AFCON: How IBB Renamed Nigeria’s National Football Team from Green Eagles to Super Eagles
- Nigeria’s national football team once carried the name Green Eagles before a historic change reshaped its identity
- Former goalkeeper Aloy Agu recalled how players and coaches agreed the eagle could not be green, leading to the adoption of “Super Eagles”
- Yet, some voices like lawmaker Akin Alabi still argue the original nickname carried more meaning than the modern one
Former Nigeria number one goalkeeper and captain, Aloy Agu, spoke in a 2013 interview about how the country’s national football team came to be known as the Super Eagles.
Agu recalled that the team, originally called the Green Eagles, began questioning the name during a tournament in Monrovia in 1986.
Source: Twitter
He explained that players and coaches, including Hamilton, Salami and Tunde Disu, discussed the matter and agreed that “we have never seen an eagle that is green in colour.”
According to Agu, the group decided that the team should be renamed the Super Eagles and presented the idea to the authorities.
Agu said the change was formally announced after the Maroc '88 Africa Cup of Nations, where Nigeria won silver. He noted that then Vice President Augustus Aikhomu declared during the team’s reception that the Green Eagles would now be called the Super Eagles.
Akin Alabi prefers Green Eagles nickname
The renaming of the national team has not been without debate. Oloye Akin Alabi, a member of Nigeria’s House of Representatives from Oyo state, recently expressed his view on social media platform X.
He wrote:
“When former head of state, General Ibrahim Babangida changed the nickname of Nigeria’s national team from Green Eagles to Super Eagles, I felt it was weird. Till today, I still prefer Green Eagles. Super is more of decorative than meaningful.”
See the X post below:
The Super Eagles nickname has since become a defining identity for Nigerian football, recognised across Africa and beyond. While some, like Alabi, still prefer the original Green Eagles name, the Super Eagles brand has remained central to the team’s global image.
The debate highlights how names carry cultural meaning in sport, with Agu’s recollection showing the players’ role in shaping history and Alabi’s comments reflecting nostalgia for the past.
Source: Getty Images
TB Joshua’s AFCON final prophecy
Legit.ng earlier reported that a video recorded 13 years ago during a live church service by the late TB Joshua has gone viral on TikTok. The clip showed the renowned pastor predicting the outcome of the 2012 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) final between Zambia and Ivory Coast.
In the footage, TB Joshua revealed what God reportedly showed him about the winner of the match and the penalty shootout that would decide the trophy. He also spoke about the excitement and anticipation among football fans across Africa ahead of the historic game.
The TikTok video attracted widespread attention, with many netizens expressing amazement at the accuracy and detail of the prophecy. Some viewers commented that they remembered watching the final and witnessing the fulfilment of his words. On February 12, 2012, Zambia won their first and only AFCON title after defeating Ivory Coast 8-7 in a dramatic penalty shootout. The match ended goalless in regular time, but the penalty decider sealed Zambia’s place in football history.
Proofreading by Kola Muhammed, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
