The Nigeria Olympic football team claimed the nation’s first bronze medal at the Rio Olympics after defeating Honduras in the third place match 3-2.
Captain John Mikel Obi played an integral role in the goals scored by Roma striker Sadiq Umar – who scored two goals – and Aminu Umar with the other, to give the Samson Siasia-led team a 3-0 lead.
Honduras fought back with two quick goals from Antony Lozano‘s header in the 71st and Marcelo Pereira‘s header off a free kick in the 86th minute. But it was too late for the Central American team trying to win its ever Olympic medal.
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It was Nigeria’s third overall Olympic medal in football. The African nation won gold at the 1996 Atlanta Games with a 3-2 victory over Argentina. The team fell to Argentina in the final at the 2008 Beijing Games for the silver.
The medal was just reward for an Olympic tournament that got off to a very rocky start, with the team’s arrival in Brazil delayed until just hours before their opening match against Japan.
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