Super Eagles ’96

Not all heroes wear capes

Since its debut in 1994, Nigeria has qualified for six of the eight FIFA World Cup tournaments, reaching the last 16 on three occasions. They are three-time Africa Cup of Nations winners. And they have placed fifth in FIFA rankings – the highest position achieved by an African team. It’s no surprise, then, that they are affectionately known as the Super Eagles. Bamiro’s fascinating documentary not only details how the team grew in stature, it locates them within the country’s politically turbulent recent history – through the various coups, the imprisonment and execution of writer and activist Ken Saro-Wiwa and many others, and the corporate scandals resulting from widespread pollution. It successfully balances profiles of those involved in the team’s success with figures who have fought to better life across the whole of the country.

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