National News
By Friday Temitope Eugenia
Thirty years after leading Nigeria to its greatest football achievement at the Olympic Games, former Dream Team coach Johannes “Bonfrère” Jo has expressed disappointment that he is yet to receive any form of recognition or reward from the Nigerian government for guiding the country to its first and only Olympic football gold medal.
The 80-year-old Dutch tactician, who masterminded Nigeria’s memorable triumph at the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games, said he remains the only key figure from the historic success who has not been rewarded despite repeated appeals to the relevant authorities.
Bonfrère led a golden generation of Nigerian stars, including Nwankwo Kanu, Austin Okocha, Daniel Amokachi, Taribo West, Celestine Babayaro, Garba Lawal and Emmanuel Amuneke, to one of the greatest achievements in African football history.
Nigeria stunned Brazil 4-3 after extra time in the semi-finals before defeating Argentina 3-2 in the final to become the first African nation to win Olympic football gold.
Although members of the victorious squad were later honoured with national awards, cash gifts and houses, Bonfrère said he was left out of the government’s reward package.
“They were claiming that everyone has received their rewards, but I have not received anything; they have never given me the reward for winning the gold medal,” Bonfrère said.
The former coach also disclosed that the Olympic gold medal he received after Nigeria’s historic victory was stolen, describing the incident as one of the most painful experiences of his career.
According to him, the medal disappeared while it was in the custody of a team official shortly after the presentation ceremony.
“Even my gold medal was stolen from me, and I still didn’t get a reward from the government, which all the players have received, including players who were not on the list,” he said.
Recounting the incident, Bonfrère said he was prevented from following the players after the medal presentation, only to discover later that his medal had gone missing.
“I don’t know how the medal was collected from me; I only know that when the players went upstairs, an official stopped me from going with them and the medal was gone,” he recalled.
The former Dream Team coach said he has repeatedly contacted relevant authorities over the years in search of recognition but has received little or no response.
“I will be happy if something can be done because I have made several calls and sent messages but nobody was interested in helping me,” he added.
Three decades after the Atlanta Games, Nigeria’s Olympic football triumph remains the country’s greatest achievement at the Olympic Games since making its debut in 1952.
As the nation marks the 30th anniversary of the historic victory, Bonfrère hopes the milestone will also remind authorities to acknowledge the contributions of those who played pivotal roles in delivering one of Nigeria’s greatest sporting moments.
