Uba Sani fulfils 30-year Olympic pledge as Kaduna’s ‘Dream Team’ heroes receive land, streets

By Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

Thirty years after winning Olympic gold in Atlanta, members of Nigeria’s 1996 ‘Dream Team’ from Kaduna State have finally received the rewards promised to them, courtesy of Governor Uba Sani.

The fulfilment came on Tuesday during an inspection of the ongoing reconstruction of the Ahmadu Bello Stadium in Kaduna, where the governor handed over plots of land to the Olympic champions and directed that streets be named after them.

Renowned football manager and former professional player Daniel Amokachi said the gesture brought closure to a promise made three decades earlier.

“In 1996, when the Dream Team won the Olympic gold, the federal and state governments made promises that were never fulfilled. Today, Governor Uba Sani has given me, Garba Lawal and Emmanuel Babayaro plots of land and has directed that streets be named after those of us who were not previously immortalised,” Amokachi told journalists.

He added that words could not fully express their gratitude for the governor’s kindness and commitment to rewarding veteran footballers and coaches while they are still alive.

Another Atlanta ’96 gold medallist and former General Manager of Kaduna United FC, Garba Lawal, described the stadium project as world-class, adding that it would meet FIFA standards when completed.

“Now, the Super Eagles will not have to go to Uyo to train. This one is right here at my doorstep. It’s a wonderful project, and by the grace of God, we shall come and unveil it by November,” Lawal said.

Emmanuel Babayaro, also an Olympic gold medallist and former goalkeeper, said Governor Sani had brought the entire Kaduna football family back together and that football was thriving in the state “like we used to know it.”

“Coming to the stadium and seeing the edifice and the very amazing work going on here, I cannot but admit that he is indeed a political mastermind,” Babayaro said.

Babayaro recalled his initial doubts when he first received the land documents.

“The first time Garba Lawal called me and sent me the papers for the land, I doubted it. I thought maybe they needed us for a big event or for political purposes. But nothing of such came up. That means he gave us those lands because he is that great. He did not say, ‘Come and say thank you on TV or come and do one political campaign,’” he said.

Responding, Governor Uba Sani thanked the football veterans, coaches and administrators for their contributions to sports development in Kaduna State.

“Kaduna is the leading footballing state in Nigeria. We have produced more stars who have gone out of the country and made their marks globally,” the governor said.

He noted that it was the government’s responsibility to restore Kaduna’s glory in sports, recalling that the last CAF football tournament held at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium was in 2016, when the Super Eagles faced Egypt.

“The condition of the stadium had worsened so badly that I had to reach out to President Bola Tinubu to request that the facility be handed over to Kaduna State,” he explained.

Governor Sani said he told the President that he would demolish the old 16,000-capacity stadium, built in 1964, and replace it with a modern facility.

“In the whole of Nigeria, there is only one CAF-standard football stadium, and that is the one in Uyo, with a 31,000 capacity. But today, I am happy to say that Ahmadu Bello Stadium, when finished, will have a 33,000 capacity,” he said.

He added that the new pitch would be a hybrid of natural and synthetic grass, making it the only FIFA-standard pitch in Nigeria.

“Only last week, I was reading about the number of stadiums in Africa that are CAF-standard. In Nigeria, there is only one. When you are talking FIFA-standard, we don’t have any, not even Uyo,” the governor stated.

Governor Sani explained that the economic potential of football was behind the heavy investment in sporting facilities.

“In the last World Cup hosted in the United States, the country made about $20 billion to $24 billion from hotel accommodation, transportation and hospitality generally. Only recently, Morocco hosted the AFCON and was able to get at least $1.4 billion from the regions where the event took place,” he said.

The governor expressed optimism that the completed stadium would position Kaduna as a hub for national and international competitions, attract tourism and investment, and create jobs for residents.