Afrigather 
In figuring out Nigeria’s greatest group ever, the previous worldwide snubbed the dazzling group he powered to continental glory 44 years in the past
Nigeria soccer legend Segun Odegbami has named the Tremendous Eagles squad to the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations as the most effective group ever to signify the nation, Soccernet.ng stories.
Blessed with bodily and technically elite gamers like Austin Okocha, Sunday Oliseh, Daniel Amokachi, Stephen Keshi, Samson Siasia, and legendary ahead Rashidi Yekini, the Tremendous Eagles brushed apart all comers to win the 1994 AFCON in Tunisia.
Led by Dutch tactician Clemens Westerhof, the Tremendous Eagles went additional to qualify for the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the USA.
The group impressed at their first-ever look on the Mundial, successful two of three group video games to make it previous the group stage earlier than shedding narrowly to Italy within the knockout spherical.
The string of wonderful outcomes noticed Nigeria attain the fifth place within the FIFA rating – the very best any African group has ever attained on the worldwide rankings.
Evaluating that all-conquering 1994 squad to the group he fired to the 1980 AFCON on house soil in Lagos, Odegbami admits that his Eagles have been nowhere as very good as Westerhof’s group.
The 71-year-old additionally mentioned the Jose Peseiro-led group that reached the final of the 2023 AFCON in Cote d’Ivoire earlier this month was not as attacking-minded because the 1994 squad.
“In terms of techniques and abilities, we aren’t fairly pretty much as good and bodily robust because the 1994 squad,” Odegbami informed the Vanguard.
“That squad was a group of outstanding gamers who performed to our energy.
“They performed very attacking soccer that point. Now, we’re extra defensive due to the fashion he (Peseiro) launched, however it acquired us to the ultimate, so you can’t even fault that an excessive amount of.
“However within the ultimate, we succumbed to a greater, extra organised, extra motivated, better-inspired group.
“However the 1994 squad was the most effective group with out query, most likely the most effective squad. Statistically, the most effective squad in our historical past as a result of they took us to fifth place in FIFA rating.”
Odegbami, Nigeria’s second-highest goalscorer of all time, scored three essential targets to complete because the joint topscorer on the 1980 AFCON.
N.B: Do you agree with Segun Odegbami that the 1994 Tremendous Eagles squad is Nigeria’s greatest ever nationwide group? Go away your solutions within the remark part beneath.
