Peter was scheduled to play in the 1984 AFCON final, but was sidelined by the Nigerian coach, who was known for his superstitious nature.
As the starting goalkeeper in the semi-final against Egypt, Peter put in a solid performance that logically suggested he would keep goal for Nigeria in the final. However, to everyone’s surprise, he was relegated to the bench in favor of Emmanuel Okala for the final match against Cameroon.
This controversial decision, attributed in part to the beliefs of coach Adegboye Onigbinde, fueled debate for a long time. Nigeria ultimately lost 3 goals to 1 to the Indomitable Lions.
Despite this disappointment, Peter was already enjoying considerable renown on the continent by the time of the 1984 edition.
He would later join the Dragons of Ouémé in Benin, following a similar trajectory to that of Abedi Pelé, who had played in the 1982 AFCON with Ghana before briefly joining the Dragons in a Champions Cup match against Al Ahly.
Hugues Zinsou Zounon
