The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Soccer

  • Ex-soccer star turns destitute

    Ex-soccer star turns destitute

    •Imogene pleads for financial assistance

    It the height of his football career, Peter Imogene, an indigene of Abraka, Delta State, was a master of the game.

    An accomplished footballer, with some of Nigeria’s great football clubs of the past, such as Bendel Insurance of Benin, Calabar Rovers of Calabar and Water Corporation of Ibadan. 57-year-old Imogene, built his life around football such that when his playing career was over he took to coaching and was making a success of it. That was until two years ago.

    Today, his world has been reduced to rubble so to speak as a strange ailment that struck him in 2012, while on the way from Bauchi in the northeast where he was employed as a coach to his home town, Abraka, in the southsouth region has left him unable to fully use his legs.

    The ailment later diagnosed to be stroke has left him paralysed and with a swollen leg. He now lives as a destitute on the streets of Akure, the Ondo State capital, where he now begs for alms to keep body and soul together. All his life savings had gone into treating the disease but no improvement to his deteriorating health condition.

    Though married to three wives and has five children, Imogene today is alone with no family member around, as they all abandoned him shortly after his problem started.

    “Oh! I have lost everything”, he usually laments when telling his story to passers-by most of whom have now become his friends. “I was a well known player in 70s, I played for Bendel Insurance, Calabar Rovers, Ibadan Water Corporation and so many other clubs. My wives abandoned me immediately I got this disease and they thought I am probably dead by now because none of them has made any attempt to search for me. I don’t know where my children are, but I think two of them might be in Delta State with their mother.”

    He has become the ‘landlord’ of one of the newly constructed bus stop built by Governor Olusegun Mimiko’s administration around State Library at Oyemekun road in Akure. This is where he stays during the day and also sleeps at night with neatly arranged empty cartons serving as his bed.

    Come rain come sunshine, Imogene has made the bus stop his abode and always keeps the place clean despite his challenges.

    “In the morning, I normally go to the back of this bus stop to clean myself because this is where I live. This place has been serving as a house for me. And God has been protecting me during the night. Akure people have been caring for me. Some of them will bring food and also give me money. That is why you will always see people around me. Some of them are my friends.

    “I got to Akure six months ago after I have spent about a year in Lagos State. Though, I don’t know how I got to Lagos State. I am just regaining my senses, I lost everything. My family abandoned me, they want me dead, by now they believe I am dead but I will always be grateful to God for saving my life. I am just getting myself back together gradually.”

    When asked how he got to Akure, Imogene told The Nation, “I came to Akure by myself. Nobody brought me from Lagos. When I was in Lagos I was battling with my ailment (stroke) and I started going to a church from where I contacted this swollen leg. When I got this leg pain, I nearly ran mad because I could not recognise myself again.”

    Talking about his past, the ex-footballer said, “I had my first son in 1984, but I don’t know where the boy is now. I think I have five children. I saw my last child four years ago, because we were both staying together at Bauchi. All my life, I was into sports. I think I have three wives. I take life so easy, nobody was after me. I am the only boy of my father who has so many wives. My belief was that I can do whatever I like. Though, I have never being in good terms with the other wives of my father.

    “The problem started when I was returning to my home town from Bauchi where I worked as a football coach with my immediate family when this breeze fell on me and that was how I became paralysed.  I lost everything to this illness and my wives abandoned me. I don’t know how I got to Lagos. I was abandoned, I had nowhere to stay, I was also staying in a public place like this in Lagos. This place is cleaner than where I was staying in Lagos.

    “I will continue to say that I am the luckiest man you can ever think of because I was almost going naked. I think it is a spiritual battle. It is only God who knows. All my family members provoked me including my father. I had little property when I was into football. We don’t save money that time. You know how footballers of those days do live their lives. I became a coach with some football clubs in Bauchi. All I know was that I lived happily.

