Holiday declared for gold medal

Holiday declared for gold medal

LAGOS (Reuter): Nigeria's military government declared today a public holiday to celebrate an historic gold medal won by the troubled African nation in the Olympic Games soccer event.

Ecstasy filled the land moments after the final whistle of the match as thousands of people poured on to the streets of Lagos to savor the 3-2 defeat of Argentina on Saturday.

"Nothing unites this nation like football does," said veteran television sports commentator Hameed Adio. "The head of state General Sani Abacha is overwhelmed by the great performance of our boys," Interior Minister Babagana Kingibe said yesterday on state television in the capital Abuja when he announced Abacha's decision to call a public holiday.