The Senior Citizens of Nigerian League (Active Players).
Posted: Thu Jul 13, 2017 8:04 pm
NPFL's senior citizens (1)
Published on Tuesday, 11 July 2017 09:40
Hits: 542
By Clement Nwankpa Jr
The Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) is replete with experienced players. Players who have lit up the stage for over a decade now but are still around to guide the younger ones.
In difference to their age and sometimes in a show of love, the younger players are known to have created several sobriquets in place of the real names of their long serving colleagues. It is common to hear some being hailed ‘Senior man’, ‘Big boss’, ‘Egbon’ for those in the South west area and in the South east, you hear ‘nnukwu mmadu’ and such other names.
Some are still competing favourably with the younger players while others could be said to be on the exit lounge. How much longer can these players hang in there? In this two parts serial, we chronicle these NPFL 'senior citizens'.
ISIAKA OLAWALE (EL-KANEMI)
Olawale has seen it all in the NPFL. The midfield craftsman has traversed the length and breadth of the nation in a career that has seen him play in the elite league for about 15 years. His former employers include Dolphins, Lobi, Kwara United and Enyimba. Currently at ElKanemi, the Sand Eagles captain has shown no signs of slowing down. He had some stint with the Super Eagles in 2007 during Berti Vogts' tenure.
ROTIMI SUNDAY (RIVERS UNITED)
This is the father of them all, arguably the oldest player in the league. In an NPFL career that spans almost two decades, Rotimi made his Super Eagles debut in an AFCON qualifier against Namibia in Windhoek in 2001 when he substituted injured keeper, Austin Ejide. His consistency between the sticks over the years is commendable. Noteworthy is that he is still first choice at Rivers United where he was largely instrumental to their second place finish last season. He buttresses the saying that in goalkeeping, old wines taste better.
CHINEDU EFUGH (ABIA WARRIORS)
Chicago had his formative years in Jos but he had most of his one decade NPFL stint in the east filing out for Oriental heavyweights Rangers and Heartland before pitching his tent with Abia Warriors. It was at Heartland, where he rose to the position of captain, that he established himself as one of the standout central defenders in the league. He led Heartland to back-to-back Federation Cup victories in 2011/12. He quit the club when the Naze millionaires were relegated at the end of last season and has been getting his fair share of game at Warriors.
EMMANUEL OLOWO (PLATEAU UNITED)
Babao, is one of the most experienced around. He has found playing time restricted at table toppers, Plateau but he has been a major source of inspiration to the younger players at the club. Olowo is part of the famed twin tower at the heart of Heartland defense as they lost to TP Mazembe in the 2009 Champions League final. His selling point is his tough, uncompromising stance which makes him a nightmare for defenders. He is finding it hard these days to cope with the pace of the modern game but at his peak he was such a colossus. After staying six seasons at Heartland, he has now changed clubs each season since 2014.
JOHN GAADI (PLATEAU UNITED)
In one of Plateau's home games, this writer had seen Gaadi sitting beside Olowo on the bench and had jokingly asked the duo; "are you people doing elders council meeting?". They laughed it off. But after Rotimi, Gaadi is easily the most experienced keeper in the league. He was involved during the golden era of Enyimba in 2007. The big keeper was such a soothing presence between the sticks. These days, he has found it hard upstaging the younger, in-form Dele Ajiboye but surely, there's a lot Dele could learn from him. His list of former employers include Gombe United, Heartland, Sunshine, Akwa United, Sharks, Abia Warriors and Lobi.
DAVID TYAVKASE (LOBI)
It is amazing to still see Tyavkase sustain a starting place at Lobi. The playmaker is still his old incisive self with the probing runs and penetrating passes just as the long range canons, his major selling point, are still intact. All these, 14 years after he helped Enyimba win that maiden Champions League title. His current form is a testament to his longevity. When asked the secret of his staying ability in the game, he had replied; "live and let live. One day at a time". He is very much at home in his native Makurdi and has the dream of helping return Lobi to the continent. He had brief stints with Mangasports and US Bitam in Gabon in 2015.
