Thirty years after leading Nigeria to a historic Olympic football gold medal, former national team coach Johannes Bonfrere Jo says he is yet to receive official recognition or reward for the achievement.
Bonfrere Jo guided Nigeria's U-23 team, famously known as the Dream Team, to victory at the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games. The team, which included players such as Nwankwo Kanu, Austin Okocha, Daniel Amokachi, Taribo West, Celestine Babayaro, Garba Lawal, and Emmanuel Amuneke, made history as the first African nation to win Olympic football gold.
Nigeria achieved the feat after a memorable 4-3 extra-time win over Brazil in the semi-final, followed by a 3-2 comeback victory against Argentina in the final at the Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia, a match still celebrated as one of the greatest comebacks in Olympic football history.
While several players from the victorious squad were later given national honours, cash rewards, and land allocations, Bonfrere Jo says his own contribution has not been acknowledged three decades after the triumph.
The 80-year-old Dutch coach also disclosed that his Olympic gold medal was stolen shortly after the victory. According to him, the medal disappeared while it was in the custody of a team official, an incident he described as one of the most painful moments of his time with Nigerian football.
In a letter addressed to Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, in which he pleaded for allocation of land promised him after the Atlanta feat, Bonfrere alleged that a personal assistant to then Minister of Sports Jim Nwobodo collected his medal during celebrations and never returned it.
Speaking in an interview with The PUNCH, Bonfrere Jo said he had not received any reward from the government despite leading the team to one of Nigeria's greatest sporting successes since its Olympic debut in 1952.
Everyone is said to have received their reward, but I have not received anything for winning the gold medal, he said. Even my gold medal was stolen, and I still did not get any reward from the government, which all the players have received, including some who were not on the final list.
He recounted how the medal went missing after the final match, explaining that he was prevented from climbing the podium to receive his medal and was stopped from going upstairs with the players by an official, and by the time he realized, the medal was gone.
Findings by DailyVista247 revealed that the coach has made several attempts to reach the relevant authorities to seek recognition, but his efforts have not yielded any positive response over the years.
I have made several calls and sent messages, but no one has shown interest in helping me. I would be happy if something is done to recognize my contribution, he added, noting that his aide had petitioned the Senate over the unreleased land allocation.
Three decades after the Atlanta Games, which remains Nigeria's most successful outing and its first and only Olympic football gold, the celebration of that historic achievement continues. For Bonfrere Jo, however, the anniversary brings mixed feelings as he hopes his role in the success will eventually be acknowledged.
