Godwin Ogbueze - Old School Cybers

[zee]

Ogbueze (pronounced Oh-boy-zee)

Oh dear!

Guys, the story I heard was that it wasn't injury that ruined Ogbueze's potential, but he was more interested in chasing the chicas.

Definitely heard this same story. Some claimed Dan Anyim deliberately ruined his career afterhe joined Rangers because he became extremely arrogant going after every beautifully chick in Enugu

I grew up with this story.
My elder bros use to say that Ogbueze tells the ball what to do.

[TonyTheTigerKiller]

Ogbueze (pronounced Oh-boy-zee)

Oh dear!

Guys, the story I heard was that it wasn't injury that ruined Ogbueze's potential, but he was more interested in chasing the chicas.

Definitely heard this same story. Some claimed Dan Anyim deliberately ruined his career afterhe joined Rangers because he became extremely arrogant going after every beautifully chick in Enugu

I grew up with this story.
My elder bros use to say that Ogbueze tells the ball what to do.

It might sound incredible and ridiculous but ask the 1972 Lagos State academicals how Ogbueze, almost single-handedly, handed them their behinds


Cheers.

[oloye]

Moses "Mogambo" Nweke

I fetched water for him in Form 1 at Govt College Umuahia. I was also freinds with his younger brother from our days at St Nicholas Port Harcourt. What a player.

So you were Ogbueze's water carrier aka water boy, you do well. You have to do anything to mix with the stars, it was a noble job in dem days, you get to boast to others that you know the star.

[megapro]

Moses "Mogambo" Nweke

I fetched water for him in Form 1 at Govt College Umuahia. I was also freinds with his younger brother from our days at St Nicholas Port Harcourt. What a player.

So you were Ogbueze's water carrier aka water boy, you do well. You have to do anything to mix with the stars, it was a noble job in dem days, you get to boast to others that you know the star.

Mogombo, he is referring to not Ogbueze.
Many nigerians over 45 have a lot of regards for Ogbueze who must have underachieved given his talents.
E11, how many full national team caps does 'The Tailor' have in your records?

[Thunder]

Ogbueze (pronounced Oh-boy-zee)

Oh dear!

Guys, the story I heard was that it wasn't injury that ruined Ogbueze's potential, but he was more interested in chasing the chicas.

Definitely heard this same story. Some claimed Dan Anyim deliberately ruined his career afterhe joined Rangers because he became extremely arrogant going after every beautifully chick in Enugu

I grew up with this story.
My elder bros use to say that Ogbueze tells the ball what to do.

It might sound incredible and ridiculous but ask the 1972 Lagos State academicals how Ogbueze, almost single-handedly, handed them their behinds


Cheers.

Indeed, he did! That was the game where the term "Eko For Show", was coined. But truth be told, I never knew what became of him, football-wise, until he left for the shores of the States. He was quite elegant on the ball.

[Gotti]

txj:

I do not think the disagreement is whether he was injured. The disagreement is whether injury was what prevented his top performance in Rangers. Note that Ogbueze was in Rangers for four (4) years. He joined the club in 1972 along with Ilodigwe, Ezeani, Chukwu, Onyedika (from MEDRECS), Okorigwe (from Vasco) and Ngadi (from MOW) among others and did not leave till 1975! He played in the second league game in his first year (v Bendel) which Rangers won 2-1 and had his best scoring game for the club with a hat trick v Wunti (5-0) the same year. Notably, Ilodigwe did not start until much later in a friendly v Kairat FC of Russia where both he and Ogbueze scored in a 2-1 win. By the league in 1973, Ogbueze was no longer a starter in all games. For instance in the league loss to Vasco (1-2), he played as a sub for Adimachukwu and did not play at all in the second game (1-1). More telling was the first National Sports Festival. I saw literally all the squad's training in Nsukka where the ECS team trained under Anyiam. Ogbueze was part of that squad and made the 20-person team to the festival. He had no injuries at the time. He was among Rangers players in the squad -- Okala, Mecha, J. Nwosu, Chukwu, Ezeani, L. Okpala, Nwobodo (cpt), Ilodigwe, Ogbueze, Onyedika, & Uwanaka. Note that his key competitor in Rangers -- Ikeagu (a rookie that year) was moved along with Tony Uzoka, Uzokwe, and Inno Nwankwo to the Intermediate squad. The key thing though was that Ogbueze was on the bench during those games while the likes of Ariri, Ilodigwe, and Nwadioha were playing. This was before Ogbueze's injury. By 1974, Ikeagu had become the team's starter. Ogbueze did return to the team in 1975 starting the replay of the FA Cup final v Vasco (2-1) but was replaced at halftime by Obianika.

