Cybereagles

4 of the fastest Enugu Rangers players in a sprint relay against the Nigerian national relay team. Who do you think won?

Rangers legend Sam "404" Onyeaka tells the story.
https://www.naijiant.com/sports/the-day ... -own-game/

Seeing the picture of Onyeaka in that post brought back memories of my old days at National Stadium, Lagos. Never missed any Eagles' or Rangers' encounter at the stadium. It is a shame everything about Nigeria has gone down the drain.

a little leg walk might yield videos or even still photos

Emmanuel Merenini, Charles Adimora, Emeka Onyedika

HMMMMM, SOUNDS LIKE A TALL TALE


How come no one thought of drafting the Rangers' players (or some of them) to take the place of the Olympians? The explanation that they chose to focus on football instead of track is hard to believe - they could easily have gone to the Olympics and returned to football and lost nothing. Those Olympians, even if they didn't win any medals, were elite runners. What then does that make the players? How did opponents keep up with them on the football field? And no one knew of them before this race?
Bell

CIC,
I'm not sure Sam Onyeaka was faster than a prime Emeka Onyedika...

Sam Onyeaka 'arrived' at Rangers 1975(?)...by then Emeka Onyedika had been 'slowed' by a nagging hamstring issue...

This tale by Onyeaka apparently happened during the hamstring-plagued years of Emeka Onyedika...

1973-74 was prime Emeka Onyedika (Renaissance newspaper sportswriters aptly dubbed him "404 Touchline Wizard")

I remember my dad often lamenting: "Major problem with Onyedika is he runs faster than the ball.."

Mods, please move to soul to soul forum if we don't have tales by moonlight forum.

FATHER TIKO wrote:CIC,
I'm not sure Sam Onyeaka was faster than a prime Emeka Onyedika...

Sam Onyeaka 'arrived' at Rangers 1975(?)...by then Emeka Onyedika had been 'slowed' by a nagging hamstring issue...

This tale by Onyeaka apparently happened during the hamstring-plagued years of Emeka Onyedika...

1973-74 was prime Emeka Onyedika (Renaissance newspaper sportswriters aptly dubbed him "404 Touchline Wizard")

I remember my dad often lamenting: "Major problem with Onyedika is he runs faster than the ball.."

...Emeka Onyedika, the real 'outside right' player of the days. His grass cutter shots was of legend

Bell wrote:HMMMMM, SOUNDS LIKE A TALL TALE


How come no one thought of drafting the Rangers' players (or some of them) to take the place of the Olympians? The explanation that they chose to focus on football instead of track is hard to believe - they could easily have gone to the Olympics and returned to football and lost nothing. Those Olympians, even if they didn't win any medals, were elite runners. What then does that make the players? How did opponents keep up with them on the football field? And no one knew of them before this race?
Bell

I have been told that Charles "Wagner" Adimora has confirmed the story after it was posted on the ex Rangers Whatsapp group. He also said: "Just to keep the record straight. Sam Onyeaka is not faster than Wagner, quote me".

I doubt anyone would have left football in those days for track, even temporarily. Track athletes were considered inferior to footballers all the way from secondary school.

FATHER TIKO wrote:CIC,
I'm not sure Sam Onyeaka was faster than a prime Emeka Onyedika...

Sam Onyeaka 'arrived' at Rangers 1975(?)...by then Emeka Onyedika had been 'slowed' by a nagging hamstring issue...

This tale by Onyeaka apparently happened during the hamstring-plagued years of Emeka Onyedika...

1973-74 was prime Emeka Onyedika (Renaissance newspaper sportswriters aptly dubbed him "404 Touchline Wizard")

I remember my dad often lamenting: "Major problem with Onyedika is he runs faster than the ball.."

Tiko, you could be right. My memories of Onyedika were from the injury years. I think it was Sam Onyeaka that we knew as running faster than the ball. I also asked him to settle the debate Rangers fans used to have about whether Onyedika (pre-injury) was better than Segun Odegbami. Onyeaka said "Owusu" Onyedika was better, faster and more skillful. I still find it hard to believe.

cic old boy wrote:

FATHER TIKO wrote:CIC,
I'm not sure Sam Onyeaka was faster than a prime Emeka Onyedika...

Sam Onyeaka 'arrived' at Rangers 1975(?)...by then Emeka Onyedika had been 'slowed' by a nagging hamstring issue...

This tale by Onyeaka apparently happened during the hamstring-plagued years of Emeka Onyedika...

1973-74 was prime Emeka Onyedika (Renaissance newspaper sportswriters aptly dubbed him "404 Touchline Wizard")

I remember my dad often lamenting: "Major problem with Onyedika is he runs faster than the ball.."

Tiko, you could be right. My memories of Onyedika were from the injury years. I think it was Sam Onyeaka that we knew as running faster than the ball. I also asked him to settle the debate Rangers fans used to have about whether Onyedika (pre-injury) was better than Segun Odegbami. Onyeaka said "Owusu" Onyedika was better, faster and more skillful. I still find it hard to believe.

