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Nigeria: Kanu Dreams Repeat of Atlanta '96
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This Day (Lagos)
26 March 2008
Posted to the web 26 March 2008
Lagos
One person who will be watching proceedings keenly from the VIP stands of the Abuja National Stadium this evening will be captain of the epoch making Dream Team I, Nwankwo Kanu, who arrived Sunday evening to throw his weight behind the latest Dream Team's attempts to make this summer's Olympic Games.
For Kanu, who guided the original Dream Team to the gold medal at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta and who confessed he had to plead for time off from training with Portsmouth because of the importance he attaches to the game against South Africa, said he wanted to see the team make it to the Games proper where he is praying that they do as well as they did 12 years ago.
"I believe it is only proper that I give my total support to the team, especially as I was part of the original team that won gold for the country in Atlanta. My dream is so for them to emulate our feat. I strongly believe that they have the players and coach to do it."
He also pointed out that it was also proper that Nigeria ensures they make the Beijing Games since it will be another chance to show the world how good footballers we are.
"Only last year we triumphed at the U-17 World Cup in Korea so its only proper that we build on that achievement by not only qualifying for the Olympics but also doing well," said the former Arsenal star, who incidentally was also a member of the gold medal winning Japan'93 Golden Eaglets squad.
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'Papilo', as the lanky player is fondly called, hit Abuja this morning in order to spend some time with the players before the match and drum into them the need to make Nigerians smile today.
"Although it is very important to do well today, it is equally important for the team to do well in Beijing. And the only way we can do this is for all hands to be on deck. The players have to be committed while the FA has to also properly prepare the team so that at the end of the Games the team will come back as gold medallists."
Kanu will, however, be leaving immediately for the airport after today's game to return to England in order to catch up with training with his team mates before this weekend's Premiership fixture against Wigan.
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