Re: Coach Paul Hamilton reported dead.
Posted: Sat Apr 01, 2017 2:19 am
RIP
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What a wonderful tribute from Isiguzo. Oloye, the guy is right that Hamilton could speak Igbo. His career started with Onitsha whom he represented in the Challenge Cup before being recruited by ECN Lagos, I believe. I spent significant time with him at the National Stadium Surulere as I was writing a book. He spoke on the women NT and then about the 1968 Olympics where fondly told the story of his team mate Joe Aghoghovia (Police) who apparently could take violent shots and scored a hat trick or perhaps 4 goals in the walloping of Thailand during a preparatory game before the 1968 Olympics.oloye wrote:The Wonder Man Goes Home...
The passing of Coach Paul Hamilton is saddening. He died in bits, a leg was amputated to save him. He died. I wonder what passed his mind as he withered.
In Nigeria, fame is inadequate to cater for you. Patriotism is a myth. The pioneer coach of Nigeria's female football team in 1991, after the failed bid for a 1990 World Cup, Hamilton was unsung in his dying days.
A thorough look at the books would place him among the many coaches the Nigeria Football Association used, dumped, and refused to pay their entitlement. He served Nigeria, Nigeria shunned him.
On the night of 12 August 1989, I drove in a daze from the National Stadium to the mortuary of the General Hospital, Lagos, cutting through Apapa to the Durbar Hotel, in Festac, as it was known then to meet coach Hamilton in tears - Sam Okwaraji was dead. I knew more than two hours earlier, but I wanted to get as many sides of that story as possible.
Beside Hamilton was a meal he ordered, obviously before he heard, it was untouched. I didn't say a word to him, it was not a day for words. I saw enough to enter another confirmation to a sad day.
Weeks after, the determination to beat Cameroon was shattered in the most bizarre manner, not on the pitch. Hamilton was told Clemence Westerhof was the new coach.
I rode in the same bus with a nervous Westerhof who pelted drums of the supporters club to calm his nerves. It was a tense drive from L'Hotel de Meridien to the Stade d' Omnisport, where the Eagles lost.
When I ask Hamilton what happened, he told me, "Dianyi nmuo ereghi ihe enyere ya." Loosely translated, the spirit rejected our offering, our best wasn't good enough. His fluency in Igbo was first grade, some of his years were in Onitsha.
Many would not know that Hamilton was a key player, he scored, in the 1968 Olympic team that terrorised Brazil to a 3-3 draw in the tasking altitude of Mexico. Nigeria led 3-0 in the first half.
At what would have been a historic recap of the event, 20 years on, Nigeria was paired against Brazil at the Seoul Olympics in 1988. I had done a preview predicting a possible repeat.
You can only imagine the anticipations when the first half ended goalless. Mexico was on my mind, a win was even possible. Some of our foreign colleagues were lining up for our perspectives to the story. I was waving a story around Nigeria at the Olympian apex, apogee, peak, zenith.
In the next 45 minutes, Brazil made the score 4-0. The biggest story in the international media was how Nigerian journalists wanted to beat up Manfred Horner, the German coach who superintended the smashing of the Eagles.
Adieu Wonder Boy, generations of top Nigerian players owe their career to you. One of them Emeka Ezeugo has paid a tribute that many others owe you.
The Wonder Boy, the Wonder Man, goes home leaving us to ponder and wonder why our football is in a wander.
By Ikeddy Isiguzo.
Violent shots like Thunder BalogunEnugu II wrote:What a wonderful tribute from Isiguzo. Oloye, the guy is right that Hamilton could speak Igbo. His career started with Onitsha whom he represented in the Challenge Cup before being recruited by ECN Lagos, I believe. I spent significant time with him at the National Stadium Surulere as I was writing a book. He spoke on the women NT and then about the 1968 Olympics where fondly told the story of his team mate Joe Aghoghovia (Police) who apparently could take violent shots and scored a hat trick or perhaps 4 goals in the walloping of Thailand during a preparatory game before the 1968 Olympics.oloye wrote:The Wonder Man Goes Home...
The passing of Coach Paul Hamilton is saddening. He died in bits, a leg was amputated to save him. He died. I wonder what passed his mind as he withered.
In Nigeria, fame is inadequate to cater for you. Patriotism is a myth. The pioneer coach of Nigeria's female football team in 1991, after the failed bid for a 1990 World Cup, Hamilton was unsung in his dying days.
A thorough look at the books would place him among the many coaches the Nigeria Football Association used, dumped, and refused to pay their entitlement. He served Nigeria, Nigeria shunned him.
On the night of 12 August 1989, I drove in a daze from the National Stadium to the mortuary of the General Hospital, Lagos, cutting through Apapa to the Durbar Hotel, in Festac, as it was known then to meet coach Hamilton in tears - Sam Okwaraji was dead. I knew more than two hours earlier, but I wanted to get as many sides of that story as possible.
Beside Hamilton was a meal he ordered, obviously before he heard, it was untouched. I didn't say a word to him, it was not a day for words. I saw enough to enter another confirmation to a sad day.
