'Nigerian FA didn't pay’ - Okocha reveals how the team was treated during Atlanta 1996

Nigeria became the first African country to win the Olympic football title after shocking the world by defeating Brazil 4-3 in a thrilling semi-final and then 3-2 in the final.

The squad featured some of Nigeria’s greatest-ever talents, including Okocha, Kanu, Sunday Oliseh and Tijani Babangida.

One of the biggest comebacks in Olympic history was ensured by Nwankwo Kanu's "golden goal" in extra time against Brazil. To win the gold medal in the final, Emmanuel Amunike scored a late goal.

Okocha has disclosed how close the team was to disintegrating before they could create history some thirty years later.

In a recent interview on YouTube, the former Bolton Wanderers forward acknowledged that the Olympic gold was preceded by tremendous obstacles, but he called it the highlight of his career.

"It's in the record books because we were the first African football team to win it," Okocha said. "It is special for me because of what we went through. People only see the end product; they don't really see the process.

"We were camped in America, and we woke up one day to find our training coach was gone, and the bus was also gone. They took it with the spare key because the [Nigerian] FA hadn't paid," Okocha revealed.

"For about a week, the hotel gave us the same meal. It was just rice and sauce every day," he added. "They told us we should be glad we were still there because our FA had not paid for the food or the accommodation."

"A few of us had to use our own cards to pay for the accommodation and then went and rented minivans so we could stay in camp," he said.