OKEY ODITA (RANGERS)
Okey will go down in history as captain of the Rangers squad that broke a 32 year jinx by winning the NPFL. But even then, it was obvious he was struggling with the pace of today's game. Who wouldn't be? One can't cheat nature. He has been around for a while. His guidance however sufficed as the Flying Antelopes won the title against the odds. This term, though, he has found game time more difficult as the coaches opt for the younger defenders. One thing that can't be taken away from Okey, though, is that he has managed to remain competitive till now. It won't be a surprise if he calls it a day soon, on active football. Some of his contemporaries are now playing veterans football (All Stars). His solitary cap for the Super Eagles came in 2004.
THANKGOD IKE (SUNSHINE STARS)
Thankgod was Olowo's partner in that famed Heartland twin defensive tower that lost the 2009 Champions League final by the odd goal. For the past one decade, he has been a mainstay in the domestic scene with stints at Heartland, Warri Wolves and Enyimba. For a player used to fighting for the title, he is currently in an unfamiliar terrain battling relegation with Sunshine. One hopes his experience will suffice to help the team avoid the drop. It is still amazing, though, to note that despite having seen and done it all, he is still driven by the passion to play regularly. He recently revealed that he quit Enyimba for Sunshine because he desires to play regularly. Nothing lasts forever...Back in the days, Ike could stroll into any club's starting 11.
CHINEDU UDOJI (KANO PILLARS)
While Liverpool legend Steven Gerard brought the sobriquet 'Captain Fantastic' to global acclaim, the usage in the domestic scene is traced more to Udoji. Enyimba won many battles with him wearing the captain's band. And there were many moments he surged forward to score late goals and secured vital points for the People's Elephant. One such moment was in the 2015/16 home fixture between Enyimba and Lobi stars. Lobi led 2-1 and with just four minutes separating them and a famous away victory, Udoji surged forward and nodded in the equaliser. He moved to Pillars this season where he has maintained a starting place. The hard-as-nail defender who could also play in holding midfield, was part of NPFL All Stars team to Spain last year. He recently marked his 10th year in the NPFL, but it just seems he has been around 'forever'.
http://www.npfl.ng/index.php/news-featu ... citizens-1
Published on Tuesday, 11 July 2017 09:40
Hits: 542
By Clement Nwankpa Jr
The Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) is replete with experienced players. Players who have lit up the stage for over a decade now but are still around to guide the younger ones.
In difference to their age and sometimes in a show of love, the younger players are known to have created several sobriquets in place of the real names of their long serving colleagues. It is common to hear some being hailed ‘Senior man’, ‘Big boss’, ‘Egbon’ for those in the South west area and in the South east, you hear ‘nnukwu mmadu’ and such other names.
Some are still competing favourably with the younger players while others could be said to be on the exit lounge. How much longer can these players hang in there? In this two parts serial, we chronicle these NPFL 'senior citizens'.
ISIAKA OLAWALE (EL-KANEMI)
Olawale has seen it all in the NPFL. The midfield craftsman has traversed the length and breadth of the nation in a career that has seen him play in the elite league for about 15 years. His former employers include Dolphins, Lobi, Kwara United and Enyimba. Currently at ElKanemi, the Sand Eagles captain has shown no signs of slowing down. He had some stint with the Super Eagles in 2007 during Berti Vogts' tenure.
ROTIMI SUNDAY (RIVERS UNITED)
This is the father of them all, arguably the oldest player in the league. In an NPFL career that spans almost two decades, Rotimi made his Super Eagles debut in an AFCON qualifier against Namibia in Windhoek in 2001 when he substituted injured keeper, Austin Ejide. His consistency between the sticks over the years is commendable. Noteworthy is that he is still first choice at Rivers United where he was largely instrumental to their second place finish last season. He buttresses the saying that in goalkeeping, old wines taste better.
CHINEDU EFUGH (ABIA WARRIORS)
Chicago had his formative years in Jos but he had most of his one decade NPFL stint in the east filing out for Oriental heavyweights Rangers and Heartland before pitching his tent with Abia Warriors. It was at Heartland, where he rose to the position of captain, that he established himself as one of the standout central defenders in the league. He led Heartland to back-to-back Federation Cup victories in 2011/12. He quit the club when the Naze millionaires were relegated at the end of last season and has been getting his fair share of game at Warriors.
