SAN FRANCISCO, December 26, (THEWILL) – Every year at Christmas, as Christians mark the hallowed birth of the Christ child and festivities commemorate this occasion across the globe, Nigerian football remembers one of its notable sons, Emmanuel Amunike, whose birthday falls on the same day as that of the Son of God.
Amunike was part of the Nigeria squad that won the Olympic gold at Atlanta in 1996, an achievement that still resonates with every true Nigerian football fan old enough to remember. An achievement that, after his good performance at Zamalek and Sporting Lisbon, provided the boost to propel him to move to Spanish giants Barcelona.
While players of Nigerian origin have featured at the highest levels of the European game, few have made their mark at the pinnacle of Spanish football. Amuneke belongs among a select few Nigerian players to have represented the Blaugrana, following a fine spell with Portuguese heavyweights Sporting Lisbon.
He was at the Catalan side between 1996 and 2000, but injuries prevented him from showing all his potential. He was sidelined for long spells which affected his form. Coupled with what he admitted was a form of discrimination, he ended up leaving the Camp Nou for Albacete. He claimed that people found it hard to digest the fact that there was an African in the Barca team and that made life extra difficult for him.
However, La Liga did not forget his time there. And on the occasion of his birthday, they showed the depth of their appreciation of his talent and the contributions he made to the development of the game in the league. From their official Twitter handle, the League posted:
“Happy 50th birthday to the first Nigerian ever to play for @FCBarcelona… 🇳🇬🎂
“💙 Emmanuel Amunike ❤️
“#LaLigaHistory”
But, they were not the only ones who remembered. At home, the post to commemorate the occasion of the 50th birthday of the influential player came from the official Super Eagles handle. The message recalled the glory of the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) of 1994 and the Olympics football gold victory of 1996:
“Happy 50th birthday to our legend, Emmanuel Amuneke, #Afcon94’ and Olympics 96’ gold medalist.”
The Nigeria Football Federation also was not left out. As another footballer for the Super Eagles Ogenyi Eddy Onazi, who plays as a central midfielder for Danish Superliga team SønderjyskE, was celebrating his 28th birthday today, the NFF wished both of them well:
“Happy birthday to @OnaziOgenyi and Coach Emmanuel Amuneke. Have a good one champs!”
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