Weeks after, the determination to beat Cameroon was shattered in the most bizarre manner, not on the pitch. Hamilton was told Clemence Westerhof was the new coach.
I rode in the same bus with a nervous Westerhof who pelted drums of the supporters club to calm his nerves. It was a tense drive from L'Hotel de Meridien to the Stade d' Omnisport, where the Eagles lost.
When I ask Hamilton what happened, he told me, "Dianyi nmuo ereghi ihe enyere ya." Loosely translated, the spirit rejected our offering, our best wasn't good enough. His fluency in Igbo was first grade, some of his years were in Onitsha.
Many would not know that Hamilton was a key player, he scored, in the 1968 Olympic team that terrorised Brazil to a 3-3 draw in the tasking altitude of Mexico. Nigeria led 3-0 in the first half.
At what would have been a historic recap of the event, 20 years on, Nigeria was paired against Brazil at the Seoul Olympics in 1988. I had done a preview predicting a possible repeat.
You can only imagine the anticipations when the first half ended goalless. Mexico was on my mind, a win was even possible. Some of our foreign colleagues were lining up for our perspectives to the story. I was waving a story around Nigeria at the Olympian apex, apogee, peak, zenith.
In the next 45 minutes, Brazil made the score 4-0. The biggest story in the international media was how Nigerian journalists wanted to beat up Manfred Horner, the German coach who superintended the smashing of the Eagles.
Adieu Wonder Boy, generations of top Nigerian players owe their career to you. One of them Emeka Ezeugo has paid a tribute that many others owe you.
The Wonder Boy, the Wonder Man, goes home leaving us to ponder and wonder why our football is in a wander.
By Ikeddy Isiguzo.
oloye wrote:Violent shots like Thunder BalogunEnugu II wrote:What a wonderful tribute from Isiguzo. Oloye, the guy is right that Hamilton could speak Igbo. His career started with Onitsha whom he represented in the Challenge Cup before being recruited by ECN Lagos, I believe. I spent significant time with him at the National Stadium Surulere as I was writing a book. He spoke on the women NT and then about the 1968 Olympics where fondly told the story of his team mate Joe Aghoghovia (Police) who apparently could take violent shots and scored a hat trick or perhaps 4 goals in the walloping of Thailand during a preparatory game before the 1968 Olympics.oloye wrote:The Wonder Man Goes Home...
The passing of Coach Paul Hamilton is saddening. He died in bits, a leg was amputated to save him. He died. I wonder what passed his mind as he withered.
In Nigeria, fame is inadequate to cater for you. Patriotism is a myth. The pioneer coach of Nigeria's female football team in 1991, after the failed bid for a 1990 World Cup, Hamilton was unsung in his dying days.
A thorough look at the books would place him among the many coaches the Nigeria Football Association used, dumped, and refused to pay their entitlement. He served Nigeria, Nigeria shunned him.
On the night of 12 August 1989, I drove in a daze from the National Stadium to the mortuary of the General Hospital, Lagos, cutting through Apapa to the Durbar Hotel, in Festac, as it was known then to meet coach Hamilton in tears - Sam Okwaraji was dead. I knew more than two hours earlier, but I wanted to get as many sides of that story as possible.
Beside Hamilton was a meal he ordered, obviously before he heard, it was untouched. I didn't say a word to him, it was not a day for words. I saw enough to enter another confirmation to a sad day.
Weeks after, the determination to beat Cameroon was shattered in the most bizarre manner, not on the pitch. Hamilton was told Clemence Westerhof was the new coach.
I rode in the same bus with a nervous Westerhof who pelted drums of the supporters club to calm his nerves. It was a tense drive from L'Hotel de Meridien to the Stade d' Omnisport, where the Eagles lost.
When I ask Hamilton what happened, he told me, "Dianyi nmuo ereghi ihe enyere ya." Loosely translated, the spirit rejected our offering, our best wasn't good enough. His fluency in Igbo was first grade, some of his years were in Onitsha.
Many would not know that Hamilton was a key player, he scored, in the 1968 Olympic team that terrorised Brazil to a 3-3 draw in the tasking altitude of Mexico. Nigeria led 3-0 in the first half.
At what would have been a historic recap of the event, 20 years on, Nigeria was paired against Brazil at the Seoul Olympics in 1988. I had done a preview predicting a possible repeat.
You can only imagine the anticipations when the first half ended goalless. Mexico was on my mind, a win was even possible. Some of our foreign colleagues were lining up for our perspectives to the story. I was waving a story around Nigeria at the Olympian apex, apogee, peak, zenith.
In the next 45 minutes, Brazil made the score 4-0. The biggest story in the international media was how Nigerian journalists wanted to beat up Manfred Horner, the German coach who superintended the smashing of the Eagles.
Adieu Wonder Boy, generations of top Nigerian players owe their career to you. One of them Emeka Ezeugo has paid a tribute that many others owe you.
The Wonder Boy, the Wonder Man, goes home leaving us to ponder and wonder why our football is in a wander.
By Ikeddy Isiguzo.