Governing Bodies
Long forgotten 1949 UK Tourists legend, Titus Okere is alive!

BY KUNLE SOLAJA
Contrary to the widely held belief that all the 18 players and officials that constituted Nigeria’s first national football team 73 years ago are dead, Sports Village Square has found one of them, though advanced in age, still alive.
He is Titus Okere, the left wing wizard of the team who was initially projected to captain the 1949 squad. He lives a quiet life in Kent, some 61km to London in the UK.
At 93 since 22 March 2022, the left sided former attacking pearl is the only survivor among the 18 pioneer national team footballers of Nigeria.
Having left Nigeria in February 1953 and never came back, he was believed to have passed on.
He was the first Nigerian citizen to play football abroad and registered as a professional when he signed for Swindon Town.

In the process of packaging a book on the legendary Tesilimi Balogun whose 50th anniversary of passing on will be next month, an attempt was made to also pay tributes, not only to Thunder Balogun, but also his other pioneer colleagues.
Eminent journalist, Emeka Obasi first gave an indication that Okere was alive and could be living in the Netherlands as a retired medical personnel.
Contacts were made to Nigerian relatives in Amsterdam to digitally get information on anyone that fits Okere’s profile. Another eminent researcher on Nigerian football and who has roots in The Netherlands, Dr. Wiebe Boer was also contacted.
He linked up with a Dutch football film maker to help track down Okere. Eventually, Jeron vd Kroonenberg made a breakthrough by passing Titus Okere’s granddaughter’s contacts to Sports Village Square.
The grand-daughter, Frances Okere, informed that owing to Titus Okere’s age, she would be the one to help extract information from him.
She informed that the man was alive and doing well having clocked 93 last 22 March.
Coincidentally, Nigeria’s winning of the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time on 22 March 1980 was thus an eternal tribute to Okere. He was 51 on that day.
Similarly, Joseph Meads, the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) inaugural secretary who was also the convener of the 21 August 1933 meeting in which the football body was founded (not 1945 as wrongly claimed), was also born on 22 March.
Born in 1907, would had been 73 years; the day Nigeria beat Algeria to win the Africa Nations Cup for the first time in 1980.
Related story: https://www.sportsvillagesquare.com/2021/08/21/nigeria-football-federation-clocks-88-years-today/
Titus Okere’s grand daughter also informed that he lost his wife, Patricia Okere two years ago. His son, who is Frances’ father also goes by the name Titus Okere.
He has two grand daughters, Frances and Georgina Okere who is now Mrs. Coates. Also, there are two great grandchildren, Maxwell Okere, son of Frances and Sebastian Coates.
The pioneer Nigerian left winger left the country in February 1953 and has since never come back. The granddaughter ruled out the possibility of his returning to Nigeria.
Her remark: “Titus no longer likes travelling, so sadly will not be coming back to Nigeria.” She revealed that the old man enjoys watching football on TV and spending time with his family.
She further pointed out that Titus Okere’s son, who is her own father, enjoyed playing football as a young man, but never to the professional level.
“We are proud of his footballing achievements. His trophies and photographs from his football career are displayed in his home.”
Titus Okere’s adventure abroad after the initial UK tour of 1949 had an element of luck. He was highly rated by the British press during the UK tour of 1949 even though like most of his colleagues, he was playing barefooted.
The Liverpool Echo edition of 1 September 1949 was astonished about the speed and brilliance of Titus Okere at the outside left and averred that given his experience, “he could find a place in most European League sides.”
Another report by Edgar Kail in the Daily Graphic illustrated it further by commenting that Okere was worth £15,000 and a row of houses.
Those comments could have prompted him to take the chance of venturing abroad for professional football thus opening the doors for others, notably Balogun and Elkanah Onyeali to also go to England. By the turn of the century, plying trade abroad, especially in Europe had become a common phenomenon.
Sports Village Square gathered from archival research that Titus Okere had always dreamt of returning to the UK after the Nigerian team tour of 1949.
So prominent was he in the squad that he was the first consideration as the skipper since he was also the captain of Railway club that supplied the bulk of the 18-man squad.
In the Daily Service publication of 1 July 1949, three players were short listed as possible captain – Etim Henshaw, Dan Anyiam and Titus Okere.
The latter was not chosen by the NFA on account that “it was impossible to select him as captain in view of his position as outside left. It was thought it is impossible for him to control the team from his position in the forward line.”
Dennis Hart, an English journalist writing in the Daily Service edition of 27 February 1953 narrated how Okere landed in England.
He claimed that returning to the UK and to play as a professional footballer had been Okere’s dream. He was then 25 and working as a clerk in the Nigerian Railway which he also played for as captain.
Hart wrote: “To fulfil it, he has taken one big step already. He has joined an Fnglish League club, Swindon Town as a professional, the first Nigerian ever to do so.
“Imagine his excitement when four years ago he was selected as outside left as a member of the Nigerian team to tour England, to play the leading amateur dubs.
“Waiting for the tour to begin weighed heavily on Titus’ hands.
But when the day finally arrived, the time, flashed by all quickly.
The tour whetted, rather than satisfied his appetite for English soccer.
Having tasted it, he thirsted for more.
“He returned to his job as a clerk with the Nigerian Railways in Lagos
But in spirit he was still in England, re-living the tour over and over again in his mind.
“The months slipped by, and with them, it seemed his chances of playing permanently in English soccer.
“But then fate took a hand. The coach to the Railway team for which Titus was playing for was Leo Robins, a native of Swindon.
He was in Nigeria on Railway work. Leo was a keen supporter of his town’s club. He wrote to the manager, Louis Page, recommending to him to sign Titus.
After consultations with the club’s directors, Mr. Page wrote to Titus, asking if he would like to join Swindon. Titus needed no persuasion. It was a gamble and needed throwing up his job.”
Hart remarked that he later interviewed Okere after his first day training at Swindon. “He told me that he could hardly believe it.
It was a typical English February morning with frost still on the ground and a keen east wind which penetrated the thickest of overcoats.
Hart asked Titus how he felt 4,000 miles away from the sun and his friends. “Well the sun might be a long way away”, replied Titus in his normal quiet-spoken manner, “I certainly miss it. But I ‘ve already made lots of friends here.
“The players and staff of the club here have done everything to make me feel at home, and so too, my landlady, Mrs Wakeley.” Titus told Dennis Hart that one of his main problems was to get used to playing in boots.
He has never done this before. When he toured England in 1949, he did wear anklets, a crepe bandage covering his ankle and instep, but otherwise all his football had been played in bare feet.
There was no rule in British football which insist on players wearing boots. But after a few steps, Titus found the cold was too much.
To start with them, he will wear hockey boots which are rubber soled with light studs and when he gets used to these, will graduate to normal English boots.
His grand daughter informed Sports Village Square that Titus Okere “retired from football not long after moving abroad sadly.
“After leaving football, Titus worked for Parcel Force on the railway until he retired around 1974/75.” Frances further remarked that her grand dad is keeping well and in good health.
Governing Bodies
FIFA Museum Unveils Groundbreaking Exhibition on Football Innovation

