“Little did we know” – Sunday Oliseh remembers Nigeria’s ‘96 Olympic gold as Mohammed Ali lights flame

Former Super Eagles midfielder Sunday Oliseh has recounted Nigeria’s triumphant 1996 Olympic gold victory in Atlanta, USA, Soccernet.ng reports.

The former Ajax star shared a video of Muhammad Ali—regarded as the greatest heavyweight boxer—lighting the Olympic flame to officially open the tournament.

Reflecting on that moment, Oliseh wrote on his X (formerly Twitter) page that he and his teammates had no idea they would go on to win the gold medal.

“Little did my teammates and I, present at the ’96 [Summer] Olympics with him [Muhammad Ali], filled with emotions, know that we [Super Eagles] were going home with gold for our people!!” he wrote.

Nigeria’s Olympic Eagles—the U23 men’s national team—failed to qualify for the 2024 Summer Olympics. However, the Super Falcons of Nigeria have secured a spot after a 16-year absence.

In a subtle message to Randy Waldrum’s squad, Oliseh urged them to aim for a medal despite the tough group stage opponents, Brazil, Spain, and Japan.

Oliseh further wrote: “Naija is capable of great things when inspired.”

Nigeria has won three medals at the Summer Olympics: gold in 1996, silver in 2008, and bronze in 2016. The Super Falcons are yet to claim a gold medal, with their best performance being a quarterfinal exit in 2004.