Nigerian football legend, Augustine “Jay-Jay” Okocha, has opened up on the hardship the Dream Team faced during the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, saying players had to pay for their own meals, transport, and even accommodation because the Nigerian Football Association failed to settle bills.
Speaking on The Long Form podcast with Sanny Ntayombya, Okocha described the behind-the-scenes struggles despite Nigeria’s historic gold medal win.
“It is special for me because of what we went through,” he said. “People only see the end product but they don’t really see the process. The process was tough.”
Okocha recalled how one morning the team discovered their training bus was gone. “We woke up one day, our training coach was gone. The bus that we were in, where did it go? They took it with the spare key because the F.A hadn’t paid.”
For about a week, he said the players were fed the same rice and chicken sauce daily. “The hotel gave us the same meal every day… breakfast, lunch, and dinner. When we asked why, they said we should be glad we’re still here because our F.A have not paid for the food and accommodation.”
The situation forced some of the senior players to step in. “A few of us had to bring our card and pay for accommodation. Then we went and rented minivans to stay in camp,” Okocha explained.
Despite the neglect, Nigeria’s under-23 team went on to make history, becoming the first African football team to win Olympic gold. “It shows the desire that we had,” Okocha said.
For Okocha, the gold medal remains a proud moment, but the struggles off the pitch remain a painful reminder of systemic failures. “It shows the desire that we had,” he repeated, stressing how much the players had to sacrifice beyond football.
