Men In Sports: Daniel Amokachi

  Despite retiring from professional football for close to two decades now, the name Daniel Amokachi still rings a bell in the ears of Nigerian football fans. The exploits of Amokachi, popular as ‘’The Bull’’ during his playing years owing to his speed, technique and physical strength, is indelible in the history of Nigerian football and generations unborn will still tell the story of Amokachi for numerous reasons.

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Born Daniel Owefin Amokachi on December 30, 1972, he hit the spotlight after being scouted into the Nigerian national team by Clemens Westerhof (former Super Eagles coach) from Ranchers Bees at just the age of 16. Westerhof believed so much in the talent of Amokachi and nicknamed him ‘’The Bull’’ for his prowess in physically confronting opponents. At just the age of 17, Amokachi who also earned other nicknames like the ‘’Black Bull and Black Train’’ was part of the Nigerian national team squad that finished second at the 1990 Africa Cup of Nations. Amokachi would make his first international career move to Belgium after the 1990 Nations Cup and joined Club Brugge. He would announce his presence as one of the biggest strikers in Europe after scoring the first goal in the history of the UEFA Champions League in a group stage match for Club Brugge against CSKA Moscow on November 25, 1992, a goal that would go on to make the difference between both sides. Amokachi joined Everton FC of England in 1994 and won the 1995 FA Cup with the Toffees, a competition he scored twice in the semi-final against Tottenham. After his stint at Everton, the Bull joined Turkish league giants, Besiktas, in 1996.

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At the international level, the story of Nigeria’s football golden generation would be incomplete without a mention of Daniel Amokachi. He was a mainstay in the 1994 Super Eagles squad that won the AFCON in Tunisia.  The Bull was also instrumental in the 1994 Super Eagles World Cup squad that finished in the second round of the tournament in what was Nigeria’s first senior World Cup outing.

At the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games, the Bull would once again step up to the occasion as Nigeria went on to clinch Gold at the global event. Amokachi scored in the final match against Argentina. Sadly, Injuries would not allow the world to enjoy Amokachi during the 1998 World Cup, the Bull managed to play one game before struggling with his knee. After retiring from active football, Amokachi moved into coaching and has managed Nigeria Professional Football League sides like Nassarawa United, Enyimba, and Ifeanyi Ubah. He was named as manager of the Finnish club, JS Hercules in 2016. Amokachi also had stints as assistant coach of the Super Eagles and was part of Stephen Keshi’s 2013 AFCON winning technical crew. On February 4, 2020, President Muhammadu Buhari appointed Amokachi as Nigeria’s football ambassador, a position he still holds. Source: Soccernet NG Featured Image Source: CKN Nigeria

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This article was first published on 11th May 2021

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