    “It is now that my eyes are getting opened. I have started feeling where I am staying now. This is where you will see me from morning till night. I am very open to the people. God has always been my protector at night, as no evil person has come to me at night.

    Imogene is pleading with the government or philanthropists to provide him with an accommodation.

    “I am begging the government if they can provide an accommodation for me. I want to recover again, up till now I don’t know what is happening.”

    As for his family, the ex-footballer said, “I don’t want to meet or see my family again, except my children. They thought I am dead. I believe I am facing a spiritual battle and for this reason, I must be far away from them.”

  • A feast of soccer

    A feast of soccer

    The Faculty of Allied Medical Science of the University of Calabar (UNICAL) has organised its maiden Dean’s Cup competition. STANLEY UCHEGBU (500-Level Accounting) reports. 

    For a week, academic activities were suspended at the Faculty of Allied Medical Sciences of the University (UNICAL). Students left the classroom to play football.

    Abraham Ordia Stadium of the university was agog with the faculty’s maiden soccer fiesta. The tournament was facilitated by the Dean of the Faculty, Prof. Anne Asuquo.

    Students of Radiography, Nursing, Public Health and Medical Laboratory Science – the four departments that make up the faculty – showed their talents during the fiesta. After a series of matches, two of the four departments made it to the final.

    At the final match, players were welcomed by an ecstatic crowd of spectators, chanting various songs. Although the pitch was a bit rough the players remained undaunted as they slugged it out. The Red Cross Society team stood at a strategic spot to treat any injured player and technical crew.

    The Radiography and Medical Laboratory Science teams battled to lift the trophy. The players entertained spectators with their soccer skills. There was a drama when Medical Laboratory Science scored a goal 30 seconds into the match.

    However, Nsisong Brenda of the Radiography team equalised in the second half.

    After 90 minutes of play, the match ended in a draw. The match officials decided to end the encounter with penalty shootouts. The penalty kicks gave Radiography team the day with five goals to four.

    A spectator, Sandra Abang, 200-Level Nursing student, described the match as thrilling.

    Prof Saturday Etuk, Provost of College of Medical Sciences, presented the trophy and cash prize to the winners.

    He said: “I am particularly thrilled by the unity this event has brought to the faculty. Apart from uniting students, the event also helped them to relax. We saw the need to engage students in physical fitness and make them have good mental alertness.”

    The captain of Radiography team thanked God for the victory and praised his mates for their effort.

    Essienobong Umoh, a 400-Level Radiography student, said the event was a nice idea. “Every student who loves sports participated in it. It gave us the opportunity to work and showed that there is unity among students of the faculty,” he stated.

    The event was witnessed by students, members of staff of the faculty, including the Sub Dean, Dr Olaide Edet, Head Department of Radiography, Dr. Nneonyi Egbe, former Speaker of Students’ Union Government, Emmanuel Olayi and ex-president of the Faculty, Emmanuel Okuta, among others.

  • I don’t have a bicycle to my name

    I don’t have a bicycle to my name

    The name Baba Otu Mohammed would ring a bell to any soccer follower in Nigeria, is it the old generation or the new? Baba Otu, as he is fondly called by numerous fans, was an integral part of the Green Eagles team that reigned supreme on the continent between the late 70s and 80s.

    An outside right player with flair and speed, Baba Otu formed a strong bond with the late midfield maestro, Alhaji Mudasiru Lawal, on the field to punish opponents they confronted. Their days saw the rise of Nigerian football, which culminated in the first Africa Nations Cup victory and ECOWAS Cup.

    The aged former international was cornered in the northern state of Kaduna by The Nation’s Sport and Style reporter recently, and the over one-hour interview was interesting and revealing. Baba Otu went down memory lane, revealing, like no other, his connection with the late Muda Lawal, what made the then Eagles tick, the role of Chairman Christian Chukwu, then captain of the team, and the intimate financial status of players.

    Sadly, and though the soccer living legend is living in penury, he says in another world he would like to come back as a footballer.

