Not much was known about Daniel Owofen Amokachi until he came to Lagos with Ranchers Bees in 1989. Lagos Rangers, ACB, hosted the Kaduna team in a National League match at the Mobolaji Johnson Stadium, Onikan and had a water tight rear that included Eagles super star defenders, Bright ‘Ten Ten’ Omokaro and Sunday Eboigbe.
Omokaro and Ebigbe were in the Eagles team that lost dubiously to Indomitable Lions of Cameroon in the grand finale of the Africa Nations Cup a year earlier. ACB brought them to Lagos in 1989. Amokachi was discovered by Ranchers’ Argentine coach, Alex Dominquez and his assistant, Sam ‘Zagalo’ Opone while playing for Government College Kaduna.
The Bees had also played in the grand finale of the Africa Winners Cup in 1988 but lost to Club Athletic Bizerte of Tunisia. They had such seasoned players as Ayo Ogunlana, Tajudeen Olaiya, Abubakar Balarabe, Ali Nayara, Salisu Yusuf and Abu Aliyu. Against ACB, the player who stole the show was 17-year -old Amokachi. He made Eboigbe and Omokaro look so ordinary.
The result diminished all respect many had for the Eagles superstars. The Lagos Rangers were given a 3-1 pounding right in front of their supporters. Everyone talked about the energetic boy paraded by the visitors. And Amokachi is one player who did not alter his age from the onset. He was born on December 30, 1972.
At the end of the game. I walked up to this teenager because I was not so sure of the correct spelling of his surname. Some said he was Igbo, an Omeokachie. They remembered Lawrence Omeokachie that played for the national team in the 1950s. Probably here was one of his sons who took after the father.
“I am Amokachi. My father is Idoma but my mom is Tiv”, the player said. That was interesting and it added to my story on the match. That report painted Amokachi as an unusual player. And it caught Clemens Westerhof’s attention.
Westerhof was new in Nigeria and was looking for a new set of players to populate the Eagles. He had eyes on strong and big players. Amokachi, at six feet, matched the Dutchman’s expectations. That was how the Ranchers Bees striker was invited to the Eagles camp. Team mate, Tajudeen Oyekanmi, also received call up.
Amokachi’s first season saw the Bees winning the WAFU Cup. They defeated ASEC Mimosas of Abidjan in the final. The Ivorians had two Nigerian internationals, Henry Nwosu and Tarila Okoronwata. There was also a Liberian, Jonathan Sogbie, better known as Boye Charles who later got married to Charles Taylor’s ex-wife.
Westerhof capped Amokachi at the ECOWAS Cup, Bauchi ’90. His debut was on January 25, 1990. Eagles beat Elephants of Cote D’Ivoire 2-0 at the Tafawa Balewa Stadium. Nigeria won the trophy after Senegal refused to play in the dark. The Teranga Lions asked Gambian referee, Badou Jasseh, to award the match to the hosts. At that time, the Bauchi Stadium had no functional flood light.
Amokachi made the Eagles team to the Algiers ’90 Africa Nations Cup. Westerhof decided to do away with some of the experienced players. Eboigbe and Omokaro had become history. The defence was built around Okechukwu Uche, Andrew Uwe and Herbert Anijekwu. Omokaro’s left back position was given to Benedict Iroha.
READ ALSO: SPORT FLAKES: AMUNEKE, TANZANIA AND BIAFRA
Nigeria started poorly but ended the competition on a high after losing narrowly to Algeria in the final. Amokachi did not only win silver, he was spotted by FIFA licenced Player Agent, Fernand Goyvaerts. That was how he joined Club Brugges of Belgium.
Three other players moved to Europe after Algiers ’90. Friday Elaho and Uche joined Danish club, Brondby. Iroha found a place in Holland with Vitesse Arnhem.
At Brugges, the Nigerian did not disappoint. In the 1991/92 season, the Belgians faced Olympic Marseille in the European Winners’ Cup. Amokachi was voted man of the match. The French side came after him and the player was already dreaming of buying a Mercedes Benz car for his dad from the contract when Brugges chased Marseille away with huge fees.
In the 1992/ 93 season, Amokachi did not win the UEFA Champions League which was in its maiden edition. His name is however written in gold perpetually as the first to score in the competition. On November 25, 1992, Club Brugges defeated CSKA Moscow 1-0. The goal came off Amokachi’s cleats.
Nicknamed ‘The Bull’, his first goal for Eagles came on August 18, 1990 at the National Stadium, Lagos against Togo in a Senegal ’92 Africa Nations Cup qualifier. Nigeria won 3-0- Unfortunately, Amokachi missed the Nations Cup proper. The Eagles bagged a bronze medal after defeating Indomitable Lions 2-1.
His first Nations Cup, Tunisia ’94, fetched him gold and a wife. Nigeria won the trophy and Amokachi met a Tunisian lady, Nadia, for the second time. Today she is the mother of their twins, Kalim and Nazim. The boys are also following their father’s footsteps as footballers.
The Nigerian was at the USA ’94 World Cup and scored two goals. The first against Bulgaria in a 3-0 victory then against Greece when Nigeria won 2-0 to qualify for the second round. Amokachi was also part of the team to the France ’98 mundial.
An Atlanta ’96 Olympics gold winner, The Bull scored Nigeria’s equalizer when the Argentines were 2-1 up in the grand finale. That goal turned the tide and before the Argies could shout Buenos Aires, Emmanuel Amuneke buried them with the winner.
From Brugges, Everton grabbed Amokachi. Manager Mike Walker parted with three million pounds. He won the FA Cup in 1995. The Bull also played for Besiktas and when he left in 1999, not much was achieved. Injury forced him to wonder from 1860 Munich, Germany to Tranmere Rovers, US Creteil, France and Colorado Rapids, USA.
Amokachi turned to coaching and has handled Nasarawa United, Enyimba and Ifeanyi Uba. He worked as an assistant to Nigerian national teams, Today he is in Finland as coach of Hercules.
