Nigerian Former Chelsea Player Receives Honour 30 Years After Winning Olympic Gold Medal

Celestine Babayaro and his Super Eagles teammate, Daniel Amokachi, have been rewarded for their contributions to the Nigerian Dream Team, winning the Olympic gold medal in Men's Football in 1996. 

Kaduna State government confirmed in a tweet on X the allocation of land and naming of streets after the players, both of whom hailed from the state. The medal was Nigeria's first in the category and has not been replicated at the Games. 

"Governor of Kaduna State, Senator Uba Sani, has approved the allocation of lands and the naming of streets in honour of Kaduna State citizens who were part of the legendary Dream Team, including Daniel Amokachi, Celestine Babayaro, and other members of the squad," the statement reads. 

The Dream Team won the medal with a superlative performance, beating Argentina 3-2 in the final. In the semi-final, the team defeated Brazil, with Kanu Nwankwo. In the same Atlanta '96, Chioma Ajunwa won the country's first-ever Olympic gold medal in the long jump category. 

Babayaro had a trophy-laden spell at Chelsea, where he won the FA Cup, Charity Shield, UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, and UEFA Super Cup. Amokachi was part of the Super Eagles squad that won the AFCON Cup in 1994.