EMMANUEL OLOWO (PLATEAU UNITED)
Babao, is one of the most experienced around. He has found playing time restricted at table toppers, Plateau but he has been a major source of inspiration to the younger players at the club. Olowo is part of the famed twin tower at the heart of Heartland defense as they lost to TP Mazembe in the 2009 Champions League final. His selling point is his tough, uncompromising stance which makes him a nightmare for defenders. He is finding it hard these days to cope with the pace of the modern game but at his peak he was such a colossus. After staying six seasons at Heartland, he has now changed clubs each season since 2014.
JOHN GAADI (PLATEAU UNITED)
In one of Plateau's home games, this writer had seen Gaadi sitting beside Olowo on the bench and had jokingly asked the duo; "are you people doing elders council meeting?". They laughed it off. But after Rotimi, Gaadi is easily the most experienced keeper in the league. He was involved during the golden era of Enyimba in 2007. The big keeper was such a soothing presence between the sticks. These days, he has found it hard upstaging the younger, in-form Dele Ajiboye but surely, there's a lot Dele could learn from him. His list of former employers include Gombe United, Heartland, Sunshine, Akwa United, Sharks, Abia Warriors and Lobi.
DAVID TYAVKASE (LOBI)
It is amazing to still see Tyavkase sustain a starting place at Lobi. The playmaker is still his old incisive self with the probing runs and penetrating passes just as the long range canons, his major selling point, are still intact. All these, 14 years after he helped Enyimba win that maiden Champions League title. His current form is a testament to his longevity. When asked the secret of his staying ability in the game, he had replied; "live and let live. One day at a time". He is very much at home in his native Makurdi and has the dream of helping return Lobi to the continent. He had brief stints with Mangasports and US Bitam in Gabon in 2015.
OKEY ODITA (RANGERS)
Okey will go down in history as captain of the Rangers squad that broke a 32 year jinx by winning the NPFL. But even then, it was obvious he was struggling with the pace of today's game. Who wouldn't be? One can't cheat nature. He has been around for a while. His guidance however sufficed as the Flying Antelopes won the title against the odds. This term, though, he has found game time more difficult as the coaches opt for the younger defenders. One thing that can't be taken away from Okey, though, is that he has managed to remain competitive till now. It won't be a surprise if he calls it a day soon, on active football. Some of his contemporaries are now playing veterans football (All Stars). His solitary cap for the Super Eagles came in 2004.
THANKGOD IKE (SUNSHINE STARS)
Thankgod was Olowo's partner in that famed Heartland twin defensive tower that lost the 2009 Champions League final by the odd goal. For the past one decade, he has been a mainstay in the domestic scene with stints at Heartland, Warri Wolves and Enyimba. For a player used to fighting for the title, he is currently in an unfamiliar terrain battling relegation with Sunshine. One hopes his experience will suffice to help the team avoid the drop. It is still amazing, though, to note that despite having seen and done it all, he is still driven by the passion to play regularly. He recently revealed that he quit Enyimba for Sunshine because he desires to play regularly. Nothing lasts forever...Back in the days, Ike could stroll into any club's starting 11.
CHINEDU UDOJI (KANO PILLARS)
While Liverpool legend Steven Gerard brought the sobriquet 'Captain Fantastic' to global acclaim, the usage in the domestic scene is traced more to Udoji. Enyimba won many battles with him wearing the captain's band. And there were many moments he surged forward to score late goals and secured vital points for the People's Elephant. One such moment was in the 2015/16 home fixture between Enyimba and Lobi stars. Lobi led 2-1 and with just four minutes separating them and a famous away victory, Udoji surged forward and nodded in the equaliser. He moved to Pillars this season where he has maintained a starting place. The hard-as-nail defender who could also play in holding midfield, was part of NPFL All Stars team to Spain last year. He recently marked his 10th year in the NPFL, but it just seems he has been around 'forever'.
http://www.npfl.ng/index.php/news-featu ... citizens-1