Nigeria's stunning gold-medal victory in football at the 1996 Olympics is being celebrated in a new documentary that charts the emergence of the ground-breaking team. The film - Super Eagles '96 - which also weaves in the political background, has premiered at the London Film Festival.
The military suppression of a pro-democracy movement in Nigeria was going on as the team was coming together in the years leading up to the Olympics in Atlanta, in the US. Using rare archive footage, the film reminds people of the excitement and pride that the Olympic team's victory brought - which included wins over Brazil and then Argentina in the final. "I always knew that this was the most profound sporting achievement in Nigeria's history," director Yemi Bamiro told the BBC World Service's Arts Hour program. "The guys are superheroes, they are national treasures," adds Bamiro, something he wanted to share with the rest of the world. Stars such as Nwankwo Kanu and Sunday Oliseh emerged from the side. The Olympic victory was the first time that an African side had won a global football tournament.
