Nigerian legend Okocha recounts hardship behind Dream Team’s historic Atlanta 1996 Olympic gold

Austin ‘Jay-Jay’ Okocha has opened up on the extraordinary adversity Nigeria’s “Dream Team” faced on their way to winning Olympic football gold in Atlanta 1996.

Nearly 30 years on, the former Super Eagles playmaker says the team’s greatest triumph came close to unravelling before it even began.

Okocha, one of Nigeria’s most celebrated footballers, said the gold medal remains the pinnacle of his career.

“It’s in record because we were the first African footballing team to win Atlanta 1996,” he said, as quoted by Soccernet.ng.

“It is special for me because of what we went through. People only see the end product, but they don’t really see the process; what was that like?”

He recalled chaotic scenes at their American training camp as unpaid bills and logistical breakdowns threatened their preparations.

“We camped in America, and we woke up one day, our training coach was gone, and the bus was also gone. They took it with the spare key because the (Nigerian) FA hadn’t paid,” Okocha revealed.

The 51-year-old said players survived on meagre rations for days as hotel staff threatened to throw them out.

“For like a week, the hotel gave us the same meal. It was just like rice and sauce every day, rice and sauce. They said we should be glad that we’re still here because our FA had not paid for the food and for the accommodation,” he added.

Okocha said a few senior players used their own debit cards to pay hotel bills and even rented minivans to keep the camp functioning.

Yet, against the odds, Nigeria stunned Brazil 4-3 in the semi-final with Nwankwo Kanu’s golden goal before Emmanuel Amuneke sealed a 3-2 win over Argentina in the final.

The squad – featuring Okocha, Kanu, Sunday Oliseh, Emmanuel Amuneke and Tijani Babangida – delivered Africa’s first Olympic football gold in one of Nigeria’s proudest sporting feats.