World Cup
The Handwritten Note That Changed My Life: Remembering MKO Abiola, The Patron Saint of Nigerian Sports
By Kunle Solaja, New York.
This Tuesday, July 7, Nigeria will pause once again to remember Bashorun Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, the man whose name has become inseparable from the nation’s democratic struggle.
But for many in Nigerian sports, MKO Abiola represents something else entirely.
He was the benefactor who opened doors. The dream-maker who invested in athletes, journalists and administrators alike. The sports enthusiast whose generosity transformed careers and whose vision helped elevate Nigerian sports to unprecedented heights.
As the 28th anniversary of his death approaches, I find myself reflecting not on the politician or the business magnate, but on the man whose handwritten note altered the course of my professional life forever.
It is a story that began amid turmoil.
In August 1989, I was quietly working as a reporter with African Concord, the influential pan-African news magazine within the Concord Press stable. Unknown to me, a storm was raging elsewhere in the organisation.
Following internal crises within the sports department and the fallout from the tragic death of Nigerian international Samuel Okwaraji during the World Cup qualifier against Angola, management had decided drastic action was necessary. An investigative panel had recommended the dissolution of the sports desk, and plans were already underway to rebuild it from scratch.
While all of this was unfolding, I was immersed in preparing what would become a major cover story on the shocking death of Okwaraji.
Three days after the tragedy, as I returned from an assignment alongside Larry Echiejile, now Dr Larry Izamoje, founder of Brila FM, we encountered Mike Awoyinfa and Dele Momodu within the Concord premises.
Their expressions suggested they knew something we did not.
“They don’t know yet,” one of them whispered.
Moments later, the bombshell landed.
I had been appointed Group Sports Editor of Concord Press.
Larry was to be my deputy.
The announcement stunned me.
What happened behind the scenes was even more dramatic.
My name had reportedly not featured at all during heated deliberations over who should rebuild the sports department. Then a personal aide walked into the management meeting carrying a sealed note from the publisher himself, Bashorun MKO Abiola.
The room reportedly fell silent.
Dr Doyin Abiola, Managing Director of Concord Press, opened the note and read its contents aloud:
“I hereby appoint Mr Kunle Solaja of the African Concord as the Group Sports Editor with immediate effect.”
That single sentence ended all arguments.
The debate was over.
A handwritten instruction from MKO Abiola had settled the matter.
I did not know it then, but that brief note would become one of the most consequential documents of my life.
Ironically, when the appointment was announced, I had never met Abiola.
Rumours immediately spread across the organisation.
Some speculated that I must be related to one of his wives. Others assumed I enjoyed some hidden connection to the publisher.
The truth was simpler.
I was just as surprised as everyone else. I later got to know that he had been reading my write-ups in the pan-African magazine, the African Concord, where I ran a one-man sports desk and had elevated sports news to the cover pages.
My tenure as Group Sports Editor of Concord Press brought me into close professional contact with Chief M.K.O. Abiola, whose unwavering passion for Nigerian sports and commitment to excellence made him one of Africa’s most influential sports patrons and media proprietors.
My first encounter with him came barely ten days later in Yaoundé, Cameroon, on August 27, after Nigeria’s painful 1-0 defeat to Cameroon that ended the Super Eagles’ hopes of qualifying for Italia ’90. I stayed in a downtown low-budget hotel and had to go to the high-brow Hotel Sofitel, where Lelex facilities were available to file my reports.
Having filed my report from the Hotel Sofitel, I spotted Abiola emerging from an elevator. It was my closest contact with him.
I introduced myself.
For a moment, he looked puzzled.
Then recognition dawned.
Turning to those around him, he exclaimed:
“So you’re the new sports editor? Are you this small? With the way you recall events, I thought you were an old man! Keep up the good work.”
It was a brief exchange.
But it marked the beginning of a remarkable professional relationship.
Within months, I found myself moving from relative obscurity into the inner circle of one of Africa’s most influential personalities.
I began writing speeches for him.
I advised him on sporting matters.
Occasionally, I represented him at official functions.
And through it all, I witnessed firsthand the extraordinary passion he had for sports.
Many people knew Abiola as a businessman.
Many knew him as a politician.
Sports people knew him as something else entirely.
He was a benefactor without equal.
Before almost every major assignment abroad, he found a way to support me personally, even when Concord Press had already approved official funding.
One of the earliest examples came when he instructed that I be sent to Barcelona for the IAAF (now World Athletics) World Cup in September 1989. He even left £4,000 for my upkeep through a trusted associate.
Fate intervened.
A Spanish public holiday prevented me from securing a visa, and the trip collapsed before it began.
The money disappeared with the opportunity.
But many more opportunities followed.
At the 1990 Africa Cup of Nations in Algeria, Abiola personally facilitated my trip despite the organisation already having a reporter assigned to the tournament.
When Nigeria recovered from a humiliating 5-1 opening defeat to reach the semifinal, I found myself seated beside him in the VIP section in Annaba.
Security initially refused me access.
Abiola spotted me from afar.