    Hear him: “Let’s forget what has happened in the past. In football you don’t look back. We always look forward. What has happened before, whether good or bad, is now history. Right now you won’t believe it, I don’t have a club and I am not fighting to get a club or to get the monetary aspect of it. I just want them to put everything in the right direction so that whenever we leave the stage people will remember us that these are the heroes that fought for the game and lifted it to higher pedestal. Good name, they say, is better than riches. Let me tell you another secret: you won’t believe that I don’t have a bicycle to call my own. It is not my priority but wherever there is football you will see me there.” Below are excerpts of the interview. It is refreshingly revealing.

    Nigerian football

    Well, it has been up and down as regards football. All the administrations of football we have had in the past have witnessed ups and downs and we just need to continue to work very hard to be able to lift football in the country at all times. Sometimes it would go up and sometimes it would come down. It is at the moment on the rise and so we need to continue to do that thing that we are doing right now.

    Super Eagles

    Let me tell you one fact, it is not a matter of foreign professional players or local players making the Super Eagles team, it is a matter of a dedicated, devoted and talented bunch that is ready to do the work. During our playing days we didn’t have any professional players playing for the Eagles and we achieved good results then. So if it is the professional players that are in super form, doing well in their various leagues in Europe and elsewhere in the world, the coach in charge of the senior national team should go for them. Also, if it is from the home front that we have players with football talents and are doing impressively in the Nigerian Premier League and other leagues in the land, let the coach go for them. The best players should be paraded in the Eagles and the best players should be allowed to be in the national team. When you say home-based players, are they not professionals too?

    Green Eagles

    We should not talk about the monetary incentives as regards our playing days because we received only N2 (two naira) a day as our daily allowance. But we were even happier that we made the team and wore the national team jerseys then. Everybody at time struggled to put on that green and white jersey of the Eagles and to represent the nation. We were not talking about money at that time because at the end of a continental match we only received a hundred naira (N100) as match bonus. But we were committed and happy that out of 120 million Nigerians then we were counted among the best players to represent the country. We need that commitment in the new generation of the players in the Super Eagles because that is the only way we can take our football to a greater height. It must be spelt out to the players both local and foreign-based what it means to wear that national team jersey. It is everybody’s duty; be you a coach, football administrator, player and even journalist to make it a point of duty to make the players realise this fact.

    Christian Chukwu

    Our captain then was Christian Chukwu and he played the role of an assistant coach in the team then. He was a good leader on and off the field of play during our time. Before any match he would call us and discuss how we should play according to the instructions of our coach. He often discussed with us why we should win our match because the over 120 million Nigerians were expecting nothing but victory in our matches. Also, after the match we would sit down together to discuss the mistakes we made in the match and the positive aspects of the match. If the result was not good you won’t see anybody happy or not showing remorse. Everybody would stay indoors in our hotel to reflect the mood unlike nowadays when the Eagles will not play well or get the desired results and you will still see them loitering about in their hotel and not showing any sober mood or reflection. This has to stop and I believe the NFF and the coach are capable of handling this issue well.

    Memory lane

    My main guy then that I loved playing with on and off the field of play was the late Mudasiru Lawal. I was playing from the outside right while Muda played from the right side of the midfield then and we enjoyed our partnership in all the matches we played together. Our coaches then could attest to this fact. I miss him a lot.

    Children and football

    Yes, my last born, Abdulraheem, is highly gifted and can do anything with football. He is a better player than me if I should compare him with me when I was playing at his age. I think he is going to make it in the game and I am really encouraging him in all ramifications.

    Car freak

    Where was the money to buy cars then? The first club to give motorcycles to their players was my team, Mighty Jets of Jos. The first player to own or drive a Mercedes Benz was the late Layiwola Olagbemiro. Olagbemiro got his Mercedes from his family then. It’s not playing football that afforded him the Mercedes then. He was playing with us at Mighty Jets along with Sam Garuba Okoye, Ismaila Mabo and Sule Kekere and the Atuegbu brothers and the rest. That time, Ismaila Mabo as the captain of Mighty Jets received N120 per game while the rest of us were paid N90 per game. So, there is no way we could afford the luxury of buying flashy cars like our new generation of players are doing. But we were very happy playing weekly for our club then because we were not playing for money but for fun and happiness.