Ogbueze was all that you described in terms of Sec School ball and perhaps more. In fact, I continue to say that one of the best still photos I have ever seen was one of him dribbling past two MWS academicals at Onikan. I begged Pat Ekeji for this photo to no avail. It is an incredible picture to see. However, Ogbueze was really a nonfactor as per Rangers in terms of considering the team's most impactful players.

Remains for me the best dribbler of the ball I have ever seen among Nigerian players. But my fav player of that era from STC Nsukka remains 'Tempest'....

EII,
You may want to check again; seem to remember Ogbueze getting injured and then leaving for the States...

EII:
You got all your facts right, except for the timing of Ogbueze's major injury...

Actually, when Ogbueze came back briefly into the Rangers line-up against Dundee Utd in Enugu, he was just coming off major knee surgery (his doctor was Dr. Onyemelukwe of UNTH, and I suspect that it was probably reconstructive knee injury). After that, even though he remained with Rangers for a few years thereafter, he was never quite a hundred percent (and even ran with a pseudo-limp).

[TonyTheTigerKiller]

EII:
You got all your facts right, except for the timing of Ogbueze's major injury...

Actually, when Ogbueze came back briefly into the Rangers line-up against Dundee Utd in Enugu, he was just coming off major knee surgery (his doctor was Dr. Onyemelukwe of UNTH, and I suspect that it was probably reconstructive knee injury). After that, even though he remained with Rangers for a few years thereafter, he was never quite a hundred percent (and even ran with a pseudo-limp).

For a guy recovering from knee surgery, he was quite spectacular against Dundee. That was the best I'd ever seen him play in a Rangers uniform. I recall that Dundee defenders resorted to body tackling as he effortlessly waded through their midst


Cheers.

[Enugu II]

Mega:


Who is "The Tailor"? Give him his real name and I would be able to check.

Moses "Mogambo" Nweke

I fetched water for him in Form 1 at Govt College Umuahia. I was also freinds with his younger brother from our days at St Nicholas Port Harcourt. What a player.

So you were Ogbueze's water carrier aka water boy, you do well. You have to do anything to mix with the stars, it was a noble job in dem days, you get to boast to others that you know the star.

Mogombo, he is referring to not Ogbueze.
Many nigerians over 45 have a lot of regards for Ogbueze who must have underachieved given his talents.
E11, how many full national team caps does 'The Tailor' have in your records?

[TonyTheTigerKiller]

The single most talented Nigerian soccer player ever. Most of Jay-Jay's moves are an adaptation of what Godwin Ogbueze, alias Pele, showed Nigerian fans in the 70's. Unfortunately, his career, just like Emeka Onyedika's, was cut short by injury.


Cheers.

You guys and your tales by the moonlight sef! Even Odegbami was a local Champion who only terrorized other amateur players like Christain Chukwu and other Nigerian players of that era but was often exposed as average againts semi pro players from Northern AFrica. Nigeria did not have credible talented players prior to 1994. To mention those 1970s and 1980s players in the same breath as recent super stars like Yobo, Mikel, Kanu, Yekini, Siasia, Amunike, Amokcahi, Ikedia etc is an insult.

Kai 1naija, I just saw your post. Your assertion that Nigeria did not have any credible talented players prior to 1994 is quite incorrect so, allow me to educate you.

Did you know that Nigeria had professionals in English football as far back as the late 50's and early 60's? The vast majority of our soccer players did not have the opportunity to play professionally thus were unable to develop their enormous potential to the fullest.

The one thing that really irks me is that some Nigerians tend to have very strong opinions about events they weren't privy to. Like I have said many times before, you had to have seen Ogbueze, alias Pele, play in order to understand why so many people swear by him. Ask the likes of Eyo, Amayo, Adinkwe, Okwufuleze and Izevbighie, to mention just a few, who had the privilege to play against him. They will confirm that the stories you've heard about Ogbueze, as surreal as they might have sounded, were no moonlight tales. Ogbueze earned the admiration of everyone who ever saw him play


Cheers.