Onyeaka is probably showing an understandable bias for Onyedika...
Onyedika was undeniably faster than Odegbami (with or without the ball)
...Onyedika's speed on the ball made him an absolute nightmare as a wide player...

However, for all-round ability...Odegbami edges it for me (and I watched both in their prime)...

Onyedika was a pre-cursor to Odegbami in the GEagles...He looked to have absolutely pocketed the #7 shirt before his hamstring issues began to take their toll...And then Odegbami came along...

Might have been interesting to witness the battle between the two wingers if Onyedika had not succumbed to injury crisis...

Let me sweet the belle of yeye Rangers people small

African Cup of Champions Clubs Quarter-Final (2nd Leg): Rangers 2-1 Green Buffalos F.C. | Sept. 1975

[/video]

Saturday, September 27th 1975.

Footage of Nigerian team Enugu Rangers defeating Green Buffalos of Zambia 2-1 in the second leg of a quarter-final match of the African Cup of Champions Clubs tournament.

Rangers came from a goal down and went through to the semi-final having drawn 2-2 with their Zambian opponents two weeks earlier in Lusaka.

The first goal of the match came in the 70th minute of the second half courtesy of the Buffalos skipper Lonesome Katiwa, who capitalised on a defensive error by Rangers captain, Christian Chukwu. But right-winger, Emeka Onyedika scored the equaliser a few minutes later. Foster Ikeagwu made it 2-1 in the 81st minute.

Footage: Reuters News Archive.

YemiBrazil wrote:Let me sweet the belle of yeye Rangers people small

African Cup of Champions Clubs Quarter-Final (2nd Leg): Rangers 2-1 Green Buffalos F.C. | Sept. 1975

[/video]

Saturday, September 27th 1975.

Footage of Nigerian team Enugu Rangers defeating Green Buffalos of Zambia 2-1 in the second leg of a quarter-final match of the African Cup of Champions Clubs tournament.

Rangers came from a goal down and went through to the semi-final having drawn 2-2 with their Zambian opponents two weeks earlier in Lusaka.

The first goal of the match came in the 70th minute of the second half courtesy of the Buffalos skipper Lonesome Katiwa, who capitalised on a defensive error by Rangers captain, Christian Chukwu. But right-winger, Emeka Onyedika scored the equaliser a few minutes later. Foster Ikeagwu made it 2-1 in the 81st minute.

Footage: Reuters News Archive.

Your best post ever on this forum

Damn, you guys are good. What a nice thread - all round. Impressive, thx guys!

Rangers did have their moments. However, they had their disasters too.

Bell wrote:HMMMMM, SOUNDS LIKE A TALL TALE


How come no one thought of drafting the Rangers' players (or some of them) to take the place of the Olympians? The explanation that they chose to focus on football instead of track is hard to believe - they could easily have gone to the Olympics and returned to football and lost nothing. Those Olympians, even if they didn't win any medals, were elite runners. What then does that make the players? How did opponents keep up with them on the football field? And no one knew of them before this race?
Bell

Bell, it is not uncommon for athletes from different disciplines to engage in impromptu and unofficial sparring sessions. It is important to note that the names of members of the so-called track team were not mentioned. More than likely, they were random picks from a training group so it’s a bit of a stretch to claim that Rangers players beat the national track team.

Having said all that, I want to assert, as I have on a previous occasion, that Sunday Izebvighie is the best athlete that ever played football for the national team. This isn’t mere speculation. He was amongst the best sprinters and jumpers in Nigerian track and field history. Indeed, he was the first Nigerian known to have jumped 50 feet and better in the triple jump. In addition, he jumped over 26 feet in the long jump and in 1971, he recorded a personal best of 10.3 seconds in the 100 meter dash


Cheers.

Bell wrote:HMMMMM, SOUNDS LIKE A TALL TALE


How come no one thought of drafting the Rangers' players (or some of them) to take the place of the Olympians? The explanation that they chose to focus on football instead of track is hard to believe - they could easily have gone to the Olympics and returned to football and lost nothing. Those Olympians, even if they didn't win any medals, were elite runners. What then does that make the players? How did opponents keep up with them on the football field? And no one knew of them before this race?
Bell

Not sure which year this was supposed to have happened but Nigeria won the Gold medal in the 1973 All-Africa Games 4X100m men, beating Ghana to silver.
Ghana meanwhile won the Gold in the 100m men and both Gold & Silver in the 200m men, so they were no slouches.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athletics ... rica_Games

YemiBrazil wrote:Let me sweet the belle of yeye Rangers people small

African Cup of Champions Clubs Quarter-Final (2nd Leg): Rangers 2-1 Green Buffalos F.C. | Sept. 1975

[/video]

Saturday, September 27th 1975.

Footage of Nigerian team Enugu Rangers defeating Green Buffalos of Zambia 2-1 in the second leg of a quarter-final match of the African Cup of Champions Clubs tournament.