    Regret

    Let’s forget what has happened in the past. In football you don’t look back. We always look forward. What has happened before, whether good or bad, is now history. Right now you won’t believe it, I don’t have a club and I am not fighting to get a club or to get the monetary aspect of it. I just want them to put everything in the right direction so that whenever we leave the stage people will remember us that these are the heroes that fought for the game and lifted it to higher pedestal. Good name, they say, is better than riches. Let me tell you another secret: you won’t believe that I don’t have a bicycle to call my own. It is not my priority, but wherever there is football you will see me there.

    If not football, what?

    I would have been an Islamic religion scholar. Being a Muslim, I love reading my Quran.

  • Divided by soccer

    Divided by soccer

    Some students of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO) in Imo State, last week, clashed during a football match. What is the round leather game turning to? GERALD NWOKOCHA writes.

     

    SOCCER is an emotional game. While players are displaying their skills on the pitch, their fans are busy on the stands, making comments and snide remarks which sometimes cause friction. Also, the referee’s action, at times, could spark a fight either on the pitch or on the stands.

    Last week, there was a fight on the pitch during a soccer game at the Federal University of Technology, Oweri (FUTO) in Imo State.

    The match was between the Biotechnology and Biochemistry departments in the ongoing tournament of the Nigerian Association of Science Students (NASS). The game ended a 1-1 draw.

    After the referee’s final whistle, players from both sides exchanged punches in a free-for-all. The match, played on FUTO Primary School pitch, was part of the activities marking the Science Students’ Week.

    CAMPUSLIFE gathered that a member of the Students’ Representative Council (SRC) from Biochemistry Department, John Achike, was at the centre of the commotion. Uche Dominic, 500-Level Physics, said the referee’s decision led to the fight.

    He said: “When the match was almost over, a defender in Biotechnology department team fouled on the goal line but the referee simply looked away and later issued a yellow card to the player. Instead of awarding a penalty to the Biochemistry side, he allowed the Biotechnology players to play a kick out.”

    The decision angered John and his colleagues from Biochemistry department, who allegedly hit the referee with a stick.

    Our correspondent learnt that the Biotechnology players, moved to rescue the referee and a fight broke out. In the ensuing melee, stones and wood were freely used by the students.

    John, who denied attacking the referee, was overpowered by some Biotechnology students and was almost beaten to a pulp before a Man O’ War official, rescued him.

    The NASS Director of Sports, Ismael Abudu, was also mobbed. He was accused by students to have allegedly compromised the referee. But Ishmael denied the allegation in a telephone conversation with our correspondent.

    On the same day, another clash broke out in Prince and Princess Hostel in Ihiagwa community.

    Fans of Chelsea and Benfica football clubs went violent after Benfica lost in the Europa Cup final.

    Chigozie Anumudu, a resident, told CAMPUSLIFE: “About 80 per cent of occupants are Chelsea fans. The rest support other European clubs. Chelsea supporters contributed money and organised a party, fans of other clubs joined. When the students came back from where they went to watch the match, they were disturbing others, who were reading. This led to a fight in the hostel and everybody was afraid.”

    To mark Chelsea’s victory, Jude Agbasi, a student, feted all students, who came to watch the match at Kenfloor Kitchen and Viewing Centre in Umuchima, Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo State.

    Jude was said to have spent over N70, 000 on drinks and food bought in the restaurant.

    To reciprocate the gesture, Manchester United (Man U) fans promised to entertain Jude if their club won its match against West Brom United last Sunday.

