What I Did For Kanu Nwankwo by Iceman2017(m): 10:45am On Aug 06, 2018 |
Just give Igbo's mantle of leadership in any field, they would do better. Nigeria is where we are because they failed to recognise the importance of an Igbo man. 1 Like |
Re: Jim Nwobodo: What Abacha Did After Atlanta '96; What I Did For Kanu Nwankwo by nedu2000(m): 10:45am On Aug 06, 2018 |
Westerhoff wasn't the coach of the atlanta u-23 team Mr Nwobodo. |
Re: Jim Nwobodo: What Abacha Did After Atlanta '96; What I Did For Kanu Nwankwo by Sijo01(f): 10:46am On Aug 06, 2018 |
That was when boys played with passion and not just money. |
Re: Jim Nwobodo: What Abacha Did After Atlanta '96; What I Did For Kanu Nwankwo by Nobody: 10:47am On Aug 06, 2018 |
Re: Jim Nwobodo: What Abacha Did After Atlanta '96; What I Did For Kanu Nwankwo by gwinaB(m): 10:47am On Aug 06, 2018 |
Magichand: Was he not the one they said abducted the generator at the national stadium in surulere? 4 Likes |
Re: Jim Nwobodo: What Abacha Did After Atlanta '96; What I Did For Kanu Nwankwo by dazzlingd(m): 10:48am On Aug 06, 2018 |
Nathdoug: That story of dollar does not work. Dollar issue started with Gej government and as at his departure, naira was already in a chain reaction of instability. Be transparent and fair... Before you attack me, Im not a fan of buhari 4 Likes 1 Share |
Re: Jim Nwobodo: What Abacha Did After Atlanta '96; What I Did For Kanu Nwankwo by mcnuel001(m): 10:48am On Aug 06, 2018 |
FirstCounsel:Abioo, and the second goal was scored by victor ikpeba and not okocha ,infact okocha missed a penalty on that faithful day . 4 Likes |
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