Nigerian Football
Nigeria Olympics and African Games’ hero, Tony Igwe opens up on his American odyssey
BY KUNLE SOLAJA
Former Nigeria national football team captain, Tony Igwe is still revelling on the 50th anniversary of the country’s first continental honours – the gold medal at the 2nd All Africa Games in Lagos.
Sadly, 50 years down the line and with 11 editions down the line, Nigeria’s football team has not replicated the 1973 gold medal, even at the 2003 games on home soil.
Igwe, a patriach of football family in Carlifornia, United States, in a telephone conversation remarked that he was very sad as most of his teammates had gone to the world beyond.
Of the 20-man Green Eagles squad of 1973, only six are alive and they exist without any national recognition.
Igwe, a right full back player in his active days and fondly called “World Number Two”, clocked 77 on the eve of last Chrismas.
A thorough-bred Nigerian, Igwe speaks his native Igbo as well as Hausa and Yoruba. He was born in Barkin Ladi in Plateau State and had most of his playing career in Lagos where he featured for Stationery Stores and later NEPA.
He remarked that Jide Johnson, the man who nicknamed the famous Ibadan club as ‘Shooting Stars’ was his mentor while he was still a youth footballer.
He was among the jinx-breaking Nigerian school boys who beat Ghana for the first time in Accra.
In the then annual Dowuona-Hammond Cup donated by the Ghana’s Minister of Education for contests between the Nigeria-Academicals and their Ghanaian counterparts, Nigeria beat Ghana 1-0 in Accra on 13 February 1966.
It was a milestone as it was the first time any Nigerian team had beaten Ghana on home soil. The Tony Igwe-propelled Nigerian team followed up on 19 February 1966 with 2-1 win Lagos to complete a double over Ghana first time.
The feat opened the national team doors for most of the school boys. Igwe recalled some of his team mates as Ismaila Mabo, Peter Anieke, Sam Garba Okoye, Eyo Essien among others.
In the Ghanaian Academicals defeated was Ibrahim Sunday who in 1971 was named by France Football as African Footballer of the Year.
Tony Igwe considered himself lucky to be among the living. “When I look back to think about my teammates who have all gone, I feel very sad”, said the defender who at 23, captained Nigeria’s football team to the Mexico ‘68 Olympics.
He told www.sportsvillagesquare.com that he felt like being in a dreamland when he arrived Mexico for the Olympics in 1968. That was the biggest platform that Nigerian football had been at the time.
He played every second of the three matches Nigeria played against Japan, Spain and Brazil. “I am still on my feet as I am on strict diet. I watch what I eat, said Igwe, who retired as a professor in the Physical Education Department at Chabot College in Carlifornia.
He obtained a Bachelor in Physical Education and Kinesiology from the University of San Fransisco and Masters in Career Guidance Psychology from San Fransisco State University.
After classroom works, Igwe became the Head Men’s soccer coach and professor of Kinesiology at Chabot College. As coach, he led his team to four finals of which three were won.
He was Stanford University men’s coach and also the women’s coach at Menlo College. Under him, some players were transferred to four year colleges. Some of the players include Jose Lopez, Sal Buenos, Rhomel Clarke, David Landeros, Luis Cadena and Juan Calderon. Others are Musa Mohammed, Christian Aberogo, Norma Sanchez and Noel Donlaya.
He was able to transform his family into a clan of footballers. According to him, he has three children and five grandchildren.
His three children who took to football are Chioma who plays professionally in Germany, Kelechi and Amaechi. When Igwe left Nigeria in 1975, he had little knowledge of what was in the offing for him.
Since, he had come to Nigeria once or twice. His parents are no more, so also, his brother, Patrick. On account of that, there are little or nothing to propel him to relocate.
In the US, he is settled. “I had a little knowledge when I got to San Francisco, but it was still difficult at first. My first two weeks here, I cried, because there was nobody around to talk to.”
Igwe eventually thrived, met his wife-to-be, Lisa, at University of San Fransisco, played semi- professionally and professionally and started a long coaching career that has included stops at Notre Dame and Menlo high schools, Menllo College and Stanford.
And he fathered some remarkable soccer progeny. Oldest son Kelechi, will be 40 in November. He was No. 2 in scoring on the Broncos’ men’s team. His sister, Chioma featured in the midfield for the United States U-20 women’s national team. From the 2011/12 until 2014/15 she played in the German Bundesliga for Freiburg.
By the end of 2016/17 season, she announced her retirement from professional soccer, at the age of 30. Youngest son Amaechi, 34, was a member of the U.S. Soccer residency program in Bradenton Florida from 2004-05.
Tony Igwe said he would like to see the kind of remarkable football revolution in Nigeria of the 1960s when coaches were all over the country discovering school boy talents who later graduated to the national team.
He said he was discovered in the north by Coach David Deshi who worked with Hungarian coach, Gustav Hidas whose main roles were to discover talents.
Rivers United head coach and technical manager, Finidi George, has praised young defender Ochiobi Elias following his outstanding performance in the club’s hard-fought 1-0 victory over Niger Tornadoes in a rescheduled Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) fixture on Wednesday at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, Port Harcourt.
The left-back, who played the full 90 minutes, was instrumental in helping Rivers United maintain a clean sheet, marking one of his most confident outings since his promotion to the senior squad.
