Andrew Uwe, what did he do wrong

[Enugu II]

I am simply seeking clarification. For me there is not much difference btw throwing bread at or simply taunting with bread as both acts can leading to the type of reception that Nigeria received later in Addis. I was hoping that there is actual evidence to claim that none of the two actually happened and that the Ethiopian media simply generated hostility by creating a crazy story. Hopefully, there is someone who was there to verify these matters.

I still do not believe either happened, but hopefully I can track down Hard Man (or someone else)..
The problem with such stories is that once told, they assume a life of their own and presumed veracity.

True word. Stories can be manufactured by a zealous press. Hopefully, someone can share what the real truth is.

[Chief Ogbunigwe]

I just wanted to know if there had been taunting over the bread issue. I thought you had witnessed it. I am simply seeking clarification. For me there is not much difference btw throwing bread at or simply taunting with bread as both acts can leading to the type of reception that Nigeria received later in Addis. I was hoping that there is actual evidence to claim that none of the two actually happened and that the Ethiopian media simply generated hostility by creating a crazy story. Hopefully, there is someone who was there to verify these matters.

Prof:

I hear you. No, I also read about their beating our players, including (not sure if our NFA Chair was present/attacked) our Ambassador/High Commissioner (purportedly hit by his own local security detail). Our papers also reported that Andrew Uwe ran to their FA chairman for protection, but he reportedly struck Uwe with his umbrella. Disgracefully, (according to our Naija journos), the Ethiopian journalists were the ones leading the agitation

Like Gotti said, the bread stories emerged and took on a life. Older CEs who had been watching games at the Stadia in those days should step up and tell what they saw. I have never seen/heard anyone with first-hand knowledge declare that it happened.

[FATHER TIKO]

I just wanted to know if there had been taunting over the bread issue. I thought you had witnessed it. I am simply seeking clarification. For me there is not much difference btw throwing bread at or simply taunting with bread as both acts can leading to the type of reception that Nigeria received later in Addis. I was hoping that there is actual evidence to claim that none of the two actually happened and that the Ethiopian media simply generated hostility by creating a crazy story. Hopefully, there is someone who was there to verify these matters.

Prof:

I hear you. No, I also read about their beating our players, including (not sure if our NFA Chair was present/attacked) our Ambassador/High Commissioner (purportedly hit by his own local security detail). Our papers also reported that Andrew Uwe ran to their FA chairman for protection, but he reportedly struck Uwe with his umbrella. Disgracefully, (according to our Naija journos), the Ethiopian journalists were the ones leading the agitation

Like Gotti said, the bread stories emerged and took on a life. Older CEs who had been watching games at the Stadia in those days should step up and tell what they saw. I have never seen/heard anyone with first-hand knowledge declare that it happened.

I was offline the entire weekend and just saw this thread...

I was at the stadium (Costain End) that Saturday afternoon, and can confirm that there was no incident of orchestrated "bread-baiting" of the Ethiopians...

I say this with the logic that any form of orchestrated baiting (or banter) would have been evident to any one observant fan anywhere in the stands; even in the midst of the over 30,000 fans in attendance...I saw nothing...

However, that is not to completely refute any isolated incidents of "bread-baiting" in that crowd; it's eminently possible that some of those incidents occurred in that fan-section close to the players-tunnel; within proximity of the Ethiopian players emerging/departing the pitch...

The reprisal attacks in Addis-Ababa seemed like a response to an orchestrated "bread-baiting" by Nigerian fans in Lagos...

To the best of my knowledge, that kind of "bread-baiting" never happened....

[Goldleaf]

Andrew Uwe; great player, tall, defender, giant of a man, great smile, never appeared to be ruffled under pressure and enjoyed adulation from fans of Leventis. Captained the U20 that beat Ethiopia 2-0 in Sportscity in '84 when fans threw bread at ethiopian fans to taunt that country of the drought that led Bob Geldof to join other superstars to release the smash hit "We are the world". In the return leg in Addis Ababa, captain Andrew Uwe was to suffer serious beating at the hands of bloodthirsty ethiopian fans seeking revenge for the Lagos humiliation. Uwe hid with other players in the dressing room for hours while the fans bayed to kill them and returned to Lagos with a huge plaster on his skull. Hugely likeable and but for Keshi and Eboigbe would have sealed his place in the SE back 4.

Can folks quit propagating this FOLKLORE - it NEVER happened...
Unfortunately, our lads got beat up in Addis because of this idle gossip.