[megapro]

Mega:


Who is "The Tailor"? Give him his real name and I would be able to check.

Moses "Mogambo" Nweke

I fetched water for him in Form 1 at Govt College Umuahia. I was also freinds with his younger brother from our days at St Nicholas Port Harcourt. What a player.

So you were Ogbueze's water carrier aka water boy, you do well. You have to do anything to mix with the stars, it was a noble job in dem days, you get to boast to others that you know the star.

Mogombo, he is referring to not Ogbueze.
Many nigerians over 45 have a lot of regards for Ogbueze who must have underachieved given his talents.
E11, how many full national team caps does 'The Tailor' have in your records?

Godwin Ogbueze

[Enugu II]

Megapro:

Ok. Actually he went by the alias "Pele" and not "The Tailor." Ogbueze was never invited to the national team (Green Eagles) and thus had no opportunity to earn a cap at that level. However, he captained Nigeria's Academicals of 1971 in the Nigerpools against Ghana and was a member of the same team in 1972 captained by Tunde Martins.

Mega:


Who is "The Tailor"? Give him his real name and I would be able to check.

Moses "Mogambo" Nweke

I fetched water for him in Form 1 at Govt College Umuahia. I was also freinds with his younger brother from our days at St Nicholas Port Harcourt. What a player.

So you were Ogbueze's water carrier aka water boy, you do well. You have to do anything to mix with the stars, it was a noble job in dem days, you get to boast to others that you know the star.

Mogombo, he is referring to not Ogbueze.
Many nigerians over 45 have a lot of regards for Ogbueze who must have underachieved given his talents.
E11, how many full national team caps does 'The Tailor' have in your records?

Godwin Ogbueze

[megapro]

Megapro:

Ok. Actually he went by the alias "Pele" and not "The Tailor." Ogbueze was never invited to the national team (Green Eagles) and thus had no opportunity to earn a cap at that level. However, he captained Nigeria's Academicals of 1971 in the Nigerpools against Ghana and was a member of the same team in 1972 captained by Tunde Martins.

Mega:


Who is "The Tailor"? Give him his real name and I would be able to check.

Moses "Mogambo" Nweke

I fetched water for him in Form 1 at Govt College Umuahia. I was also freinds with his younger brother from our days at St Nicholas Port Harcourt. What a player.

So you were Ogbueze's water carrier aka water boy, you do well. You have to do anything to mix with the stars, it was a noble job in dem days, you get to boast to others that you know the star.

Mogombo, he is referring to not Ogbueze.
Many nigerians over 45 have a lot of regards for Ogbueze who must have underachieved given his talents.
E11, how many full national team caps does 'The Tailor' have in your records?

Godwin Ogbueze

E2,

thanks.
I never saw him play and know his teammates got to the SE, and was wondering why someone without a cap could be considered the most gifted to come out of the land. I have read an article where one called him that nickname also.

[Enugu II]

Megapro:

To be frank, Ogbueze was an incredible talent at the secondary school level. What guys state here about the guy at that level is entirely true. He was that dominant both at the state and national levels. The only school player that could be considered close may be Johny Egbuonu and Haruna Ilerika. Unfortunately, Ogbueze did not translate that dominance at the next level and it was the mystery surrounding this inability that led to all kinds of explanations and deservedly so because it was a HUGE mystery considering his domination at the school level.

[Sir V]

Megapro:

To be frank, Ogbueze was an incredible talent at the secondary school level. What guys state here about the guy at that level is entirely true. He was that dominant both at the state and national levels. The only school player that could be considered close may be Johny Egbuonu and Haruna Ilerika. Unfortunately, Ogbueze did not translate that dominance at the next level and it was the mystery surrounding this inability that led to all kinds of explanations and deservedly so because it was a HUGE mystery considering his domination at the school level.

They talked about him in this article.

MY SIDE OF SPORT: Academicals Cup as wellspring of football talent

January 2, 2011 06:41AM
The Nigeria Academicals Cup, second only to the National Challenge Cup (now Federation Cup) for popularity and all other ingredients of big time football, was the wellspring of Nigeria’s best talent between 1965 and 1975 until the National Sports Festival football event and age-limited competitions snuffed life out of it.

It brimmed with talent, real talent who in a year or two after being part of a state or the national academicals graduated to big time football at football club level and the Green Eagles as the Super Eagles was then called.

