27 years after Nigeria’s football took off at the 1996 Olympic Games

Twenty-seven years ago, Nigeria conquered the world by beating Argentina to win the gold medal in football at the Atlanta 1996 Olympics.

Dateline: 3 August 1996 at Sanford Stadium, Atlanta

In the 89th minute, Pierluigi Collina awarded Nigeria a free-kick just inside the left flank. Wilson Oruma took the kick; the Argentines ran out, hoping to keep the Nigerians offside, but Emmanuel Amuneke swung his left boot at the ball, and that was it.

Nigeria took the lead for the first time in the match, and that was enough for a historic win. Nigeria had become Olympic champions, and the country became firmly stamped on the world football map.

Nigeria’s football emerges

The 1994 World Cup established Nigeria as a powerful force in football, but it was the Olympic gold medal match against Argentina that fully demonstrated the country’s football potential.