Gotti,

It happened. The match was televised live on NTA Sports. Monday Odiaka scored the first goal turning a defender in the box and with the keeper on his knees, Odiaka blasted the shot. I believe Igbinavbaro or Ene Okon (sorry, fuzzy memory) scored the 2nd. I can never forget the first goal because Odiaka was on fire then and his mercilessness one-on-one with a gk on his knees was a lesson for me as an amateur striker. The commentators spoke of the fans throwing bread on the field at the ethiopians and it was laughed off there and then, only for it to bite us back in Addis Ababa.

As someone suggested, it will be great if someone can get the account from Andrew Uwe. Uwe gave a full account of his scary debacle in Addis Ababa to the media (at a point he believed he was going to lose his life!) and I remember reading his account in full in the Daily Times.

[FATHER TIKO]

Bigpokey, is it possible to get Uwe to appear on this forum. I mean if such a man that was able to single handily useless Weah Opang can appear and share his experiences on this forum...that would be priceless. If nothing else we can put-to-bed this whole bread throwing saga.

My guy, you dey over-hype Uwe o...Uwe try, but he didn't "useless" Weah at-all at-all o..

Saw the Iwuanyanwu v Tonnerre Kalala game live in 1988...

My first sighting of the phenom Oppong-Weah was to prove portentous (I told fellow eye-witnesses at Dan Anyiam Stadium that the player was going to be a star)

The player seemed like a sleeker, pacier, brawnier incarnation of pre-African Sports-Rashidi Yekini (Yekini's fame was already building)...
If 1988 Yekini was "gangling" this Tonnerre Number 14 (that was Weah's jersey number) was "frightening"...

The aha moment was the 10th min; game was still a bit of sizing up by both teams; then came this pass by Tonnerre from deep to their lanky frontman...
Hemmed in by Uwe & Eke, Weah shuffled the ball to gain barely an inch of space, and without a back-lift, hammered the ball from 25 yards.
Ansah stood rooted as the shot cannoned off the foot of his left upright (that post is still vibrating to this day ). The stadium gasped.

From then on, every time Tonnerre midfield sought their frontman, the stadium groaned...
And Weah was to keep the home crowd praying throughout the 90 mins...

And to confirm his prowess, he scored twice in the return leg in Yaounde even though Tonnerre lost 2-3 and Iwuanyanwu progressed...

Uwe pocket Weah in 1988? For where..! When Weah gave many of us nightmares...!!

[Damunk]

On balance, I doubt it happened.
Apart from Oloye's account, I am struggling to understand what bread would be doing in the stadium.
Bread was never known to be popular 'stadium' food - at least not in the National Stadium - so how would dozens or even hundreds of fans be carrying loaves of bread at a football match?
Abi dem charter am?
Sounds unlikely to me.

[oloye]

On balance, I doubt it happened.
Apart from Oloye's account, I am struggling to understand what bread would be doing in the stadium.
Bread was never known to be popular 'stadium' food, so how would dozens or even hundreds of fans be carrying loaves of bread at a football match?
Abi dem charter am?
Sounds unlikely to me.

Well of you have mischief makers, agege bread will not be short in supply.

[Damunk]

On balance, I doubt it happened.
Apart from Oloye's account, I am struggling to understand what bread would be doing in the stadium.
Bread was never known to be popular 'stadium' food, so how would dozens or even hundreds of fans be carrying loaves of bread at a football match?
Abi dem charter am?
Sounds unlikely to me.

Well of you have mischief makers, agege bread will not be short in supply.

Yep, true. But that sounds premeditated.
I no think say Lagos fans get that kine time....

[anikulapo]

I just wanted to know if there had been taunting over the bread issue. I thought you had witnessed it. I am simply seeking clarification. For me there is not much difference btw throwing bread at or simply taunting with bread as both acts can leading to the type of reception that Nigeria received later in Addis. I was hoping that there is actual evidence to claim that none of the two actually happened and that the Ethiopian media simply generated hostility by creating a crazy story. Hopefully, there is someone who was there to verify these matters.

Prof:

I hear you. No, I also read about their beating our players, including (not sure if our NFA Chair was present/attacked) our Ambassador/High Commissioner (purportedly hit by his own local security detail). Our papers also reported that Andrew Uwe ran to their FA chairman for protection, but he reportedly struck Uwe with his umbrella. Disgracefully, (according to our Naija journos), the Ethiopian journalists were the ones leading the agitation

Like Gotti said, the bread stories emerged and took on a life. Older CEs who had been watching games at the Stadia in those days should step up and tell what they saw. I have never seen/heard anyone with first-hand knowledge declare that it happened.

