Christian Madu "Gaboo" has Passed on....

[Enugu II]

Legendary Enugu Rangers' midfielder, Christian "Gaboo" Madu, passed on early this morning. Madu had been hospitalized for a while.

As some of you know, Madu is one of the greatest dribblers to have played at the top level in both Ghana and Nigeria. He was signed by Rangers in the mid-1970s after he mesmerized Rangers in a continental cup clash when he was playing for Accra Great Olympics.

Farewell to the great one and May His Soul Rest in Peace.

[Cmoke]

Yes a true legend.

Saw him dribble a bunch of iicc players at the national stadium.

CCC lamented about how Rangers promised heaven and earth to get madu to move from Accra only for the promises to remain unkept.

Rip true talent . Glad to have seen u play!

[mcal]

...oh my, not again. We are getting old

[1naija]

RIP. I remember that name.

[ukwala]

Oh noo! Christian Madu, the great dribbler and penalty taker of the all conquering Enugu Rangers team of the 70's. I don't think it was Rangers that brought him back from Ghana, he first signed for Alyufsalam Rocks of Ilorin and was snatched from them by Rangers.
May his soul rest in eternal bliss.

[Chief Ogbunigwe]

RIP....we heard stories about his PK skills.

[Enugu II]

Oh noo! Christian Madu, the great dribbler and penalty taker of the all conquering Enugu Rangers team of the 70's. I don't think it was Rangers that brought him back from Ghana, he first signed for Alyufsalam Rocks of Ilorin and was snatched from them by Rangers.
May his soul rest in eternal bliss.

KPOM.

[Gotti]

RIP...
Legend has it that dude never missed a PK.

[Cally]

Rest in peace.

[maceo4]

RIP!

[oloye]

One of my favourite players of all time. The only one in the Rangers of old who i must say tried to play football when power play was the order of the day. Although he is called Madu, but he could have been called Appiah or Acquah for all i care because his skills were supreme....silky like those Ghanaians who tormented and assaulted us on the field in the 70s.

RIP Christian Madu!

[Odas]

Both Sabastine Ofurum and Earnest Okonkwu (Nigeria's best two sport commentators) always had beautiful things to say about Mr. Madu whenever he is on the field.

RIP to the the GREAT one!

[goldenera94]

RIP Madu

[platinum]

wow. RIP.

[bazzwella]

RIP, Gaboo. What you saw him do in Nigeria was when we considered him finished. He could take on the whole field, he made football lovely. He was a great artist on the ball, and yes, he never missed a penalty! He actually gambled with it. He took bets against the best keepers that he will take 10 penalties and score all, and he scored all 10. I watched him play and without any fear of contradiction, I say he was better than Messi, and I am not joking.
RIP Gabooo.

[Chief Ogbunigwe]

RIP...
Legend has it that dude never missed a PK.

that's what we heard...

[bully12]

May his soul rest in peace. I was always wondering how come Father Tiko never invited him to Green eagles?

[cic old boy]

He was ill for a while. Thanks Christian for the memories. I think he never missed a pen as a footballer.

[chendosplastic]

Goodnight to a true baller. May your soul rest in peace.

[balo]

RIP. We are fast losing our soccer heroes.

[oloye]

May his soul rest in peace. I was always wondering how come Father Tiko never invited him to Green eagles?

Not quite true, he was in the camp, but a younger Muda stood in his way. If you want to know how good Muda was this is one of the pointers because Madu was a beast in his own rights.

[Obong]

RIP...
Legend has it that dude never missed a PK.

R.I.P The great Christian Madu. Your legendary penalty-taking and mesmerizing dribbling skills will forever be remembered.

[Gotti]

May his soul rest in peace. I was always wondering how come Father Tiko never invited him to Green eagles?

Not quite true, he was in the camp, but a younger Muda stood in his way. If you want to know how good Muda was this is one of the pointers because Madu was a beast in his own rights.

Xtian Madu made his Eagles' debut in friendly against Sierra Leone in Lagos...
And was by most spectators' (and commentators') consensus the best player on the field.

It was therefore a shocker when Father Tiko hurled him off at halftime of that game and never capped him (nor even called him up) again. Most of the press and fans had expected that Father Tiko would accommodate both Madu and Muda in the Eagles' starting XI by fielding Madu at the No. 10 position (which by then had been vacated by the irrepressible Haruna Illerika) and Muda at the No. 4 role. Unfortunately for Madu, Father Tiko who was a disciple of the old European game of speed and athleticism publicly contended that Madu (whom he had actually only capped following much pressure by the Nigerian press) had lost his speed, was slow and thus disruptive of the Eagles' play.

Father Tiko thereafter instead installed Godwin Iwelumo in the Eagles' No. 10 role, and when Iwelumo absconded to the US, Father Tiko committed the fatal error of converting then Rangers' (and later Spartans') CD the recently-deceased Kelechi "Caterpillar" Emetoele into a midfielder and installed him in the No. 10 role. IMHO, that singular inexplicable move (Emetoele turned out a plodding and heavy-footed midfielder) and the fielding of Sam Ojebode against the speedy Tunisians (instead of Felix Owolabi) cost the Eagles' what could have been a memorable maiden WC finals appearance.