#NigeriaDecides2023: Memories from African Cup of Nations 1988 -By J.A. Ezihe

In many other countries election fever is considered a sufficient source of heat in the lives of its citizens. But not Nigeria! In addition to election fever we have fuel scarcity, new notes scarcity,  security scarcity added to an ongoing list of chronic scarcities. Some of the acute ‘scarcities’ are generating just as much if not more heat than election related issues.

As mental therapy I have resorted to frequent trips down memory lane.

This memoir is written and dedicated to  the Nigerian Youth who will be the deciding factor in the forthcoming election. Many are participating in an electoral process for the first time. Many would have been too young or not even born at the time of the 1988 edition of the African Cup of Nations.

The Cup of Nations tournament in March 1988 was hosted by Morocco. At the end of the Group stage matches Nigeria topped its group qualifying alongside Cameroon. Morocco and Algeria qualified from the second group. The two semi-final matches were Nigeria versus Algeria and  Morocco versus Cameroon.

In my opinion and memory the semi-final match between Nigeria and Algeria was the match of the tournament. And I challenge any football pundit to disagree!

Then, I was a young house officer working in Enugu. Not being possessed of a television  I arranged to view the match with those of similar persuasion. There is quite nothing like shouting and cheering for your team in good company.  

Nigeria versus Algeria. Two countries  with similar sounding names comprised the same number of letters (7). Similar flags with green and white, as dominant colours. Both respected and feared football teams on the continent. So there was no shortage of tension in the build up.

Having won the tournament just once before in 1980, Nigeria was keen to see if this would be our second chance. Algeria was yet to get its hands on the coveted trophy. 

The match lived up to its billing of tears, sweat and dread. By the end of 90 minutes the score was 1-1. Despite prayers on both sides that it should not extend into penalties, after extra time  the score was still 1-1. Then the nail biting, finger gripping heart and head pounding escalated to a whole new level.

Each team was awarded 5 penalties. The team with an advantage that could not be compensated won. At the end of the first 5 penalties each team scored 3 and missed 2. The deadlock persisted 3-3. The match progressed to a second round of 5 penalties-a-side. Each team performed brilliantly in this second round scoring all five penalties. This was the first time I  watched a penalty shoot-out  progress to the point where goalkeepers needed to take penalty shots. I was hitherto unaware of this possibility.

Peter Rufai, a man described as being over 6 feet tall was in charge of  the Nigerian goal post. I still remember  the calm elegance with which Peter Rufai  scored his own goal. But even more so I remember him congratulating his Algerian counterpart who took his own penalty after him and  also scored. It was a lovely gesture of sportsmanship. On this day both Goalkeepers proved they were just as adept with their legs as they were with their arms.   .

After two rounds of penalties the teams were still tied at 8-8.  The match now progressed to sudden death. Any team that gained an advantage of 1 point would win the match.

Nigeria was first up with Augustine Eguavoen taking his second in this penalty shoot out. He held his nerve and did himself, his team and country proud.

Then it was the turn of Belloumi, a dreaded Algerian striker who had netted his first penalty like Eguavoen.

But this time … Peter Rufai caught the ball and held onto it as if to prevent any untoward after events. It took a few milliseconds for it to dawn. Nigeria had won. 9-8. We were in the final!

You could hear shouting from households for miles around.

It was a long drawn out exhilarating but mentally and emotionally exhausting match. I feel that the forthcoming Presidential election may be similar. We must entertain the possibility that the first match may not produce a clear winner. It may then progress to the political equivalent of a penalty shoot out. A run-off election between the two top contenders.

We have never had a run-off in the Presidential election in Nigeria. This is unchartered territory. Therefore individuals and political groups should start educating themselves about the rules of a run-off election.

Many may hastily dismiss this as defeatist. I beg to disagree!  Even the best football teams have learnt to prepare for penalty shoot outs.

What is required if the party is involved in a run-off? How do you maximally use the preparation period before the run-off election?  Criss-crossing the Nigerian terrain in 3 weeks may not be practical, pragmatic or the most judicious use of physical and human resources. What are the alternatives? I do not know how many political parties have drawn up plans for this?

The smaller, less known political parties know that they will suddenly become substantially important if the Presidential election progresses to a run-off. I suspect they are more likely to already have a strategy in place. The moment of the final whistle at the end of extra time  is not when a football coach should start thinking for the first time about his strategy for a penalty shoot out. That is a recipe for disaster.    

At various moments during the 1988 match I thought my  head, my heart or both would explode. Party supporters need to be psychologically prepared for how to constructively channel  their energies under the level of tension a run-off Presidential election will generate.

I was on call for the night of the day of the Nigeria versus Algeria semi-final match. I was assigned to cover the children’s emergency department. Handover time was 8pm.  The match had lasted way longer than expected. So I found myself being frantically driven back to the Teaching Hospital to take over.

There were celebrations all over the streets in Enugu. Spontaneous dance groups were formed. Spontaneous ogene songs rent through the air with the name Peter Rufai… Peter Rufai – The man of the match.

As we drove past each group, we put our heads out of the window, pumped our fists into the air and yelled ‘Up Nigeriaaaaaa’.  Bus drivers, pedestrians, the suya roasting, tea making  ‘Mai Shai’, ALL responded in similar vein with what was now the communal greeting ‘Up Nigeriaaaaaa’.

Though tribe and tongue may differ, football united us all.

I had no idea then what state or tribe Peter Rufai belonged to. I must confess that even as I pen this piece, I can take a guess based on knowledge of Nigerian names but I still do not know and it did not matter. He was a Nigerian. I was a Nigerian. The Team had done us proud. Up Nigeriaaaaaa.

Covering the CHhildren’s EmeRgency department in a large teaching hospital was a grueling duty as a house officer. You were glad when the clock struck and indicated that your shift had ended. So my colleague, Maureen, was not at all amused when I turned up late. I tried to apologise and I was genuinely sorry. If there was one call you did not want over running  it was covering CHER as we called it in those days. However I now realise that my apology must have come across as quite ‘strange’ as it kept being intermingled with ‘we won, we won’.

Maureen was not a football fan in those days. I do not think  that has changed in 35 years. I hope she reads this. It is certainly an opportunity for me to reiterate my apology for coming late that day and explaining why I could not keep the smile out of my voice and face. It was not amusing being relieved late and I hope Maureen forgave me.

But … We won!

Everyone agrees this is a Presidential election like no other. As Nigerian Youths brace themselves to take back their country – I hope and pray that as it happened in 1988 … Peter will again be the man of the match.