Daniel Amokachi facts for kids
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 30 December 1972 | ||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Kaduna, Nigeria | ||||||||||||
| Height | 1.80 m | ||||||||||||
| Playing position | Forward | ||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | ||||||||||
| 1989–1990 | Ranchers Bees | ||||||||||||
| 1990–1994 | Club Brugge | 81 | (35) | ||||||||||
| 1994–1996 | Everton | 43 | (10) | ||||||||||
| 1996–2000 | Beşiktaş | 77 | (18) | ||||||||||
| Total | 201 | (63) | |||||||||||
| National team | |||||||||||||
| 1990–1999 | Nigeria | 44 | (13) | ||||||||||
| Teams managed | |||||||||||||
| 2006–2007 | Nasarawa United | ||||||||||||
| 2007 | Nigeria (assistant) | ||||||||||||
| 2008 | Enyimba | ||||||||||||
| 2008–2014 | Nigeria (assistant) | ||||||||||||
| 2014–2015 | Nigeria (interim) | ||||||||||||
| 2015 | Ifeanyi Ubah | ||||||||||||
| 2016–2017 | JS Hercules | ||||||||||||
| 2017-2018 | JS Hercules (technical director) | ||||||||||||
| 2020– | Nigeria (football ambassador) | ||||||||||||
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Honours
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Daniel Owefin Amokachi (born 30 December 1972) is a famous Nigerian football player and manager. He was known for being a powerful forward during his playing days.
Daniel Amokachi played for several big clubs like Everton in England, Club Brugge in Belgium, and Beşiktaş in Turkey. He helped Everton win the FA Cup in 1995. He also made history by scoring the first goal in the UEFA Champions League for Club Brugge in 1992.
For his country, Nigeria, he played 44 times and scored 13 goals. He was a key part of the Nigerian team that won the African Cup of Nations in 1994. He also won a gold medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics in football. After retiring from playing, Amokachi became a coach for different teams, including the Nigerian national team.
Playing for Clubs
Daniel Amokachi was nicknamed "The Bull" because of his strong and powerful playing style. A Nigerian coach, Clemens Westerhof, discovered him while he was playing for Ranchers Bees. Soon after, Amokachi moved to Belgium to play for Club Brugge.
While at Club Brugge, he made history in the new UEFA Champions League competition. He scored the very first goal for the club in the tournament. This goal helped his team win their opening match against CSKA Moscow.
After playing well in Belgium and at the 1994 World Cup, English club Everton became interested in him. Their manager signed him to play in the Premier League.
In 1995, Amokachi helped Everton win the FA Cup. In a semi-final match against Tottenham Hotspur, he famously entered the game when a teammate was injured. He then scored two important goals, helping Everton reach the final. He also played a part in the final match, which Everton won.
He stayed at Everton until 1996, then moved to Beşiktaş in Turkey. He played there for several years. After leaving Beşiktaş in 1999, injuries made it very difficult for him to continue his playing career. He tried to play for other teams like 1860 Munich and Colorado Rapids, but his knee problems kept him from playing any more matches.
Playing for Nigeria
Daniel Amokachi played many important matches for the Nigerian national team. He was part of the squad for the 1994 FIFA World Cup and the 1998 FIFA World Cup.
He helped Nigeria win the 1994 African Cup of Nations, which is a big tournament for African countries. One of his greatest achievements was helping Nigeria win the gold medal in football at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. He even scored a goal in the final match against Argentina.
Before the 1998 FIFA World Cup, Amokachi got an injury. He played one match in the tournament, but his knee problems continued to bother him after that.
Coaching Career
After he stopped playing, Daniel Amokachi started a new career as a football coach. He managed Nigerian clubs like Nasarawa United and Enyimba.
He also worked as an assistant coach for the Nigerian national team, the Super Eagles, for several years. From 2014 to 2015, he even managed the national team on a temporary basis. In 2016, he became the manager of JS Hercules, a club in Finland.
In 2020, the President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, named Daniel Amokachi as Nigeria’s football ambassador. This means he helps represent Nigerian football around the world.
Personal Life
Daniel Amokachi is married to a woman from Tunisia. They have twin sons named Kalim and Nazim, who are also interested in football and play in a youth academy. He also has a daughter named Raya.
Honours
Everton
- FA Cup: 1994–95
- FA Charity Shield: 1995
Beşiktaş
- Turkish Cup: 1997–98
- Turkish Super Cup: 1998
Nigeria
- African Cup of Nations: 1994
- Olympic Games: Gold Medal 1996
Individual Awards
- UEFA Champions League First Goal: 1992
- Belgian Ebony Shoes Award: 1992, 1994
- Pro League 'Most successful foreign player' award: 1992
- International Honorary Award of Sportsmen of Turkey: 2015
See also
In Spanish: Daniel Amokachi para niños
