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In this interview with ABIODUN ADEWALE, ex-international Mutiu Adepoju talks about the excitement of winning the AFCON in 1994 and the chances of the Super Eagles at the 2023 tournament in Ivory Coast, which kicks off Saturday
From winning the AFCON to reaching the round of 16 of the World Cup in 1994 and even achieving Nigeria’s highest FIFA ranking (No.5), what was the secret of the 1994 Super Eagles?
I don’t think there was any secret other than the hard work that we put into the team. And you will recall that the team started building from 1990, and the outcome of all the build-up from the 1990 Nations Cup — although I wasn’t invited into the team until August 1990 — is what everybody saw. My first game was against Togo and I think that was a qualifier for AFCON 1992. We went to the Nations Cup in 1992 and we did our best to win bronze in Senegal. Later we continued to prepare for 1994 and the team was looking so good.
What was the preparations and team spirit for the 1994 AFCON like?
First of all, there were so many invited players at different points. Some would come and some would go, and all that. So, it was simply down to everyone to put in their best and I could say we had a bunch of players that were ready to sacrifice and wanted to make a name. And you know Nigeria had never qualified for the World Cup before then as well, so, winning the Nations Cup in 1994 was another priority and we were able to achieve both.
Were you afraid of not making the team due to the array of stars available then?
I was not afraid. When you work with passion and put all your best into something, there is no room for fear. Although it happens sometimes that one would do everything and put in their best into something and another thing happens, but I was not afraid. I was just hoping and working. I knew I did my best at the AFCON ’92, including playing in so many positions for the team and all of that.
What was the impact of coach Clemens Westerhof in the team’s success?
A lot of impact. Westerhof knew everyone from head to toe, from our clubs to the national team and he was a kind of coach that was very vocal and was influential, even among the administrators. Westerhof told people what he wanted and went in to get whatever he wanted and it was good for the team as we got everything we wanted.
It’s been 11 years since our last AFCON win in 2013 and the current team has the mantra of winning it again. What can they learn from the 1994 set?
I don’t think any of them knew what happened and even knew most of the players (in 1994). I don’t know what they must have seen or learnt before now. But what I can say is that it is not enough to have good players playing very well in their clubs. That is to say talent is not enough. First you need talent as a player because if you don’t have it, things will be difficult but there are a lot of other things that will complement it. One of the things is for the players and officials to have the same vision and think in the same direction. They must work towards achieving a common goal by helping one another with dedication and determination. It’s just about bringing everything it takes to succeed together. There must be no bad blood, everyone must know their strengths and limitations and be ready to help one another in the team.
From their preparations, including a defeat in the friendly against Guinea, how do you see their chances?
I know we can’t use a friendly game to condemn the team, so I think it will be a lesson to reassess the team and correct mistakes ahead of the AFCON. I believe we can do better at the AFCON and even other matches beyond the tournament. In terms of preparation, I think it’s almost the same for all countries because players need to come from their clubs before camping. With little time, it’s down to the coaches to do their assessments well. One friendly match might not be enough, but the time wasn’t really there as well. Regardless, we cannot dwell on any of these things as excuses, they have to correct all mistakes they have seen so far.
What was the feeling like when you scored your first AFCON goal for Nigeria?
My first goal at the AFCON was in Senegal 1992 against Ghana in the semi-final. It was massive because Ghana are everlasting rivals and scoring against a team that had Tony Yeboah, Abedi Pele and other big players was huge. But unfortunately, the goal was not enough for us to qualify because they scored a second goal that prevented us from reaching the final.
Following the disappointment in 1992, how did you celebrate winning the AFCON eventually in 1994?
Personally, I was very happy that we won the Nations Cup but in hindsight, I still wished that I also played in that final, the more so that I even scored one of our goals against Gabon as we progressed in the tournament. I remember I came in as a substitute in the first game, I started the second match and came on as a substitute again up until the semi-finals. But I wasn’t dressed in the final. I would have loved to appear in the final but it was not to be so. But definitely, winning the AFCON is one of the greatest things and I was very happy to have won.
There were reports about mafia in the 1994 squad. How did that help or affect the team?
You know people will talk when you have big players and leaders in the team. I was young then but I was not new in the team, having been part of the side since 1990. I was more of an older player in the team but we had players that were older than us that we were looking up to. There was Stephen Keshi, Rashidi Yekini, Chidi Nwanu, Michael Emenalo and all that. Players like Sunday Oliseh, Austin Okocha, Daniel Amokachi and many others were also in the team. When people talk about mafia, maybe what they mean is when there are older players in the team and coaches also consult them because of the time they spent in the team, their personality and all that. But all the same, we had the same vision. Although not everybody would be friends, there was no bad blood in the team. We had players who would not agree with each other but that was on the surface. When we got to the field, you would see the passion. If that is what people call mafia, I wouldn’t know.