BY Remi Sulola
Daniel Amokachi, former Super Eagles forward, says his exclusion from the 1992 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) helped made him a better football player.
The 47-year-old brought the revelation to light during his Brila FM ‘The Bull’s Pit” radio programme on Monday.
Amokachi, who missed the tournament in Senegal, despite featuring in some of the qualifiers that year, said destiny prevailed — which turned out to be a blessing in disguise for his club career.
“I was on fire at my club and my club, the NFA then and Clemens Westerhof sat down and agreed and gave me the permission to stay away (from 1992 AFCON),” Amokachi said.
“And I think it helped propel me in Europe that year because that was the season I won my first Championship with Brugge. We became champions, that was the season I scored the first UEFA Champions League goal.
“So, definitely I think it was destined for me to miss it and get those ones with my club.”
“Da Bull”, as he is popularly called, however, returned to the tournament in 1994 in Tunisia, where the Eagles won their second title in the continent.
The former Everton player also featured in Algiers ’90 — which was his first AFCON appearance in the green, white, green jersey.
Amokachi scored his first goal of the UEFA Champions League with Club Brugge on November 25, 1992. The club went on to defeat CSKA Moscow 1–0.
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