In 1965 Sam Garba Okoye led his Jos teammates to the national team to take on Ghana Academicals. From St. Theresa’s Jos, came Peter Anieke, a 6ft plus lethal striker with Tony Igwe, a quality right back later to be nicknamed “World 2”. Segun Odegbami, later know as “Mathematical” was also to come out of St. Theresa’s later.

At the National team, Muyiwa Oshode, Sham-shudeen Olowoshode and Tunde Disu came from Ahmadiyya Secondary School in Lagos. The incredible goalkeeper Inua Rigogo came from a secondary school in Kano. I am not too sure what school Segun Olumodeji, the rock of Gibraltar at the heart of the defence came from, but I know he hailed from today’s Kogi State.

In my hurry to dish out this stuff to titillate football fans, I also could not wait to find out what school left-back Austin “Mazeli” Ofuokwu came from. What, however, is the critical point being made is that a bunch of school boys that beat their Ghanaian counterpart home and away in 1965 had two years later in 1967 had become the nucleus of Nigeria’s national team and actually played in the 1968 Olympic football event, holding mighty Brazil to a 3-3 draw in Mexico.

Complete with older and experienced internationals, Sam Opone, Sebastine Broadericks, Paul “Wonderboy” Hamilton, Mohammed Lawal, Peter Fregene, Duro Adigun etc, the Eagles stopped Ghana especially from humiliating us 6-0, 5-1 as their predecessors in the time of Fabian Duru used to suffer!

The 1965 Academicals team served the Green Eagles till 1972 when new blood, new talent pushed into the team but Tony Igwe and Austin Ofuokwu remained a while in the team. Peter Fregene and Peter Anieke were still good enough, but their somewhat rebellious nature made them unpopular with officials and selectors otherwise they could have made the All African Games football gold winning team in 1973.

A glut of talent

They gave way to less colourful but effective successors in Emmanuel Okala and Eyo Essien for Peter Fregene and

Sunny Oyarekhua, and Kenneth Olayombo for Peter Anieke.

Interestingly, a new set of academicals players had emerged again. Josiah Dombraye and Sunday Izevbigie from the Midwest (Bendel) Academicals of 1970 and 1971 respectively had moved up to the Green Eagles by 1972. Joining them from the East Central State Academicals of 1971 was Dominic Ezeani who walked straight into the central defence, displacing skipper Godwin Achebe and then pairing Victor Oduah as new skipper.

Haruna Ilerika the dribbling wizard of Zumraltu Ahmadiyya Secondary School had all the way created waves with his team-mate Tajudeen Ajagun. Had Ajagun gone to play for Stationery Stores FC like his more illustrious team-mate, Ilerika, he too would probably have stepped up to the Eagles.

At ECN, later NEPA Lagos, the politics of the game put him down the perking order for the striking roles which had Sunday Oyarekhua (Police Machine Team) Kenneth Olayombo (Lagos Garrison Organisation) Sunday Izevbigie and Sam Ikedi (Bendel Insurance).

Morton Owolo, a left back from Hussey College Warri claimed left back position in some matches too. Waiting in the wings to claim shirts were Academicals from the East-Central state after Dominic Ezeani broke into the Eagles, his team-mates, Patrick Ekeji, now Director-General National Sports Commission, Christian Chukwu, later Captain of the Green Eagles that won the African Cup of Nations for the first time in 1980, Kenneth Ilodigwe (alias Kendo), Obed Ariri (later Captain of Vasco Da Gama FC, Enugu, and Godwin Ogbueze arguably one of the most gifted centre-forwards Nigeria’s football has ever seen. There were other great talent in the East Central State team like Tony Uzoka, a left winger, Keeper Ahamefuna Umelo, Chukwuma Nwankwo and John Azinge.

And with other states throwing up quality talent like Clement Okwufuleze, Patrick De Adinkwe, Raphael Uwechie (a great keeper now a pilot), Patrick Ezeocha, all from the Midwest (Bendel), Salihu Tijani a terrific striker came from the North shooting with both feet and scoring spectacular goals.

From the West, goalkeeper Zion Ogunfemi had his hands full because Emmanuel Okala and Eyo Essien were not just going to quit. But Tunde Balogun, son of Teslim Balogun, the football legend, a great mid-fielder and wing player emerged too from the Western State Academicals team. Had he stayed a little longer he would have displaced Yakubu Mambo and Gideon Njoku from the right wing position in the Green Eagles.

