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TODAY IN HISTORY: FORMER AFRICA’S BEST LEFT-WINGER, KUNLE AWESU DIES

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BY KUNLE SOLAJA

The defeat and elimination of Nigeria from the quarterfinals by Italy on this date 5 July 1994 turned a double tragedy.

Kunle Awesu, the former Africa’s best left winger and Green Eagles’ player died in Arlington, United States, the same day that Nigeria crashed out in the USA’94 World Cup round of 16, losing 1-2 to Italy after extra time.

Awesu was voted the best number 11 at the 1976 Africa Cup of Nations where the Nigerian team’s performance was like that of the Cinderella tale.

Sadly, Kunle Awesu’s death on 5 July 1994 remained unreported for over two years and was shielded from his family until early in 1997.

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The former Green Eagles and IICC Shooting Stars’ left winger shot into continental limelight when he propelled the unheralded Green Eagles to the third place at the African Cup of Nations in Ethiopia.

Kunle Awesu, in white shirt, was voted Africa’s best 11 in 1976

In the same year, he was a member of the IICC Shooting Stars that won the African Winners Cup by beating a Roger Milla inspired defending champions, Tonnerre Kalara of Cameroon.

His last appearance for Nigeria was on 30 October 1976 when Nigeria beat Sierra Leone 6-2 in a World Cup qualifying duel. It was in that match that Segun Odegbami scored the first of his 21 goals for Nigeria.

Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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