Rangers came from a goal down and went through to the semi-final having drawn 2-2 with their Zambian opponents two weeks earlier in Lusaka.

The first goal of the match came in the 70th minute of the second half courtesy of the Buffalos skipper Lonesome Katiwa, who capitalised on a defensive error by Rangers captain, Christian Chukwu. But right-winger, Emeka Onyedika scored the equaliser a few minutes later. Foster Ikeagwu made it 2-1 in the 81st minute.

Footage: Reuters News Archive.

Until you post Ranger vs Bendel Insurance match for the Final of Challenge Cup at National Stadium, Lagos, 1978/79, I will give you 90% for now.

Igugu wrote:

YemiBrazil wrote:Let me sweet the belle of yeye Rangers people small

African Cup of Champions Clubs Quarter-Final (2nd Leg): Rangers 2-1 Green Buffalos F.C. | Sept. 1975

[/video]

Saturday, September 27th 1975.

Footage of Nigerian team Enugu Rangers defeating Green Buffalos of Zambia 2-1 in the second leg of a quarter-final match of the African Cup of Champions Clubs tournament.

Rangers came from a goal down and went through to the semi-final having drawn 2-2 with their Zambian opponents two weeks earlier in Lusaka.

The first goal of the match came in the 70th minute of the second half courtesy of the Buffalos skipper Lonesome Katiwa, who capitalised on a defensive error by Rangers captain, Christian Chukwu. But right-winger, Emeka Onyedika scored the equaliser a few minutes later. Foster Ikeagwu made it 2-1 in the 81st minute.

Footage: Reuters News Archive.

Until you post Ranger vs Bendel Insurance match for the Final of Challenge Cup at National Stadium, Lagos, 1978/79, I will give you 90% for now.

cic old boy wrote:

Bell wrote:HMMMMM, SOUNDS LIKE A TALL TALE


How come no one thought of drafting the Rangers' players (or some of them) to take the place of the Olympians? The explanation that they chose to focus on football instead of track is hard to believe - they could easily have gone to the Olympics and returned to football and lost nothing. Those Olympians, even if they didn't win any medals, were elite runners. What then does that make the players? How did opponents keep up with them on the football field? And no one knew of them before this race?
Bell

I have been told that Charles "Wagner" Adimora has confirmed the story after it was posted on the ex Rangers Whatsapp group. He also said: "Just to keep the record straight. Sam Onyeaka is not faster than Wagner, quote me".

I doubt anyone would have left football in those days for track, even temporarily. Track athletes were considered inferior to footballers all the way from secondary school.

Cic old boy,

But isn't Emma Merenini on that forum? He should be able to confirm or deny that story. I do not know what to make of the story but only to state that all those footballers were super fast but beating sprinters is at another level oo! If they did it, then it would have been something to behold.

BTW, Sam has stories to tell. Some are absolutely fascinating. I had interviewed him once and he told about police dogs being paid more than players during his playing days (match day fee for dogs v match bonus). I did the story for a Nigerian newspaper. I was surprised afterwards when the story became widely circulated without due acknowledgment.

Igugu wrote:

YemiBrazil wrote:Let me sweet the belle of yeye Rangers people small

African Cup of Champions Clubs Quarter-Final (2nd Leg): Rangers 2-1 Green Buffalos F.C. | Sept. 1975

[/video]

Saturday, September 27th 1975.

Footage of Nigerian team Enugu Rangers defeating Green Buffalos of Zambia 2-1 in the second leg of a quarter-final match of the African Cup of Champions Clubs tournament.

Rangers came from a goal down and went through to the semi-final having drawn 2-2 with their Zambian opponents two weeks earlier in Lusaka.

The first goal of the match came in the 70th minute of the second half courtesy of the Buffalos skipper Lonesome Katiwa, who capitalised on a defensive error by Rangers captain, Christian Chukwu. But right-winger, Emeka Onyedika scored the equaliser a few minutes later. Foster Ikeagwu made it 2-1 in the 81st minute.

Footage: Reuters News Archive.

Until you post Ranger vs Bendel Insurance match for the Final of Challenge Cup at National Stadium, Lagos, 1978/79, I will give you 90% for now.

Yeah, I remember that one. Wasn't the score 3-0, or 2-0, Bendel Insurance? Rangers were totally shocked

Damunk wrote:Not sure which year this was supposed to have happened but Nigeria won the Gold medal in the 1973 All-Africa Games 4X100m men, beating Ghana to silver.
Ghana meanwhile won the Gold in the 100m men and both Gold & Silver in the 200m men, so they were no slouches.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athletics ... rica_Games

I think it happened b/w 1975 and 1977. Sam Onyeaka joined Rangers around 75 and the other ex-Rangers player who was gisting with us in Seattle, Donald "Stone" Igwebuike, wasn't with Rangers when it happened. He left CIC in 1977 straight to Rangers.