Ghana in 1992

Ghana ended Africa’s long for an Olympic medal in football when they won bronze in Barcelona 1992.

Barcelona in 1992 coincided with a talented generation of Ghanaian footballers who had conquered the world at youth level.Samuel Kuffour, Nii Odartey Lamptey and Mohammed Gargo headlined a powerful Ghana team. The Meteors started out in group D where they defeated Australia and were held by Denmark and Mexico. Paraguay were swept away 4-2 in the quarter finals to set up a mouth-watering clash with an equally talented Spanish side. Defeat to the Spaniards meant Ghana had to repeat a win over group rivals Australia in order to win a medal and they duly obliged to seal a bronze medal.

1996

The 1996 Olympic football team of Nigeria, called the 'Dream Team', a name they took from the 1992 Olympic Basket Ball team of USA, made history when they became the first African country to win gold in Olympic football.

Nigeria finished second to Brazil in group C before they navigated through to the quarter-finals 2-0 emphatic victory over Mexico to book a date with Brazil in a rematch of the group clash.

Brazil had a Star-studded team, with the likes of Bebeto, Roberto Carlos, Ronaldo, who would later in the year be named FIFA Player of the year 1996. Brazil had brushed aside Ghana, an African opposition 4-2 , so they were highly rated ahead of the tie. In the game, Brazil put their noses in front when the game was just 3 minutes’ old, but Roberto Carlos connected the ball into his own net in the 20th minute.

Brazil after conceding the unexpected goal went into the rampage by scoring two goals: Bebeto restored Brazil’s lead in the 28th minute, before Flávio da Conceição, the scorer of the opening goal hit a brace in the 38th minute. Entering into the dressing room, all the four scorers in the first 45 minutes were Brazilians, so everybody thought it was going to be a cricket scoreline in the second half. However, Nigeria staged one of the greatest comebacks in world football history when they scored three goals to shatter the hopes of the South Americans: Victor Ikpeba pulled one back for the West Africans in the 78th minute, before Nwankwo Kanu scored two goals in the 90th minute and the winner, 4 minutes into extra time.

Nigeria overcame free-scoring Argentina in the final to become the first African nation to win an Olympic gold in football. The Dream team repeated the feat they chalked against Brazil, as they came from behind to beat Argentina 3-2 in the late minute. Nigeria, who were trailing Argentina 1-2 struck the equaliser through Amokachi and set the stadium alight with the winner in the 90th minute through Amuneke to win gold.

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Cameroon in 2000

The feat chalked by Nigeria in the 1996 Olympics was replicated by close African neighbours, Cameroon four years later in Sydney.

They came second to the USA in group C; drew two games and won one.  Cameroon after progressing to the quarter-finals came up against Brazil. Patrick Mboma gave the Africans the lead in the 17th minute but Brazil got the equaliser through Ronaldinho in added minutes of full time to throw the game into extra time. Cameroon, who had the majority of the players who had won the African Cup of Nations with the intent of making a big mark on the world stage scored the match winner in the 113th minute through Mbami.

At the semi-finals stage, Cameroon won the game from a losing position: Patrik Mboma and Lauren scored in the 84th and 89th minute to snatch victory from the hands of Chile.

Cameroon became the second African side to win football at the Olympics in 20000 and for 8 years the trophy remained in Africa. It was a final fit for the gods with everything at stake. Spain had some of the  1999 U-20 team that conquered the world at that stage in the team, while Cameroon had a core of the team that had won the AFCON early in the year.

The battle failed to produce a winner in 120 minutes of action, as the game ended 2-2: Cameroon like their African Neighbours Nigeria four years ago came from two-goal down to level 2-2 and scored all their 5 kicks when the game went into penalty shootout, whereas, Amaya emerged as the villain of the day, when he scored an own goal in open play and also missed his kick to cause Spain a painful defeat

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Nigeria again in 2008

Argentina defeated Nigeria to win football at the Beijing 2008 Olympics when they piped the Africans 1-0 in a record breaking 12 consecutive wins in football at the Olympics. Nigeria after winning the silver medal for finishing second became the first African nation to win two medals in football at the Olympics

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