Hugely appealing winner's medal awarded to Nigerian footballer Tijani Babangida at the Atlanta 1996 Summer Olympics. Gilt silver, 70 mm, 180 gm, by Malcolm Grear Designers; manufactured by Reed and Barton. The front, inscribed "XXVI Olympiad Atlanta 1996" with Olympic rings, shows a ‘Seated Victory’ holding a laurel wreath and palm branch, with the Colosseum looming in the background; the reverse, inscribed "Centennial Olympic Games," features the Atlanta logo and a stylized 'Quilt of Leaves' olive branch pictogram of a soccer player. The medal is engraved on the bottom edge with the name of the sport: “Men’s Football.” Includes the original green-and-gold ribbon, the attractive wooden display case (which bears a few scuffs and dings), which is laser-cut on the lid with the centennial host logo and lined on the interior in black felt.
The Nigerian Olympic team snapped their 44-year gold medal drought when they earned not one but two at Atlanta’s Centennial Olympics in 1996. Chioma Ajunwa took the top prize in the women's long jump on August 2nd, and a day later the men’s football team secured a gold-place finish with a 3-2 victory over Argentina. Winger Babangida played an important role in the team’s march to glory, which included a massive 4-3 upset win over Brazil in the semi-finals to reach the championship round. An illustrious Olympic keepsake that represents an historic moment in both soccer and African history.
