Stephen Keshi was 26 years old when he captained Nigeria at the 1988 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
The Super Eagles were drawn against
Kenya, Egypt and Cameroon, a side managed by Frenchman Claude Leroy, who
will guide Congo in their Morocco 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying
game against Nigeria in Calabar on Saturday, in Maroc 88 Group B.
German coach Manfred Hoener arrived in
Morocco for the tournament with Rashidi Yekini, Austin Eguavoen, Keshi,
Ademola Adeshina, Bright Omokaro, Henry Nwosu, Sunday Eboigbe, Andrew
Uwe, Peter Rufai, Samuel Okwaraji, Yisa Sofoluwe, Ndubuisi Okosieme,
Humphrey Edobor, Michael Obiku, Mike Odu, Wole Odegbami, Folorunso
Okenla and Uche Okafor.
Roger Milla, Joseph-Antoine Bell,
Emmanuel Kunde, Stephen Tataw, Victor Ndip, Emile Mbouh-Mbouh, Cyril
Makanaky, Eugene Ekeke, Francois Omam-Biyik, Benjamin Massing and
Bonaventure Djonkep were among Cameroon’s top stars for the competition.
The Eagles qualified alongside the
indomitable Lions for the semifinals from the group. Cameroon beat the
defending champions Egypt 1-0 in their first match, battled to a 1-1
draw with Nigeria and settled for a goalless draw against Kenya to reach
the next round. Goals from Yekini, Edobor and Okosieme helped Nigeria
hammer Kenya 3-0 in their first match.
In their next match, Nigeria took share
of the spoils with Cameroon after Milla’s 21st minute strike cancelled
out Okwaraji’s second minute lead. The Eagles sealed their place in the
last four after playing out a 0-0 draw against Egypt.
Nigeria edged Algeria 9-8 on penalties
after Rachid Maatar hit target on 86 minutes to cancel out Abderrazak
Belgherbi’s own goal on 39 minutes in Rabat on March 23, 1988 to face
Cameroon, who beat hosts Morocco 1-0 in the other semifinal fixture in
Casablanca the same day, in the final.
The Indomitable Lions won the tournament
after beating the Eagles 1-0 through Kunde’s 55th minute penalty to
become champions for the second time at Nigeria’s expense. Cameroon had
won the 1984 finals in Ivory Coast after defeating Nigeria 3-1, with
Keshi, Patrick Okala, Muda Lawal, Nwosu, Shofoluwe, Adeshina, Clement
Temile, Bala Ali, Paul Okoku, James Etokebe, Omokaro, Eboigbe, Edobor
and Kingsley Paul on the losing side.
Keshi, now 52 years, has a chance to
prove himself again and take revenge against 66-year-old Leroy, who made
him wait until the 1994 finals in Tunisia before winning the Africa Cup
of Nations.
The former Anderlecht defender has since
developed to be one of the best coaches in Africa after managing Togo,
Mali and Nigeria.
Keshi helped Togo qualify for their
first ever World Cup. He was involved in a dispute with the Togolese
football officials, who denied him the opportunity to take the Hawks to
the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
He is the second man in history to win
the Africa Cup of Nations as a player and coach after Mohamed El Gohary
of Egypt after Nigeria won the continental showpiece in South Africa
last year.
Keshi made history as the first Nigerian
to help qualify the country for the World Cup as a player and coach and
playing in the country’s first appearance at the tournament – at USA
’94. He became the first black African coach to reach the second round
of the World Cup – at Brazil 2014.
Leroy has not won any major tournament
on the continent since he guided Cameroon to Maroc 88 glory. The nomadic
coach has managed Cameroon (twice), Senegal, DR Congo (twice) and
Ghana.
The Red Devils’ last appearance in the
Africa Cup of Nations was a first round exit at the Ghana-Nigeria 2000
finals. Congolese believe Leroy’s experience in African football will
help them qualify for the Morocco finals next year.
However, Keshi insists his team will emerge victorious in the encounter
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