That did not happen because Tunde Balogun joined another striker from the West- Yomi Bamiro (Shooting Stars), Sunday Izevbigie and Muyiwa Sanya (Bendel Insurance), Kenneth Ilodigwe and Dominic Ezeani (Enugu Rangers) and Ghana’s Sam Ayi Akwa (a left back) to proceed to Howard University on Scholarship.

One season later, Ben Popoola, Segun Adewale, Olumeko (a Keeper), Damian Ogunsuyi and Emmanuel Egede (alias Tailor) all from Bendel Insurance, Godwin Ogbueze and Damian Odoh (Enugu Rangers), Obed Ariri (Vasco Da Gama Enugu) all went to Clemson University in the United States on Scholarship.

From the Lagos axis we had Emilo John and Keeper Manuwa who had followed Ilerika to knock on the doors of the Green Eagles. So also did Keeper Marcelus Obinatu, Tunde Martins, Kwame Senaya, Tony Eyo, Tex Egbedi (now a top class Fashion and Trend Consultant/designer),

Isaac Annan, Fred Obadiaru, Bernard Mensah, Kehinde Oworu and Maxwell Yebrufra whose winning goal in a Lagos State Principal Cup match made front page headline in Nigeria’s leading daily newspaper at the time, Daily Times.

Adokiye Amiesimaka, fondly called Chief Justice and a former Attorney-General in Rivers State is a product of Academicals football and so was Thompson Usiyen, Nigeria’s best striker in my opinion. Such was the strength intensity, excitement, talent flow and attention-capture capacity of academicals football those days. It provided empowerment through well-paying jobs and scholarship to American Universities.

Academicals football, nay schools sports is it and there is the strong need to revive it because apart from being a veritable well-pool of talent for the Eagles, it reduces if not banishes entirely age-cheating while opening avenues for further education and scholarship schemes locally, as well as in America and Canada.

NEXT

[Sir V]

Emmanuel Egede(Alias Tailor) played for Bendel insurance in the early 70s.

Megapro:

Ok. Actually he went by the alias "Pele" and not "The Tailor." Ogbueze was never invited to the national team (Green Eagles) and thus had no opportunity to earn a cap at that level. However, he captained Nigeria's Academicals of 1971 in the Nigerpools against Ghana and was a member of the same team in 1972 captained by Tunde Martins.

Mega:


Who is "The Tailor"? Give him his real name and I would be able to check.

Moses "Mogambo" Nweke

I fetched water for him in Form 1 at Govt College Umuahia. I was also freinds with his younger brother from our days at St Nicholas Port Harcourt. What a player.

So you were Ogbueze's water carrier aka water boy, you do well. You have to do anything to mix with the stars, it was a noble job in dem days, you get to boast to others that you know the star.

Mogombo, he is referring to not Ogbueze.
Many nigerians over 45 have a lot of regards for Ogbueze who must have underachieved given his talents.
E11, how many full national team caps does 'The Tailor' have in your records?

Godwin Ogbueze

[Enugu II]

Sir V:

The articler takes one back memory lane, bros. Na wao! The writer is correct that the Academicals Cup (Manuwa/Adebajo) was the next big thing to the Challenge Cup in those days. Certainly, along list of names emerged from the Academicals going back to Egbuonu, Felix Adedeji, Ileka brothers, Asiodu, Niyi Omowon, etc.

Megapro:

To be frank, Ogbueze was an incredible talent at the secondary school level. What guys state here about the guy at that level is entirely true. He was that dominant both at the state and national levels. The only school player that could be considered close may be Johny Egbuonu and Haruna Ilerika. Unfortunately, Ogbueze did not translate that dominance at the next level and it was the mystery surrounding this inability that led to all kinds of explanations and deservedly so because it was a HUGE mystery considering his domination at the school level.

They talked about him in this article.

MY SIDE OF SPORT: Academicals Cup as wellspring of football talent

January 2, 2011 06:41AM
The Nigeria Academicals Cup, second only to the National Challenge Cup (now Federation Cup) for popularity and all other ingredients of big time football, was the wellspring of Nigeria’s best talent between 1965 and 1975 until the National Sports Festival football event and age-limited competitions snuffed life out of it.

It brimmed with talent, real talent who in a year or two after being part of a state or the national academicals graduated to big time football at football club level and the Green Eagles as the Super Eagles was then called.

