The African Nations Cup may have come to an end but its memories are far from being over. This article puts on the spot light five golden boys of the Super Eagles who have won bronze for the national team
1 Reuben Omojola Folasanje Agboola
The Kwara born corner kick specialist was a revelation in Clemence Westerhof’s squad of 1991 becoming the first non-Nigerian born to play for the Super Eagles whom he donned the green and white for nine times without a goal. His biggest achievement was a bronze medal which he won with the squad at the African Cup of Nations in 1992 hosted by Senegal.
2 Abbey George
Born George Peterson Abbey yet remembered by Nigerian football lovers as Abbey George was another new Super Eagle kid on the block as he made his way into the national team at the 2003 LG Cup which the team won after beating the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon. The former Sharks of Port Harcourt player’s international career was longer than that of Agboola as it spanned between 2003-2007 making eighteen appearances and scoring no goal. The height of his career was the African Cup of Nations in Tunisia, 2004 where he won bronze with the squad
3 Peter Osaze Odemwingie
Born of a Nigerian father and Russian mother, Osaze as he is known as by fans and crititics alike stormed the national team as he played in the Unity Cup 2002 in England, he like George also chose his fatherland over Russia and justified his inclusion in the 23 man squad of the Super Eagles in the African Cup of Nations in 2004 where he scored three unforgettable goals in the tournament, he went on to win bronze in the tournament.
He bettered the records of his predecessors as he represented Nigeria at four African Cup of Nations, 2004 in Tunisia, 2006 in Egypt, 2008 in Ghana and 2010 in Angola where he captained the team. He won three bronze medals in those four Nations Cup outings. He would be remembered for giving Nigeria the first World Cup win since France 98 as he scored the only goal against Bosnia and Herzegovina. He made sixty-three appearances for the Super Eagles and scoring ten goals
4 Leon Aderemi Balogun
Born to a Nigerian father and German mother, Leon has gradually been trying to find his feet in the national team and though he may not be the favourite of Nigerian football lovers, he has made more appearances than Agboola and Abbey to together with thirty-two appearances for his fatherland, one World Cup outing and a bronze medal at the AFCON 2019 hosted in Egypt
5 Alexander Chuka Iwobi
The Arsenal man was one of those who chose to leave the den of the Three Lions to settle for the nest of the Super Eagles and make no mistake he is loving every moment of it making thirty-six appearances for the Super Eagles of Nigeria and scoring six goals which include his World Cup qualifying goal against Zambia and the winning goal against the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon that ousted the defending champions out of the tournament in the second round, a goal which was his first at the African Nations Cup which he won bronze with the Gernot Rohr led squad
6 William Paul Troost Ekong
Call him Troost Ekong as Nigerians call him and you have a frenzy on your hands, the Dutch born Nigerian was quick to switch allegiance to play for his fatherland after representing Holland both at the U-19 and U-20 levels respectively and make no mistake as he said in his own words that playing for Nigeria was the best decision he had ever made as in his short career has made thirty-eight appearances for the senior national team scoring two goals, the most important was the quarter-final goal against South Africa which was the first goal we will score at a Nations Cup which he was coming to for the first time. He has a FIFA World Cup outing to his credit and not one but two bronze medals which we won representing the U-23 Olympic football team in Rio in 2016 and Super Eagles in Egypt 2019, both being his first outings.
The beauty of these golden boys was that Peter Odemwingie and Alex Iwobi were brand ambassadors for soft drink giants Pepsi while Troost Ekong was a brand ambassador for Coca Cola
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