Nigeria legend Sunday Oliseh believes a country with a population of over 200 million people should not struggle to raise another squad as talented as the famed Class of 1994.
Oliseh was part of the Super Eagles’ golden generation of players who achieved great success in the 1990s and etched their names into the country’s footballing folklore.
That squad was filled with talented players like Augustine Jay-Jay Okocha, Victor Ikpeba, Uche Okechukwu, Finidi George and Daniel Amokachi.
Nigeria’s Class of 94 went on to win the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in 1994 and also qualified for the FIFA World Cup that same year, where they topped a group containing Argentina, Bulgaria and Greece, before exiting at the round of 16 stage to Italy.
Sunday Oliseh: Football is like a religion in Nigeria
Two years later, a chunk of that golden generation also led Nigeria to win gold at the Olympics in Atlanta, becoming the first African nation to achieve such a feat.
While Nigeria has struggled to attain such sustained success in the following years, Oliseh believes the country can produce another talented crop from its large population.
“It is still possible for Nigeria to produce such a great team as that of USA 1994. People call me an eternal optimist when it comes to Nigerian football, but this has to do with my experience in life,” the former Juventus midfielder told Nation Sports.
“For us to produce a great team such as that, you need numbers and people. We are more than 200 million people and football is like a religion in our country.
“I believe at one point, a group will come and get it right and then it will happen. I pray this happens in my lifetime because I would really love to watch a game with my country dominating.”
Nigeria’s current crop has shown promise but is still a long way from reaching the heights attained by the Class of 94, having lost the 2023 AFCON final to the Ivory Coast while also failing to win a single game after four rounds of matches in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