In 1965 Sam Garba Okoye led his Jos teammates to the national team to take on Ghana Academicals. From St. Theresa’s Jos, came Peter Anieke, a 6ft plus lethal striker with Tony Igwe, a quality right back later to be nicknamed “World 2”. Segun Odegbami, later know as “Mathematical” was also to come out of St. Theresa’s later.

At the National team, Muyiwa Oshode, Sham-shudeen Olowoshode and Tunde Disu came from Ahmadiyya Secondary School in Lagos. The incredible goalkeeper Inua Rigogo came from a secondary school in Kano. I am not too sure what school Segun Olumodeji, the rock of Gibraltar at the heart of the defence came from, but I know he hailed from today’s Kogi State.

In my hurry to dish out this stuff to titillate football fans, I also could not wait to find out what school left-back Austin “Mazeli” Ofuokwu came from. What, however, is the critical point being made is that a bunch of school boys that beat their Ghanaian counterpart home and away in 1965 had two years later in 1967 had become the nucleus of Nigeria’s national team and actually played in the 1968 Olympic football event, holding mighty Brazil to a 3-3 draw in Mexico.

Complete with older and experienced internationals, Sam Opone, Sebastine Broadericks, Paul “Wonderboy” Hamilton, Mohammed Lawal, Peter Fregene, Duro Adigun etc, the Eagles stopped Ghana especially from humiliating us 6-0, 5-1 as their predecessors in the time of Fabian Duru used to suffer!

The 1965 Academicals team served the Green Eagles till 1972 when new blood, new talent pushed into the team but Tony Igwe and Austin Ofuokwu remained a while in the team. Peter Fregene and Peter Anieke were still good enough, but their somewhat rebellious nature made them unpopular with officials and selectors otherwise they could have made the All African Games football gold winning team in 1973.

A glut of talent

They gave way to less colourful but effective successors in Emmanuel Okala and Eyo Essien for Peter Fregene and

Sunny Oyarekhua, and Kenneth Olayombo for Peter Anieke.

Interestingly, a new set of academicals players had emerged again. Josiah Dombraye and Sunday Izevbigie from the Midwest (Bendel) Academicals of 1970 and 1971 respectively had moved up to the Green Eagles by 1972. Joining them from the East Central State Academicals of 1971 was Dominic Ezeani who walked straight into the central defence, displacing skipper Godwin Achebe and then pairing Victor Oduah as new skipper.

Haruna Ilerika the dribbling wizard of Zumraltu Ahmadiyya Secondary School had all the way created waves with his team-mate Tajudeen Ajagun. Had Ajagun gone to play for Stationery Stores FC like his more illustrious team-mate, Ilerika, he too would probably have stepped up to the Eagles.

At ECN, later NEPA Lagos, the politics of the game put him down the perking order for the striking roles which had Sunday Oyarekhua (Police Machine Team) Kenneth Olayombo (Lagos Garrison Organisation) Sunday Izevbigie and Sam Ikedi (Bendel Insurance).

Morton Owolo, a left back from Hussey College Warri claimed left back position in some matches too. Waiting in the wings to claim shirts were Academicals from the East-Central state after Dominic Ezeani broke into the Eagles, his team-mates, Patrick Ekeji, now Director-General National Sports Commission, Christian Chukwu, later Captain of the Green Eagles that won the African Cup of Nations for the first time in 1980, Kenneth Ilodigwe (alias Kendo), Obed Ariri (later Captain of Vasco Da Gama FC, Enugu, and Godwin Ogbueze arguably one of the most gifted centre-forwards Nigeria’s football has ever seen. There were other great talent in the East Central State team like Tony Uzoka, a left winger, Keeper Ahamefuna Umelo, Chukwuma Nwankwo and John Azinge.

And with other states throwing up quality talent like Clement Okwufuleze, Patrick De Adinkwe, Raphael Uwechie (a great keeper now a pilot), Patrick Ezeocha, all from the Midwest (Bendel), Salihu Tijani a terrific striker came from the North shooting with both feet and scoring spectacular goals.

From the West, goalkeeper Zion Ogunfemi had his hands full because Emmanuel Okala and Eyo Essien were not just going to quit. But Tunde Balogun, son of Teslim Balogun, the football legend, a great mid-fielder and wing player emerged too from the Western State Academicals team. Had he stayed a little longer he would have displaced Yakubu Mambo and Gideon Njoku from the right wing position in the Green Eagles.

