Photographs: Comrade Sunny Ofehe/Facebook.
A remarkable evening unfolded recently as three legends of Nigerian football came together after decades of misunderstandings.
Dutch coach Clemens Westerhof, former Super Eagles player Samson Siasia, and football star Mike Obiku met in a touching reunion.
This was the first time these icons had shared a space in 35 years.
Their story is one of triumph, pain, and ultimately, reconciliation.
Mike Obiku was once a promising player with the Super Eagles.
However, his journey took a painful turn in 1989 when he was dropped from the team by Westerhof.
At the time, Obiku was frustrated and felt that Westerhof’s decision affected his career.
Obiku had been playing in Cyprus and hoped to be part of the national team again.
His dreams were shattered when Westerhof refused to call him up after his transfer to Feyenoord.
Meanwhile, Siasia also had his grievances with Westerhof.
In 2022, Siasia revealed that he was angry at Westerhof for not playing him in the crucial match against Italy in the 1994 World Cup finals.
Siasia believed he could have made a difference.
Westerhof explained to him that his decision was based on Siasia’s earlier missed opportunity to assist Rashidi Yekini in a match against Greece.
This time, the setting for reconciliation was a birthday celebration for Mike Obiku’s wife.
The atmosphere was filled with joy and nostalgia as the three men gathered to celebrate.
The organiser of the reunion, Comrade Sunny Ofehe who also shared details of the remarkable reconciliation on Facebook.
Westerhof, now 84 years old, reminisced about his days coaching the Super Eagles.
He led Nigeria from 1990 to 1994, a period marked by incredible highs and heartbreaking lows.
In 1990, Westerhof guided Nigeria to the finals of the African Nations Cup, where they lost to Algeria.
The following year, the team narrowly missed qualifying for the World Cup in Italy after a loss to Cameroon.
However, Westerhof achieved a monumental feat in 1994 by leading Nigeria to its first-ever World Cup appearance.
Under his leadership, the Super Eagles delivered an impressive performance that captured the world’s attention.