The FIFA Museum in Zurich has launched a new special exhibition titled Innovation in Action: Football Technologies on and off the Pitch, offering visitors an unprecedented glimpse into how innovation is transforming the world’s most popular sport.
Opened on Monday, October 1, 2025, the immersive showcase was developed in collaboration with the FIFA Innovation Team and other departments within world football’s governing body. It explores how cutting-edge technology supports players, referees, and fans—enhancing performance, ensuring fairness, and enriching the overall football experience—while preserving the game’s passion and human spirit.
“What makes this exhibition truly special is that we can give visitors a never-before-seen behind-the-scenes look that allows them to step inside football innovation, experiencing it hands-on rather than just reading about it,” said Marco Fazzone, Managing Director of the FIFA Museum. “We offer a glimpse at technologies and tools that fans don’t normally get to experience up close, while also showing how innovation has evolved over almost 100 years of FIFA World Cup history.”
Organised around five themed sections — Broadcasting & Media, Intelligent Data, Refereeing & Fair Play, Staging the Game, and the Innovation Lab — the exhibition blends rare artefacts with interactive displays. Visitors can relive football’s broadcast evolution, from the black-and-white footage of the 1954 World Cup to today’s ultra-slow motion 4K replays, and even step into a virtual referee booth to experience the pressures of officiating in real time.
Among the standout features is the FIFA Player App, which allows fans to explore Chelsea star Cole Palmer’s performance statistics from the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Final, illustrating how data helps players refine their craft.
Another exhibit showcases Canada goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan’s water bottle from the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 — marked with opponents’ penalty data — revealing how analytics influence critical moments.
Visitors can also view a referee body camera used at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, giving a fresh perspective on decision-making from the official’s point of view.
The exhibition invites visitors to engage directly with football technology. They can test their reflexes and judgment as referees, operate goal-line technology systems, or assume the role of a broadcast director managing live match feeds. Data enthusiasts can analyse player movements, while aspiring innovators can design their own football tech concepts inside the Innovation Lab.
Innovation in Action runs until 31 March 2026 at the FIFA Museum in Zurich. Entry is included with a standard museum ticket.
With its rich mix of storytelling, interactivity, and history, the exhibition promises to be a must-see experience for anyone passionate about the future of the beautiful game.
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Governing Bodies
Football cannot solve conflict but carries message of peace, says FIFA’s Infantino

