Dominic Iorfa: Ex-Super Eagles Player Shares Sad Story of How He Was Dropped from AFCON Squad
- Dominic Iorfa has revealed he was dropped from the 1988 AFCON squad over claims he was Ghanaian
- The former striker had a club career filled with memorable moments, including scoring twice against Leventis United
- Iorfa also missed the 1992 AFCON due to perceptions about the Turkish league after moving to Galatasaray
Former Super Eagles forward Dominic Iorfa has opened up about one of the most painful moments of his football career, being left out of Nigeria’s squad for the 1988 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
German coach Manfred Höner named a highly competitive squad for the tournament with superstars like Rashidi Yekini, Samson Siasia, and Ndubuisi Okosieme leading the attack for Nigeria.
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The team had a successful tournament and went all the way to the final, where they narrowly lost 1-0 to arch-rivals Cameroon, per 11v11.com.
37 years after the tournament, Iorfa has now opened up on how he was dropped from the squad and how rumours of him being a Ghanaian played a huge part in it.
Why Iorfa was dropped for 1988 AFCON
Iorfa’s association with the national team began in 1984 when, as a Division Two player with BCC Lions, he earned a call-up to the Super Eagles alongside Moses Kpakor.
Source: Twitter
Both players joined a squad filled with Nigerian greats, including Stephen Keshi, Henry Nwosu, Bright Omokaro, and Sunday Eboigbe and made their mark in the squad despite being newbies.
While his time with the national team was marked by missed opportunities, Iorfa explained that he was dropped from the 1988 AFCON squad over claims he was Ghanaian.
Speaking with Completesports, Iorfa revealed how distraught he was after finding out that nationality doubts cost him a place on the team.
“I didn’t play Maroc 1988 AFCON because I was dropped from the national team over claims that I was a Ghanaian,” the 56-year-old said.
“It was heartbreaking because I had worked hard to be part of that team.”
More AFCON heartbreaks for Iorfa
Despite missing the 1988 AFCON, Iorfa’s international career still had significant moments.
He represented Nigeria in the football event of the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games and was part of the Super Eagles squad under late coach Amodu Shuaibu that finished fourth at the 1995 FIFA Confederations Cup.
However, his misfortune with Africa’s premier tournament continued as he also missed the 1992 AFCON after securing a move to Turkish giants Galatasaray.
At the time, the Turkish Super Lig was not held in high regard by Nigerian football officials, and this perception contributed to his exclusion.
“I moved to Galatasaray, but back then they believed the Turkish league was not good enough,” Iorfa explained.
Iorfa among Nigerians to play in Turkey
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that 21-cap ex-international Dominic Iorfa was the first Nigerian to play for the Turkish giants when he joined the club in 1991 from Queens Park Rangers.
He left after eight months and nine games to join Peterborough United.
Source: Legit.ng