That did not happen because Tunde Balogun joined another striker from the West- Yomi Bamiro (Shooting Stars), Sunday Izevbigie and Muyiwa Sanya (Bendel Insurance), Kenneth Ilodigwe and Dominic Ezeani (Enugu Rangers) and Ghana’s Sam Ayi Akwa (a left back) to proceed to Howard University on Scholarship.

One season later, Ben Popoola, Segun Adewale, Olumeko (a Keeper), Damian Ogunsuyi and Emmanuel Egede (alias Tailor) all from Bendel Insurance, Godwin Ogbueze and Damian Odoh (Enugu Rangers), Obed Ariri (Vasco Da Gama Enugu) all went to Clemson University in the United States on Scholarship.

From the Lagos axis we had Emilo John and Keeper Manuwa who had followed Ilerika to knock on the doors of the Green Eagles. So also did Keeper Marcelus Obinatu, Tunde Martins, Kwame Senaya, Tony Eyo, Tex Egbedi (now a top class Fashion and Trend Consultant/designer),

Isaac Annan, Fred Obadiaru, Bernard Mensah, Kehinde Oworu and Maxwell Yebrufra whose winning goal in a Lagos State Principal Cup match made front page headline in Nigeria’s leading daily newspaper at the time, Daily Times.

Adokiye Amiesimaka, fondly called Chief Justice and a former Attorney-General in Rivers State is a product of Academicals football and so was Thompson Usiyen, Nigeria’s best striker in my opinion. Such was the strength intensity, excitement, talent flow and attention-capture capacity of academicals football those days. It provided empowerment through well-paying jobs and scholarship to American Universities.

Academicals football, nay schools sports is it and there is the strong need to revive it because apart from being a veritable well-pool of talent for the Eagles, it reduces if not banishes entirely age-cheating while opening avenues for further education and scholarship schemes locally, as well as in America and Canada.

NEXT

[Abbey]

The best seven years of soccer heaven: 1968-1975

[wanaj0]

He was an age cheat thats why he could not move up to the next level Na joke ooo

[KIZONZO]

He was an age cheat thats why he could not move up to the next level Na joke ooo

[TonyTheTigerKiller]

Nice article, although containing some inaccuracies. Clement Okwufuleze is actually Augustine Okwufuleze alias Pickolo who attended St Anthony's Ubulukwu, Edo College and finally, Hussey College. He was the most talented right winger I have ever seen, no disrespect to Odegbami and Onyedika.

Ralph Uwaechie was a heck of a goalie, though; the most stylish there ever was


Cheers.

[Enugu II]

TTK:

You are right about inaccuracies including the claim that Taju Ajagun did not go ahead to play for Stores. He did with Ilerika and those two plus Sanni Mohammed and Prosper Ajavon made Stores in the early 1970s.

Nice article, although containing some inaccuracies. Clement Okwufuleze is actually Augustine Okwufuleze alias Pickolo who attended St Anthony's Ubulukwu, Edo College and finally, Hussey College. He was the most talented right winger I have ever seen, no disrespect to Odegbami and Oyedika.

Ralph Uwaechie was a heck of a goalie, though; the most stylish there ever was


Cheers.

[Sir V]

Nice article, although containing some inaccuracies. Clement Okwufuleze is actually Augustine Okwufuleze alias Pickolo who attended St Anthony's Ubulukwu, Edo College and finally, Hussey College. He was the most talented right winger I have ever seen, no disrespect to Odegbami and Oyedika.

Ralph Uwaechie was a heck of a goalie, though; the most stylish there ever was


Cheers.

TTT,

I thought he was Clement Okwufuleze...and Pickolo.

[TonyTheTigerKiller]

Nice article, although containing some inaccuracies. Clement Okwufuleze is actually Augustine Okwufuleze alias Pickolo who attended St Anthony's Ubulukwu, Edo College and finally, Hussey College. He was the most talented right winger I have ever seen, no disrespect to Odegbami and Oyedika.

Ralph Uwaechie was a heck of a goalie, though; the most stylish there ever was


Cheers.

TTT,

I thought he was Clement Okwufuleze...and Pickolo.

It is quite possible that his middle name is Clement but he was Augustine at both St Anthony's and Edo College


Cheers.