Thirty years after guiding Nigeria to its historic Olympic football triumph in Atlanta, former Dream Team coach Johannes “Bonfrère” Jo says he has yet to receive any reward or official recognition from the Nigerian government for the achievement.
The Dutch tactician expressed disappointment that, despite leading Nigeria to become the first African nation to win Olympic football gold, his contribution has remained largely unrecognised.
Speaking in a recent interview with newsmen, Bonfrère said many members of the victorious squad received national honours, houses and financial rewards, but he was left out.
They were claiming that everyone has received their rewards, but I have not received anything; they have never given me the reward for winning the gold medal,” Bonfrère said.
The 80-year-old coach also revealed that the Olympic gold medal presented to him after the tournament was stolen, compounding what he described as years of neglect.
“Even my gold medal was stolen from me, and I still didn’t get a reward from the government, which all the players have received, including players who were not on the list,” he said.
Recalling the incident, Bonfrère said he was prevented from following the players after the medal presentation, only to discover later that his medal had disappeared.
“I don’t know how the medal was collected from me; I only know that when the players went upstairs, an official stopped me from going with them and the medal was gone,” he explained.
The former Nigeria U-23 coach said he had repeatedly contacted the relevant authorities over the years in search of recognition but had received little encouragement.
“I will be happy if something can be done because I have made several calls and sent messages but nobody was interested in helping me,” he said.
Bonfrère remains one of the architects of Nigeria’s greatest football achievements, leading the Dream Team to memorable victories over Brazil in a dramatic 4-3 semi-final before defeating Argentina 3-2 in the final to secure Africa’s first-ever Olympic football gold medal.
The squad featured some of Nigeria’s finest footballers, including Nwankwo Kanu, Austin Okocha, Daniel Amokachi, Taribo West, Celestine Babayaro, Garba Lawal, Emmanuel Amuneke and other members of the celebrated Dream Team that etched their names into the country’s sporting history.
