Memories: Roberto Baggio "goes to town" against Nigeria!

[Field Marshall Ogolo]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvY8G5axPpk[/video]

Baggio seemed to be everywhere that fateful day.
Then European and world footballer of the year lived up to his reputation.
I sometimes wonder what we as a continent could have done to help out.

[Tobi17]

The whole nation of Kenya could only wish to have played against Roberto Baggio's cleats; much less the person himself.

[The Eagle]

I tried very hard to find tournament footage of Kenya playing against one of the world's best teams, and one of the world's best players, and the closest I could find was this:

PS: How many shillings was the referee paid for that call?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwUg2KoMIWI[/video]

[Field Marshall Ogolo]

I tried very hard to find tournament footage of Kenya playing against one of the world's best teams, and one of the world's best players, and the closest I could find was this:

PS: How many shillings was the referee paid for that call?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwUg2KoMIWI[/video]

What a scandalous video clip ...
How old was the late Yekini when he finally retired? (RIP)
Those were dangerous moves for a man of his age back then.

[Purity]

Baggio was the best player in the world in 1993 and 1994.

[Field Marshall Ogolo]

Baggio was the best player in the world in 1993 and 1994.

He proved it that day.

[The Eagle]

Baggio was the best player in the world in 1993 and 1994.

He proved it that day.

It is not easy to play against the likes of Baggio, Stoichkov, Maradona, Modric, Batistuta, Ronaldo (real one), Pogba, Rivaldo, Lionel Messi, Bebeto ..... we struggle against them in the same way that Kenya struggled against Ike Uche.

[Field Marshall Ogolo]

Baggio was the best player in the world in 1993 and 1994.

He proved it that day.

It is not easy to play against the likes of Baggio, Stoichkov, Maradona, Modric, Batistuta, Ronaldo (real one), Pogba, Rivaldo, Lionel Messi, Bebeto ..... we struggle against them in the same way that Kenya struggled against Ike Uche.

Never heard of him. We only knew Okocha & Kanu..

https://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/it-was- ... r1ugid0rgi

The 1997 match has always been one of the memorable moments in Kenyan football, given the star-studded opponents
Kenya were facing an acid test as they were battling the 1996 Olympic winners but surprisingly they took the lead through Ken Simiyu. Nigeria equalized via Jonathan Akpoborie for the match to end 1-1

[The Eagle]

Baggio was the best player in the world in 1993 and 1994.

He proved it that day.

It is not easy to play against the likes of Baggio, Stoichkov, Maradona, Modric, Batistuta, Ronaldo (real one), Pogba, Rivaldo, Lionel Messi, Bebeto ..... we struggle against them in the same way that Kenya struggled against Ike Uche.

Never heard of him. We only knew Okocha & Kanu..

https://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/it-was- ... r1ugid0rgi

The 1997 match has always been one of the memorable moments in Kenyan football, given the star-studded opponents
Kenya were facing an acid test as they were battling the 1996 Olympic winners but surprisingly they took the lead through Ken Simiyu. Nigeria equalized via Jonathan Akpoborie for the match to end 1-1

I suppose it is difficult for you to keep track of the names of Nigerians who've scored against Kenya. Since 1981, in fourteen matches (12 wins, 2 draws) we've scored thirty-three times .... against seven conceded to Kenya. But for the record, Ike Uche contributed to the total. For all I know, the forumer Oloye may have scored against you as well.

PS: Imagine if y'all played the Baggios and Messis ....

[1naija]

I tried very hard to find tournament footage of Kenya playing against one of the world's best teams, and one of the world's best players, and the closest I could find was this:

PS: How many shillings was the referee paid for that call?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwUg2KoMIWI[/video]

Which elementary school team we were playing against?

[blueangel]

I tried very hard to find tournament footage of Kenya playing against one of the world's best teams, and one of the world's best players, and the closest I could find was this:

PS: How many shillings was the referee paid for that call?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwUg2KoMIWI[/video]

WOW Thanks
I never knew Kenyans played football.
I thought they were only long distance runners after chasing cows for miles over hills.

[amafolas]

wow the atheliticism of that Nigerian team wow. Good pass by the Italians, but Nigerian defender was always faster than the intended Italian recipient and got there first. An Italian player would look open, and an already beaten Nigerian defender recovers quickly and catches up again with Italian player.

Those guys were big, fit and scary athletic in both defense and attack. Okocha was probably the slowest guy on the team.

[Tobi17]

wow the atheliticism of that Nigerian team wow. Good pass by the Italians, but Nigerian defender was always faster than the intended Italian recipient and got there first. An Italian player would look open, and an already beaten Nigerian defender recovers quickly and catches up again with Italian player.

Those guys were big, fit and scary athletic in both defense and attack. Okocha was probably the slowest guy on the team.

Please don't reinforce the stereotype... that Nigerian team was also very technically gifted aside from their athleticism.

[amafolas]

wow the atheliticism of that Nigerian team wow. Good pass by the Italians, but Nigerian defender was always faster than the intended Italian recipient and got there first. An Italian player would look open, and an already beaten Nigerian defender recovers quickly and catches up again with Italian player.

Those guys were big, fit and scary athletic in both defense and attack. Okocha was probably the slowest guy on the team.

