Heartland, Rivers Utd Clash: Amunike's wonders against Finidi's magic

 By Ori Martins

Last week, Emmanuel Amunike outwitted Dan Amokachi who was his teammate at the Super Eagles. When both men played together, Amunike was more of a match winner as his goals, most of the times, ensured victory for Nigeria. On the other hand, Amokachi was easily more of a rocket as his huge frame was not really easy for the opponents to contain with. For this attainment he was nicknamed The Bull. 

On Sunday, May 2, 1993, during the Elephants, Super Eagles USA'94 World Cup qualifier in Abidjan, Samson Siasia failed to give a through pass to Rashidi Yekini and Nigeria lost 2 - 1 to Ivory Coast. Coach Clemens Westerhof blamed it all on Sisia. He therefore committed Siasia to the bench and Amokachi gained ascendency and glued to it. That was the beginning of Amokachi's Eagles' success. 

 

In the midweek encounter, Amunike, again, outsmarted his other compatriot, Nwankwo Kanu, now the chairman of Enyimba, in Aba. The former Nigerian and African champions were lucky to have pulled a 1 - 1 draw. Heartland fluffed at least three scoring chances. You know, Kanu himself was a mysterious player in his hay day. Recall his magic moments at Ajax, Inter Milan, Arsenal and Portsmouth. His biggest magic was at the soccer event of the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. 

And today at the Dan Anyiam Stadium Owerri, Amunike will be up against Finidi George's Rivers United. Finidi, like Amunike, is a football magician. He made his debut on  July 27,1991 during a Senegal '92 Nations Cup qualifier against Burkina Faso in Lagos where Nigeria demolished the visitors 7-1. Yekini scored four goals and Finidi provided the assists. Moreover it was that game that the NFF forgot Eagles kits and Yekini came up the advice to cut the Eagles tracksuit pairs of trousers that saved Nigeria a monumental embarrassment.

The former Sharks player had 60 caps and scored five goals. His three most memorable goals include his powerful strike against Algeria on October 8, 1993 in Algiers. That goal magically qualified Nigeria for the first time. It ended 1-1. The other was his USA '94 World Cup goal against Greece in a group game. And, of course, the volly against Morocco in a 2000 Nations Cup encounter in Lagos. They were magical goals in the real meaning of it. 

 

Finidi's magic heroics took him to the pinnacle of his club career when it skyrocketed him to glorious heights at Ajax Amsterdam where he lifted the Dutch league as well as the European Champions League titles. 

It was magical how Finidi emerged the assistant coach to Peseiro who led Nigeria to winning silver at the last Nations Cup. And as the man from Portugal left, Finidi was announced as the next Super Eagles coach ahead of Amunike who also applied for the job. 

However, his magic failed him as he ran into troubled waters with some Super Eagles players, particularly, Victor Osihmen. He resigned and settled with Rivers United. 

For Amunike, it has been stated here previously that he shared the same similarities with the late Fantastic Muda Lawal. Muda had 86 caps and scored 12 goals. In all of the 12 goals, 11 were were the last as no other of his teammate could score after him. The only exception was his opening goal against Tanzania in the 1980 Nations Cup in Lagos. Muda opened scoring but two other Nigerians -  Ifeanyi Onyedika and Segun Odegbami scored one goal each. Even at that, Muda got the last goal of the Nations Cup, making him probably the only player to start scoring in a Nations Cup and equally ended it. 

As it was with Muda so also it was with Amunike. He played 29 times and scored eight goals for Nigeria. In all his goals, except one, no other of his teammate would score. For instance, his two goals against Zambia in Tunisia'94 AFCON made Nigeria African Champions for the second time as no other Nigerian hit target. In USA '94 World Cup Finals, after registering his name on the scorers' sheet against Bulgaria and Italy, no other Nigerian did. He also got another goal against Burkina Faso in Qougadogou in a France '98 World Cup qualifier and sealed victory for his country. These were the factors that motivated his eventuall winner against Argentina in the final game of the soccer event of Atlanta '96 Olympic Games. 

Indeed, Amunike had axed Abia Warriors in Umuahia, halted Remo's intimidating away run when he defeated them in Owerri, outwitted Amokachi's Lobi, harassed Kanu's Enyimba and is poised to overcome Finidi's football magic today at the Dan Anyiam Stadium Owerri.