I was offline the entire weekend and just saw this thread...

I was at the stadium (Costain End) that Saturday afternoon, and can confirm that there was no incident of orchestrated "bread-baiting" of the Ethiopians...

I say this with the logic that any form of orchestrated baiting (or banter) would have been evident to any one observant fan anywhere in the stands; even in the midst of the over 30,000 fans in attendance...I saw nothing...

However, that is not to completely refute any isolated incidents of "bread-baiting" in that crowd; it's eminently possible that some of those incidents occurred in that fan-section close to the players-tunnel; within proximity of the Ethiopian players emerging/departing the pitch...

The reprisal attacks in Addis-Ababa seemed like a response to an orchestrated "bread-baiting" by Nigerian fans in Lagos...

To the best of my knowledge, that kind of "bread-baiting" never happened....

If happened ... they were throwing small loaves of bread and pieces of bread at athe Ethiopians ... it was Lagos style banter in full effect nevertheless no one expected the reprisals that occurred in Addis Ababa ... those flying eagles were lucky to survive .

I remember Kingsley “mature” Onye playing his next game still sporting a bandage over his eye from the beating he received

[anikulapo]

On balance, I doubt it happened.
Apart from Oloye's account, I am struggling to understand what bread would be doing in the stadium.
Bread was never known to be popular 'stadium' food - at least not in the National Stadium - so how would dozens or even hundreds of fans be carrying loaves of bread at a football match?
Abi dem charter am?
Sounds unlikely to me.

If happened. True Lagos boys know the tori...

[heavyd]

On balance, I doubt it happened.
Apart from Oloye's account, I am struggling to understand what bread would be doing in the stadium.
Bread was never known to be popular 'stadium' food - at least not in the National Stadium - so how would dozens or even hundreds of fans be carrying loaves of bread at a football match?
Abi dem charter am?
Sounds unlikely to me.

Like you I doubt it could be Orchestrated to that extent, however one or two people may have had some loaves and could have thought it was funny.
Ayo's account of fans offering the players bread by the team bus also seems feasible as I have been amongst fans at that spot many times taunting the opposing team after losing albeit never with loaves of bread

[rafflick]

I am simply seeking clarification. For me there is not much difference btw throwing bread at or simply taunting with bread as both acts can leading to the type of reception that Nigeria received later in Addis. I was hoping that there is actual evidence to claim that none of the two actually happened and that the Ethiopian media simply generated hostility by creating a crazy story. Hopefully, there is someone who was there to verify these matters.

I still do not believe either happened, but hopefully I can track down Hard Man (or someone else)..
The problem with such stories is that once told, they assume a life of their own and presumed veracity.

According to my "sauces", the taunting happened but the throwing of bread did not. I was not at the stadium but I remember the beating and it was said was because of the "abuse" about the drought. My "sauce", one of the former traveling support for the SE and "UP Super" currently living in Chicago.

[ANC]

Bigpokey, is it possible to get Uwe to appear on this forum. I mean if such a man that was able to single handily useless Weah Opang can appear and share his experiences on this forum...that would be priceless. If nothing else we can put-to-bed this whole bread throwing saga.

My guy, you dey over-hype Uwe o...Uwe try, but he didn't "useless" Weah at-all at-all o..

Saw the Iwuanyanwu v Tonnerre Kalala game live in 1988...

My first sighting of the phenom Oppong-Weah was to prove portentous (I told fellow eye-witnesses at Dan Anyiam Stadium that the player was going to be a star)

The player seemed like a sleeker, pacier, brawnier incarnation of pre-African Sports-Rashidi Yekini (Yekini's fame was already building)...
If 1988 Yekini was "gangling" this Tonnerre Number 14 (that was Weah's jersey number) was "frightening"...

The aha moment was the 10th min; game was still a bit of sizing up by both teams; then came this pass by Tonnerre from deep to their lanky frontman...
Hemmed in by Uwe & Eke, Weah shuffled the ball to gain barely an inch of space, and without a back-lift, hammered the ball from 25 yards.
Ansah stood rooted as the shot cannoned off the foot of his left upright (that post is still vibrating to this day ). The stadium gasped.