Please don't reinforce the stereotype... that Nigerian team was also very technically gifted aside from their athleticism.

This is not about reinforcing stereotypes. Given we are entirely on defense in this entire clip, I am not sure what technical giftedness there is to focus on. Tackling technique? The athleticism on defense is unreal.

This was a ridiculously athletic and fit team. The fact that we are on defense in this entire clips makes it jump out. It's not usually what I focus on when I watch Nigerian soccer. Well that and I am an Arsenal fan, and we have Xhaka and Ceballos in our midfield who are slow as molasses. The other day, I saw Foden, who is not that fast, running with the ball, and still pulling away from Ceballos who was running without the ball!.

Watching players recover and close at lightning speed on defense just jumps out at me while watching these clips, in ways that was never obvious to me. Particularly in the first half, note how quickly a Nigerian defender closes out a pass recipient. One moment the Italian looks open, as soon as the ball gets to him, a Nigerian defender is there in a flash.

[Ugbowo]

This video showed just how good the SE was in that game especially Oliseh. He looked the best player in that video not Baggio.

[Aswani]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvY8G5axPpk[/video]

Baggio seemed to be everywhere that fateful day.
Then European and world footballer of the year lived up to his reputation.
I sometimes wonder what we as a continent could have done to help out.

Nothing to do with Baggio, Austin Eguavoen totally lost his mind in the latter stages of the match.

[gochino]

This video showed just how good the SE was in that game especially Oliseh. He looked the best player in that video not Baggio.

Exactly! Was about to point that out, very bad adverisment for Baggio each time he got the ball and wanted to do something special, he was countered by the the Nigerian players.

[olu]

Looks like he was well marked the entire game and 2 lapses in concentration resulted in goals.

[Odas]

Baggio was the best player in the world in 1993 and 1994.

He proved it that day.

It is not easy to play against the likes of Baggio, Stoichkov, Maradona, Modric, Batistuta, Ronaldo (real one), Pogba, Rivaldo, Lionel Messi, Bebeto ..... we struggle against them in the same way that Kenya struggled against Ike Uche.

Never heard of him. We only knew Okocha & Kanu..

https://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/it-was- ... r1ugid0rgi

The 1997 match has always been one of the memorable moments in Kenyan football, given the star-studded opponents
Kenya were facing an acid test as they were battling the 1996 Olympic winners but surprisingly they took the lead through Ken Simiyu. Nigeria equalized via Jonathan Akpoborie for the match to end 1-1

I suppose it is difficult for you to keep track of the names of Nigerians who've scored against Kenya. Since 1981, in fourteen matches (12 wins, 2 draws) we've scored thirty-three times .... against seven conceded to Kenya. But for the record, Ike Uche contributed to the total. For all I know, the forumer Oloye may have scored against you as well.

PS: Imagine if y'all played the Baggios and Messis ....

Mmm, heeee, my bello-ooo!

[deanotito]

This video showed just how good the SE was in that game especially Oliseh. He looked the best player in that video not Baggio.

We really did miss an opportunity in that World Cup. It still hurts

[Field Marshall Ogolo]

Baggio was the best player in the world in 1993 and 1994.

He proved it that day.

It is not easy to play against the likes of Baggio, Stoichkov, Maradona, Modric, Batistuta, Ronaldo (real one), Pogba, Rivaldo, Lionel Messi, Bebeto ..... we struggle against them in the same way that Kenya struggled against Ike Uche.

Never heard of him. We only knew Okocha & Kanu..

https://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/it-was- ... r1ugid0rgi

The 1997 match has always been one of the memorable moments in Kenyan football, given the star-studded opponents
Kenya were facing an acid test as they were battling the 1996 Olympic winners but surprisingly they took the lead through Ken Simiyu. Nigeria equalized via Jonathan Akpoborie for the match to end 1-1

I suppose it is difficult for you to keep track of the names of Nigerians who've scored against Kenya. Since 1981, in fourteen matches (12 wins, 2 draws) we've scored thirty-three times .... against seven conceded to Kenya. But for the record, Ike Uche contributed to the total. For all I know, the forumer Oloye may have scored against you as well.

PS: Imagine if y'all played the Baggios and Messis ....

Mmm, heeee, my bello-ooo!

Oloye is my friend too and he was never part of the scandalous team that lost against Denmark! The loss was yuuuuge!

[The Eagle]

Oloye is my friend too and he was never part of the scandalous team that lost against Denmark! The loss was yuuuuge!

Funnily enough, the Eagles beat Kenya by an aggregate score of 4-1 during 1998 World Cup qualifying .... in hindsight, conceding that lone goal to Kenya should have been seen as evidence of defensive frailty.

[Field Marshall Ogolo]

Oloye is my friend too and he was never part of the scandalous team that lost against Denmark! The loss was yuuuuge!

Funnily enough, the Eagles beat Kenya by an aggregate score of 4-1 during 1998 World Cup qualifying .... in hindsight, conceding that lone goal to Kenya should have been seen as evidence of defensive frailty.

So you have not forgotten the 4-1 beating by Denmark?

Denmark was up after 3 minutes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQCuplnQPPU[/video]


Now you find me a video of Nigeria beating Kenya by more than 3 goals and I will find you the video of Ghana's 7-0 defeat of Naija..