FIFA President Gianni Infantino said on Thursday that football could not solve conflicts, but it must carry a message of peace and unity as Israel’s military operation in Gaza and other global tensions fuel calls for the sport to take a stand.
“At FIFA, we are committed to using the power of football to bring people together in a divided world,” Infantino told a FIFA Council meeting in Zurich where he met Palestinian federation president Jibril Rajoub.
“Our thoughts are with those who are suffering in the many conflicts that exist around the world today, and the most important message that football can convey right now is one of peace and unity.”
Infantino said world football’s governing body could not solve geopolitical crises, but “it can and must promote football around the world by harnessing its unifying, educational, cultural and humanitarian values.”
“I met Palestinian Football Association (PFA) President Jibril Rajoub today at the Home of FIFA in Zurich to discuss the ongoing situation in the Middle East region,” Infantino later wrote on Instagram.
“I commend President Rajoub and the PFA for their resilience at this time and I reiterated to him FIFA’s commitment to using the power of football to bring people together in a divided world.”
FIFA has faced repeated calls to act over the war in Gaza, with Palestinian officials pressing for Israel to be suspended from international football.
The issue has been under review by FIFA for months, but no decision has been taken. Infantino has consistently said such matters require consensus with the confederations and must be handled with caution.
The comments came a day after FIFA Vice President Victor Montagliani noted that any decision over Israel’s participation in European competitions, including World Cup qualifiers, was a matter for UEFA to decide, effectively putting the onus on the European body.
“First and foremost, it (Israel) is a member of UEFA, no different than I have to deal with a member of my region for whatever reason… They have to deal with that,” Montagliani told reporters at the Leaders sports business conference on Wednesday.
Israel are third in Europe’s Group I of the qualifying stage for next year’s World Cup in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Amnesty International on Wednesday sent a letter to FIFA and UEFA calling on them to suspend the Israel Football Association.
-Reuters
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Governing Bodies
NFF Clarifies Position on Statutes, Denies Plans for Immediate Amendments

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has dismissed reports suggesting that its Statutes will be amended at this year’s Annual General Assembly (AGA), insisting that no such plans are on the table for the September 27 meeting.
In a statement, the Federation stressed that the ongoing conversation around its Statutes remains at a preliminary stage and that suggestions of imminent changes are unfounded.
Ahead of the AGA, the NFF will host a workshop on September 26, bringing together representatives of its members, as well as officials from FIFA and CAF. According to the Federation, the forum is strictly consultative, designed to deliberate on proposals for new Statutes in line with the principles of good governance and international best practices.
The NFF explained that only after consensus is reached with its members will a separate General Assembly be convened to formally consider and adopt any proposed Statute changes.
“The NFF remains committed to due process, transparency, and working hand-in-hand with its General Assembly Members, FIFA, and CAF,” the statement read.
“The ultimate goal is to establish enduring Statutes that will strengthen governance, broaden representation, and promote inclusivity within Nigerian football.”
The Federation added that the long-term reform framework is aimed at ensuring stability and progress across its structures and enhancing the participation of all stakeholders in the country’s football administration.
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