    The game ended in a 5-5 draw. Though, Man U won the English Premier League (EPL) but the draw did not go down well with the club’s fans, who had promised to reciprocate Jude’s gesture.

    Angered by the development, Jude was said to have engaged some Man U fans in a fight at the viewing centre. The quick intervention of security operatives and natives of the community calmed the situation.

    Ken Nwankwo, manager of the viewing centre and owner of Kenfloor Kitchen, described the incident as unfortunate, saying the disagreement would have turned to “total disorder.”

    “I was so excited when my club won,” Jude, who is studying Landscape Architecture, told CAMPUSLIFE, adding: “I planned travelling to Onitsha last Sunday to see my parents but I decided to stay back and watch the match because I wanted Chelsea to win. After the match, I wanted to travel but the Man U fans, who I bought drinks for, pleaded that I should wait till Sunday for them to entertain me. I had to call my parents that something came up in school and they believed me. My stay was a waste.”

    Students, who spoke to CAMPUSLIFE, condemned the fanaticism of some students over the round leather game.

    Ifeany Nwaiwu, a Computer Science student, said: “The manner with which people watch football matches nowadays makes me to hate the game. I would rather die playing it than go to watch it. I was almost attacked with a broken bottle when a fanatic thought I was supporting Chelsea.

    “Why should people go to that extreme because of European clubs that do not even know if we exist?”

    Emmanuel Okereke, another student, said: “In a world that is full of sadness and bad news, football has been the medicine to cure our miseries. But while I will not condemn anyone for supporting football clubs, I rather hate the fanaticism with which many of these guys go with it. We don’t need to fight. Football is supposed to unite us and not divide us.”

    “Most people supporting teams and squandering their tuition on celebrating their teams’ victory are not serious. They don’t know they are wasting away gradually. With the level they are engaging themselves in clashes now, only God can save these fanatics. It shows football is getting dangerous,” Daniel Nwankwo, 300-Level Transport Management Technology, said.

    Jonathan Unaegbu, 400-Level Chemistry, said: “I don’t like football at all. The reason is that I see it as a waste of time. I gain nothing from it. I would rather sit in my house and watch a nice documentary than be involved an unproductive venture.”

  • Why we missed African Beach Soccer Tourney -Akor, Ibenegbu

    Why we missed African Beach Soccer Tourney -Akor, Ibenegbu

    The duo of Heartland’s Akor Isah Umoru and Ikechukwu Ibenegbu who were both conspicuously missing in the list of 12 players invited by Beach Soccer head coach, Audu Adamu for the African Beach Soccer Championship in Morocco have given reasons for their non-inclusion.

    Akor in a chat with SportingLife after the Naze Millionaires’ nail-biting 1-0 home win over ABS of Ilorin in a NPFL Week 13 encounter stated that he didn’t honour the invitation due to personal reasons which he does not want to make public. Ibenegbu who has been an integral member of the Beach Eagles attributed his omission to a knee injury that could be aggravated at the competition. Both players featured for their Owerri based club for the duration of their Week 13 contest.

    According to Akor:” I didn’t go because of personal reasons.”

    While Ibenegbu explained:” I am nursing a knee complaint and if feature at the Beach Soccer competition which demands more intensity than the normal football, the injury will get serious than it is presently.”

    Nigeria representatives popularly dubbed the Supersand Eagles are the current second best team on the continent having lost in the final to Senegal two years ago but the team got to the quarter final of the World Cup before losing narrowly to Brazil after a brilliant outing.

  • SOCCER BUFFS HAIL EMENIKE’S $50,000 REWARD

    SOCCER BUFFS HAIL EMENIKE’S $50,000 REWARD

    NIGERIA soccer buffs have hailed the gesture by Africa Cup of Nations star, Emmanuel Emenike’s offer to award his colleagues 50,000 dollars (N7.9m) if they defeat the Harambee Stars of Kenya in their June 6 World Cup qualifier.

    They acknowledged the move as a worthy manner of motivating the players, even with his absence from the squad.