Finidi, visibly impressed after the match, revealed that his decision to give Elias a full game was driven by trust in the player’s potential, despite his limited minutes earlier in the season.
“I think he did well. Normally, we should have been bringing him in gradually — maybe 15 minutes before giving him a 90-minute match,” Finidi said. “But I trust him, and I’ve spoken to him. He should be relaxed, calm down, and play his football.”
The coach also highlighted a near-miss moment when Elias came close to scoring late in the game, a chance Finidi felt could have crowned his stellar performance.
“I think today he would have scored a goal at the last moment, but he still wanted to square the ball, look for somebody,” Finidi added. “I’m quite happy with his performance, and we will keep encouraging him to do better. I am very, very pleased.”
Elias, a product of the Rivers United youth team that won the NPFL Youth League in 2024, has been gradually integrated into the first team under Finidi’s guidance. His performance on Wednesday is seen as a major step forward in his development and a sign of his growing confidence.
The youngster is now expected to retain his place in the squad as Rivers United travel to Aba this Sunday for a crucial NPFL clash against Enyimba.
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Strategic partners of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on the President Federation Cup, GTI Group, have congratulated the football governing body on the successful hosting of its Annual General Meeting (AGM) held last weekend in Ibadan, Oyo State.
In a press statement issued on Friday in Lagos, GTI’s Head of Media and Publicity, Andrew Ekejiuba, lauded the NFF Board under the leadership of Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau for the smooth conduct of the AGM and the significant progress made in Nigerian football development.
According to Ekejiuba, the Ibadan meeting reflected Gusau’s commitment to engaging stakeholders and strengthening unity across the football ecosystem.
“GTI Group congratulates the Nigeria Football Federation on the successful outcome of its Annual General Meeting held in Ibadan, which the President of NFF, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau, used the occasion to demonstrate his commitment to engaging positively with football stakeholders, including state football associations, clubs and fans,” he said.
“His interactions with the various groups at the AGM showcased his impactful leadership and dedication to promoting Nigerian football and fostering a collaborative environment.”
Ekejiuba also highlighted the Super Falcons’ recent achievements and the growth of domestic competitions, particularly the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), as key milestones recorded under Gusau’s leadership. GTI serves as a strategic partner of the NPFL, supporting its structural and commercial transformation.
The statement further expressed appreciation to Governor Seyi Makinde and the people of Oyo State for their hospitality and support during the AGM. Ekejiuba noted the governor’s commendation of the improved standard of refereeing in the NPFL under the administration of Otunba Gbenga Elegbeleye.
However, GTI also used the opportunity to express disappointment over the early exit of Kwara United and Abia Warriors from the CAF Confederation Cup, urging Nigerian clubs to raise their competitive standards on the continental stage.
“It is unfortunate that both Kwara United and Abia Warriors crashed out at the preliminary phase of the CAF Confederation Cup last weekend. This clearly shows that Nigerian clubs must raise their game in order to compete favourably,” the statement read.
“The future remains bright, but that is why GTI has been calling on Corporate Nigeria to invest more in our football, just as is done in thriving leagues across the world.”
Ekejiuba also extended words of encouragement to Remo Stars and Rivers United, who are still flying Nigeria’s flag in the CAF Champions League.
“We encourage them to dig deep and remain focused to ensure successful campaigns. They should give Nigerian football fans something to cheer this season because we understand how demanding continental competitions can be,” he concluded.
GTI Group reaffirmed its continued commitment to working closely with the NFF to advance football development, promote professionalism, and attract sustainable investment into the Nigerian game.
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The Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) has queried Warri Wolves following reports of the suspension of their head coach, Aluma Napoleon, faulting the club’s failure to comply with established procedures for contracting and registering technical officials.
In a letter titled “Notarization and Registration of Contracts” and signed by the NPFL Chief Operating Officer, Davidson Owumi, the league body directed the Delta-based club to regularize all contractual documentation with its technical and management staff in line with NPFL regulations.
The NPFL’s letter stated:
“Information reaching us from the media space suggests that the Delta State Sports Commission has suspended your head coach, Mr. Aluma Napoleon, with immediate effect.”
Citing Sections B, Articles 6 and 11 of the NPFL 2025/26 Framework and Rules, the league reminded Warri Wolves that all clubs are required to submit notarized contracts of their officials for registration and record purposes.
“You are, however, in breach of these sections as Warri Wolves FC have not submitted the contracts of its officials to the League Board. You are hereby requested, within twenty-four hours of receiving this letter, to submit all relevant contracts of your technical team, including that of the assumed suspended head coach, Mr. Napoleon Aluma, to the NPFL Secretariat,” the letter warned.
The NPFL further cautioned that failure to comply could lead to sanctions, including restricting Warri Wolves’ technical crew from accessing the bench in subsequent league matches.
“Note that failure to comply with this instruction will lead to the restriction of your technical team from accessing the technical area in future NPFL matches,” the league stated.
In a related statement to NPFL Media, COO Davidson Owumi stressed that the Warri Wolves case was not isolated, adding that all clubs yet to register the contracts of their technical officials must do so without delay.
“I must admonish all coaches to get hold of their contracts and lodge a report with the NPFL when there is a violation of the terms. It is the responsibility of the aggrieved to petition the league at all times,” Owumi emphasized.
The NPFL has been tightening administrative controls in recent seasons to ensure transparency, professionalism, and adherence to contractual obligations across all participating clubs.
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