Minister of Youth & Sport Development, Sunday Dare, has yet again recalled Nigeria’s finest moments in the money-spinning UEFA Champions League as the most-sought after trophy berths in the nation’s capital along with Dutch legend Clarence Seedorf.
After a successful Heineken-sponsored Trophy Tour of Lagos on Tuesday , the Seedorf’s entourage landed in Abuja yesterday for the second leg of the event and paid a courtesy call on the minister at his office.
In the milieu were Nigerian legends including Daniel Amokachi, Austin Jay Jay Okocha amongst others.
“ The UEFA champions League trophy is one of the most important in world’s football and perhaps only second in importance to the FIFA World Cup . Nigeria is undoubtedly a football –loving nation; our people loves football and they do have a strong attachment to the UEFA Champions League ,” Dare remarked. “Nigerians have indeed played significant role in the UCL over the years and we can go down memory lane. Finidi George, Nwankwo Kanu who were teammates with their friend Clarence Seedorf (who is here today) in Ajax ; and they were the first Nigerians to win the trophy with ‘the big ears’ as the UCL trophy is often called in 1995.”
The minister went further to highlight other Nigerian impacts in the tournament : “ Again in 2012, John Obi Mikel won the trophy with Chelsea and earlier in November 1992, it is also on record that the first goal ever scored under the present format was scored by a Nigerian, (Amokachi )who is also right here with us.
“ Only on Tuesday, our player Samuel Chukwueze scored the goal that helped his club Villarreal to beat favourites Bayern Munich on 2-1 aggregate to qualify for the semi-final of this current campaign.
Austin Jay Jay Okocha, Daniel Amokachi and together with Finidi and Kanu still represents the golden generation of Nigerian football till date,” he added.
Seedorf in his remarks stressed the importance of sport in the development of any county, even as he praised the organisers for the Champions League Trophy Tour.