Tag: Amuneke

Winger Emmanuel Amuneke took Nigeria’s last touch at the 1995 FIFA Confederations Cup. “I’m like any other player; I’d like the game to end during the 90 minutes,” he told FIFA.com remembering, ruefully, his penalty miss that saw the star-studded Super Eagles finish fourth behind Mexico. “I felt bad about it, but you can’t predict penalties.” 

Amuneke was Nigeria’s wizard on the wing. He drifted out left and had a knack for drawing defenders towards him, coaxing a foolish tackle like a bullfighter might. Then he’d poke the ball over the flailing man and burst down the touchline. He scored twice in Nigeria’s first-ever FIFA World Cup™ a year earlier in USA. “Sometimes a team, a generation, just comes out of the blue,” he said about that side that made the world take notice. “This was our golden generation. We had great players who couldn’t even get in the team because the competition for places was so fierce.”
Combining pace, power, technique, and a blessed improvisation, those Super Eagles of the 1990s were so potent, such a fresh breath on the world scene, that many predicted they would be the first African team to win a World Cup. When they arrived in Saudi Arabia for the Confederations Cup in 1995, then called the King Fahd Cup, the West African entertainers were fan favourites.
“They loved us in Saudi Arabia,” said Amuneke, who spent four seasons with Barcelona but was tragically unable to hold down a place due to a succession of knee injuries that eventually ended his career early.
“The fans remembered the impact we made in USA in 1994 and we intrigued them. We were a big hit and, for us, it was a chance for that great generation to ride high again.”
Amuneke scored Nigeria’s first goal, four minutes into an eventual 3-0 hammering of Japan. They were unlucky not to beat an Argentina side that included Hernan Crespo, Ariel Ortega and Gabriel Batistuta in their second game. Argentina went through to the final thanks to a slim +1 goal difference and the Nigerians were forced to play for third place against Mexico – a game that finished 1-1 after extra-time. Everyone on both sides scored from the spot before reliable Amuneke stepped up for the fifth. “Someone has to miss,” he said, a smile in his voice. “That day it was me.”
But there was still one more day in the sun for the high-flying Super Eagles of the 1990s, and one that ended with a gold medal. The Atlanta Olympic Games of 1996 will go down in the legend and lore of Nigerian football.
Amuneke was at the heart of the action again. “I was a team leader by then,” said the winger who now passes on his knowledge to a new generation as Nigeria’s U-17 coach. “We didn’t go there expecting to win gold, but as the tournament went on we grew in confidence.”
The team was a roll call of Nigerian legends, names any football fan in the country could rattle off by heart. You can hear the astonishment in Amuneke’s voice when he talks of his teammates. “We had Kanu, Okocha, Amokachi, Ikpeba. We’re talking about Taribo West and Uche Okechukwu. There’s too many greats to even name!”
The Nigerians scored 12 goals in six games and entertained with their vibrant football. It was only fitting that the decisive touch of the competition, a touch that stamped the name Nigeria in the annals of international football, came from the foot of Amuneke. The final, against Argentina was tied 2-2 in the 90th minute. Amumeke’s sizzling wing-play coaxed Roberto Ayala into a bad tackle. Wilson Oruma swung in the free-kick and Amuneke, holding firm in the face of a tight offside trap, swiveled to volley just inside the far post.
The goal was as good as gold and sparked huge celebrations on the pitch and back home, a world away, in Nigeria. But Amuneke, a man who’s had more setbacks than glory in his career, maintains a dignified perspective. “You have to accept the way you lose just like you accept the way you win.”

FLYING Eagles coach, Emmanuel Amuneke, has admitted that the team disappointed Nigerians after they suffered a shock 3-4 loss to Sudan in the second leg of the AFCON U-20 Nations Cup qualifiers at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos on Saturday.

The Nigeria Under 20 national team had defeated the Sudanese 2-1 in Khartoum a fortnight ago but failed to qualify for Zambia 2016 on a 5-5 aggregate.

Speaking after the match, a visibly dejected Amuneke said, “We are all disappointed and the truth of the matter is that we are not able to qualify to Zambia and everybody is disappointed, the players are disappointed and Nigerians are disappointed. I personally I’m disappointed for the fact that a lot of Nigerians came to support us and to see their team but unfortunately we are not in the position to make them happy. We are all sad but life has to move on, this is football,” Amuneke said in a post match interview.