    Emenike has been sidelined by injury.

    Some have described his offer as a “motivational therapy’. They reasoned that Nigeria’s qualification could hasten Emenike’s recovery.

    Some also said that Emenike’s offer was similar to the likes of some African soccer greats like Cameroon’s Samuel Eto Fils, George Opone Weah of Liberia and Seydou Keita of Mali who have motivated their colleagues before major competitions.

    Christian Chukwu, a former Super Eagles coach, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the offer showed how player regarded the qualification of the team for the World Cup.

    “It is a very good gesture; if other people can emulate him, we will be better off and have a stronger team. Although he is injured, we pray for him to get better before the match, which will be a good incentive to motivate the players’’.

    Iroha, an ex-International, said that Emenike had proved that he had a heart of gold, to support the boys even in his absence.

    “I appreciate him for that. It is not easy to pull such a stunt. I wish the team well. I know that the team will miss him on the field but they should work with one mind and with that, they will make a

    success of the qualifier,’’ he said.

    Ndubuisi Nduka, Head Coach of Heartland FC of Owerri, described Emenike’s gesture as an expression of `patriotism’.

    “The young man is one who is emotionally attached to his country and will want to contribute to the glory of his fatherland as he has shown by that offer. That goes to show that his mind is with the team, whether on or off the pitch. It’s a sort of internal motivation for the team, coming from one of them,” Nduka said.

    Chinedu Efugh, Captain of Heartland, said that it was a good sign of oneness in the team.

    “A good team is one that is made up of inputs from all the departments. The fact that he is not going to be with the team notwithstanding, his contribution will go a long way to spur it to victory,” he said.

    Mutiu Adepoju, an ex Super Eagles player, said for a player to offer that kind of amount showed that he was interested in the team’s victory.

    “If he can offer that, then it means he is capable of doing it,’’ he said.

    Former coach of the Super Falcons, Paul Hamilton, said it was a superb encouragement .

    “I am astonished at the way he (Emenike) took charge and told his teammates to help him to win, to qualify for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. I pray that they (Eagles) remain focused on the field of play’’.

    Joe Erico, a former Eagles trainer, also commended Emenike, saying , he was up to the task. I believe words of encouragement would give his team mates the desired push to go all out.

    “Even when it won’t be an easy one for them, but I am positive that the results will be fair enough,’’ added the former goalkeeper trainer.

    Erico noted: “The team needs more of such encouragement from football administrators and fans alike.

    “The team needs more of our support. We should always have this positive mindset when it comes to football, because it is what brings us together,” he added.

  • FIFA opens bidding process for five competitions in 2016 and 2017

    FIFA opens bidding process for five competitions in 2016 and 2017

    The Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) on Wednesday opened the bidding process for five competitions in 2016 and 2017 to its 209 member associations.

    In a statement on the federation’s website, invited the member associations to submit a declaration of interest latest by May 15.

    According to the statement, the competitions to bid for include the FIFA U-20 and U-17 Women’s World Cups in 2016 and the FIFA U-20 and U-17 World Cups in 2017.

    Also available for the biding is the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in 2017.

    It added that the deadline was to enable it to provide the complete Bid Book by Nov. 15, for the final host decision to be taken at the FIFA Executive Committee meeting in December.

    “The bidding timeline for these competitions requires the member associations that wish to host these events to submit a declaration of interest by May 15.

    “The deadline to provide the hosting agreement with the complete Bid Book is Nov. 15, for the final decision on the hosts.

    “The decision will be taken at the FIFA Executive Committee meeting to be held in December.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the last U-17 Women’s World Cup was hosted by Azerbaijan, while the U-20 competition was hosted by Japan.

    United Arab Emirates will host the 2013 edition of the U-17 Men’s World Cup in October, while Turkey will host the 2013 edition of the U-20 Men’s World Cup in June.

    The 2013 edition of the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup will hold in Tahiti in September.