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By Mark Gleeson BBC Sport Online

When the African Nations Cup qualifiers start next month, Nigeria's new coach Christian Chukwu has the opportunity to join an elite group.

Chukwu is a previous winner of the Nations Cup as a player and if he can steer the Super Eagles to the title in Tunisia two years from now, then he will join the Egyptian Mahmoud Al Gohari as the only pair to have won the top prize in African soccer as both a coach and a competitor.

Chukwu's challenge

The Nigerian is the only former winner who is now employed as a national coach going into the 2002 qualifiers.

Chukwu was a defender in the Nigerian side that romped to the 1980 title with a 3-0 win over Algeria in the final in Lagos, the first major title for the Super Eagles.

He was an assistant to maverick Dutch coach Clemens Westerhof when Nigeria won the 1994 Nations Cup, hosted by Tunisia.

Al Gohari was the striker when Egypt beat Sudan 2-1 in the 1959 final in Cairo and coach 39 years later when the Pharaohs overcame South Africa 2-0 in the final in Ouagadougou.

Christian Chukwu
Chukwu lifted the Nations Cup in 1980
Only three other African football personalities have ever had the opportunity to achieve the rare feat.

Pierre Kalala was a member of the Congo Kinshasa side, which won the 1968 Nations Cup and coach at the 1992 finals in Senegal, when the Zairians reached the quarterfinals.

At the same tournament, Noel Minga took the Congo (Brazzaville) team to the last eight, exactly 20 years after winning the Nations Cup as a striker for Diables Rogue over Mali in the final in Yaounde, Cameroon.

Algeria's 1990 Nations Cup winner Rabah Madjer was in charge of Algeria's side at this year's finals in Mali, but has since been sacked as coach of the Fennecs.


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