From then on, every time Tonnerre midfield sought their frontman, the stadium groaned...
And Weah was to keep the home crowd praying throughout the 90 mins...

And to confirm his prowess, he scored twice in the return leg in Yaounde even though Tonnerre lost 2-3 and Iwuanyanwu progressed...

Uwe pocket Weah in 1988? For where..! When Weah gave many of us nightmares...!!

You sabi tell stories o. Weah Opong was pure and simple amazing but he was useless-ed in the match, except for that one shot he took.

[folem]

I am simply seeking clarification. For me there is not much difference btw throwing bread at or simply taunting with bread as both acts can leading to the type of reception that Nigeria received later in Addis. I was hoping that there is actual evidence to claim that none of the two actually happened and that the Ethiopian media simply generated hostility by creating a crazy story. Hopefully, there is someone who was there to verify these matters.

I still do not believe either happened, but hopefully I can track down Hard Man (or someone else)..
The problem with such stories is that once told, they assume a life of their own and presumed veracity.

According to my "sauces", the taunting happened but the throwing of bread did not. I was not at the stadium but I remember the beating and it was said was because of the "abuse" about the drought. My "sauce", one of the former traveling support for the SE and "UP Super" currently living in Chicago.

It wasn't just drought, there was famine in Ethiopia at the time.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1983–1985 ... n_Ethiopia

[ANC]

On balance, I doubt it happened.
Apart from Oloye's account, I am struggling to understand what bread would be doing in the stadium.
Bread was never known to be popular 'stadium' food - at least not in the National Stadium - so how would dozens or even hundreds of fans be carrying loaves of bread at a football match?
Abi dem charter am?
Sounds unlikely to me.

Doc the same thing was done to Kanu in his early playing days because he was so skinny.

[anikulapo]

It’s clear say many small pikins or Okongwu’s with fading memories fill this site....

This is actually no news. It clearly happened and was even reported in the papers.

It’s clearly not Nigeria’s best day but neither was the horrific attack on the flying eagles in the aftermath of the game

It’s funny I still remember taking a cab to the airport in Toronto and asking the Ethiopian cab driver about this event .... think it was in 2001 ... and the guy remembered it vividly and was stunningly unapologetic I reminded him that a relative of mine was on that team and was injured but he could care less.

Needless to say he didn’t get a good tip

[Gotti]

I was offline the entire weekend and just saw this thread...

I was at the stadium (Costain End) that Saturday afternoon, and can confirm that there was no incident of orchestrated "bread-baiting" of the Ethiopians...

I say this with the logic that any form of orchestrated baiting (or banter) would have been evident to any one observant fan anywhere in the stands; even in the midst of the over 30,000 fans in attendance...I saw nothing...

However, that is not to completely refute any isolated incidents of "bread-baiting" in that crowd; it's eminently possible that some of those incidents occurred in that fan-section close to the players-tunnel; within proximity of the Ethiopian players emerging/departing the pitch...

The reprisal attacks in Addis-Ababa seemed like a response to an orchestrated "bread-baiting" by Nigerian fans in Lagos...

To the best of my knowledge, that kind of "bread-baiting" never happened....

Thanks for clearing that up...

[Gotti]

Gotti,

It happened. The match was televised live on NTA Sports. Monday Odiaka scored the first goal turning a defender in the box and with the keeper on his knees, Odiaka blasted the shot. I believe Igbinavbaro or Ene Okon (sorry, fuzzy memory) scored the 2nd. I can never forget the first goal because Odiaka was on fire then and his mercilessness one-on-one with a gk on his knees was a lesson for me as an amateur striker. The commentators spoke of the fans throwing bread on the field at the ethiopians and it was laughed off there and then, only for it to bite us back in Addis Ababa.

As someone suggested, it will be great if someone can get the account from Andrew Uwe. Uwe gave a full account of his scary debacle in Addis Ababa to the media (at a point he believed he was going to lose his life!) and I remember reading his account in full in the Daily Times.

Bros, if it happened during a televised game you would not need the commentators to tell you...
Unfortunately, Ethiopians were likely watching the same telecast and leapt to the same conclusions.

[Ayo Akinfe]

I think the Ethiopians over-reacted as it was a well known fact that they were suffering from a terrible drought. Since when was giving bread to the needy as nasty thing?

[ANC]

I think the Ethiopians over-reacted as it was a well known fact that they were suffering from a terrible drought. Since when was giving bread to the needy as nasty thing?