Flying Eagles defeated Sudan in Khartoum and Amuneke said his players did not underrated their opponent.

“Since we came back from Sudan, I’ve been saying it that it’s not going to be an easy game because in Sudan we were aware that they are a very good side and today they came here also to win. Unfortunately for us we conceded goals that should not happen but of course the goalkeeper was not at his best today but this is a goalkeeper that has served the nation, that has won laurels. All the same, it’s not really about the goalkeeper, it’s a collective effort. The team today were not at their best. When we were leading we were not able to manage to our own advantage, we conceded some easy goals that ought not to happen. That is football; we assume the responsibility and look forward.

The coastal city of Calabar in the Southern part of Nigeria would come alive again on Saturday for the first time in as many months when Nigeria host Burundi in the second leg of the second round at the U.J Esuene Sports Stadium.

Despite taking a narrow 1-0 lead against the Young Sparrows from the first leg in Bujumbura three weeks ago, courtesy of a 60th minute goal by midfielder Chukwudi Agor, Nigeria coach Emmanuel Amuneke and his charges are not taking this reverse fixture lightly.

Amuneke was full of hope while speaking to CAFonline.com ahead of the eagerly awaited contest.

“Though we won the first leg, the team we met in Bujumbura is tactically sound and we must be at our best when we play against them on Saturday. We are not going to lose focus and we must be able to take our chances unlike what happened in the first leg.

“It is a great feeling for us going back to Calabar and this would be a good opportunity for us to thank the government and people of Cross River State for their support to us over the years. What we need again on Saturday is their total support against Burundi and I think we will do everything possible to get a good result for them to celebrate,” said Amuneke.

Flying Eagles coach, Emmanuel Amuneke has sent packing U-17 World Cup star David Enogela from his team’s training camp due to injury.

It was learnt the promising defensive midfielder came into the Flying Eagles training camp in Abuja with the injury.

Enogela, 18, was an ever-present at last year’s FIFA U-17 World Cup in Chile as Nigeria went all the way to clinch a fifth global championship.

The Flying Eagles are preparing for an U-20 AFCON qualifier against Burundi next month.

Nigeria, whose Olympic team are better known as Dream Team VI, are drawn in Group B alongside Japan, Colombia and Sweden at the games, which begin on August 4.

World Cup-winning Golden Eaglets Class of 2015 have dominated the 30 call-ups by Nigeria U20 coach Emmanuel Amuneke.

The victorious Eaglets from Chile 2015 include goalkeepers Akpan Udoh and Amos Benjamin as well as John Lazarus, David Enogela, Kingsley Michael, Funsho Bamgboye, Chukwudi Agor, Joel Osikel, Ejike Ikwu, Udochukwu Anumudu, Osinachi Ebere and Orji Okonkwo,

Team secretary Ibrahim Aliyu Lawal disclosed that 30 invited players will be camped at the Serob Legacy Hotel, in the Federal Capital Territory, ahead of the first leg of the fixture scheduled for Bujumbura on the weekend of 20th-22nd May.

The return leg will hold in Nigeria two weeks after.

Amuneke has opted to have a three-day open screening for new players ahead of the team’s camping for a 2017 Africa U-20 Cup of Nations qualifying fixture against Burundi.

Burundi progressed to be eligible to square up with Cup holders Nigeria after the Democratic Republic of Congo withdrew from the race.

Amuneke has called for open screening between Thursday, 7th April (today) and Saturday, 9th April before a group of 30 invited players will arrive camp in Abuja on Monday, 11th April.

INVITED PLAYERS:

Akpan Udoh, John Lazarus, David Enogela, Kingsley Michael, Funsho Bamgboye, Chinedu Madueke, Chukwudi Agor, Joel Osikel, Ejike Ikwu, Udochukwu Anumudu, Amos Benjamin, Osinachi Ebere, Orji Okonkwo, Chiaha Chisom, Suleiman Abdullahi, Kehinde Ayinde, Anas Mohammed, Douglas Uzama, Ayodeji Bamidele, Jack Ipalibo, Ernest Agenor, Najib Hamza, Johnson Umah, Chukwuebuka Okoroji, Gavi Thompson, Bright Etaghara, Samuel Obehi, Timothy Idoko, Abbas Usman, Yinusa Abdul