He waved me over.
After the match, he invited a small group of journalists for further discussions.
Then came another unforgettable gesture.
He gave me $2,000 and further instructed me to distribute $1,000 each to every Nigerian journalist covering the tournament. There were 20 of them.
One recipient joked that the amount exceeded his annual salary.
That was classic MKO.
His generosity was never calculated.
It flowed naturally.
Yet perhaps the most profound impact he had on my life came a few months later.
Armed with a FIFA accreditation letter as Nigeria’s only officially recognised print journalist for Italia ’90, I informed him of my plans to attend the World Cup.
He listened carefully.
Then he smiled.
“Please see me before you travel.”
That simple sentence was all the assurance I needed.
And true to his word, he ensured that my journey to Italy became a reality.
That World Cup changed everything.
It launched a journey that would eventually span ten FIFA World Cups, multiple Olympic Games and countless international sporting events.
Looking back today, it is impossible not to see the connection.
Without that handwritten note of 17 August 1989, there might have been no World Cup memoir.
There might have been no decades-long global sports reporting career.
There might never have been the experiences that shaped my professional life.
MKO Abiola was often called the “Africa’s Pillar of Sports,” an honour bestowed on him by African sports journalists.
The title was richly deserved.
He invested in clubs.
He supported athletes.
He empowered journalists.
He believed sport could unite people and elevate nations.
For me, however, his legacy is even more personal.
Every time I walk into a World Cup stadium, every time I sit in a press box thousands of kilometres away from home, I remember the man who saw potential in an obscure magazine reporter and changed his life with an 18-word memo handwritten on a piece of paper.
Twenty-eight years after his passing, Nigerian sports continue to celebrate MKO Abiola’s immense contributions.
I celebrate him for something even simpler.
A handwritten note.
A chance.
And a life transformed.
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By Kunle Solaja, JFK, New York
When the final whistle eventually sounded on the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and the curtain fell on another remarkable chapter in football history, my personal reflections will extend far beyond the goals, the drama and the unforgettable moments witnessed across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
For me, this World Cup represents something deeply personal; a milestone that once seemed distant but has now become reality.
Like the celebrated “La Décima” that Real Madrid proudly pursued and achieved in European football, the 2026 FIFA World Cup marks my own “La Décima”, similar to the Mission X of the magnificent Nigeria’s Super Falcons; attendance at a tenth consecutive FIFA World Cup finals as a journalist.
From Italia ’90 through USA ’94, France ’98, Korea/Japan 2002, Germany 2006, South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014, Russia 2018, Qatar 2022 and now the 2026 tournament in North America, the journey has spanned 36 years of reporting, travelling, learning and documenting football history as it unfolded before my eyes.
Such a milestone is never achieved alone.
It is therefore fitting that I pause amid the excitement of the World Cup to express profound appreciation to one individual whose support made this latest journey possible — Hon. Adekunle Soname, Chairman of Bet9ja and, easily, Nigeria’s most influential yet understated sports visionary.
At a time when independent journalism faces increasing financial pressures and international coverage has become more expensive than ever, Bet9ja’s decision to support my World Cup project was not merely a sponsorship arrangement. It was an investment in sports journalism, historical documentation and the preservation of a tradition that has lasted for nearly four decades.
Hon. Soname’s contribution ensured that Sports Village Square could maintain its presence at the world’s biggest sporting event and continue delivering firsthand reports, features, interviews and analyses directly from the tournament venues.
Those who know Hon. Soname understand that his commitment to football extends far beyond business. Over the years, he has consistently demonstrated a passion for the growth of the game in Nigeria and Africa, supporting initiatives that contribute to football development both on and off the field.
His support for this World Cup coverage is another reflection of that enduring commitment.
I also owe a debt of gratitude to the dedicated members of the Bet9ja marketing team whose professionalism, cooperation and confidence in the project helped transform an idea into reality. Their belief in the value of quality sports journalism and credible tournament coverage played an important role in ensuring the success of this venture.
Behind every sponsorship agreement are individuals who work quietly but diligently to make things happen. They deserve recognition for their efficiency, encouragement and unwavering support throughout the process.
My appreciation also goes to a long-standing friend of sports journalism and one of Nigeria’s most respected media professionals, Femi Adesina.
Long before this World Cup journey reached its tenth chapter, Femi Adesina had become one of its steadfast supporters. Since the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, he has consistently offered encouragement, support and goodwill towards my international coverage efforts.
Femi Adesina, a passionate sports enthusiast and former Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President of Nigeria, has been a steadfast pillar of support for my FIFA World Cup coverage since Brazil 2014. His unwavering encouragement has helped make successive World Cup reporting missions possible.
Whether as a colleague in journalism or later as Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to former President Muhammadu Buhari, he never lost his appreciation for the value of professional sports reporting and the role it plays in projecting Nigeria to the world.
His support over the years has been a source of motivation, particularly during moments when the challenges of international coverage appeared overwhelming.
As I look back on ten consecutive World Cups, I am reminded that journalism, despite often appearing to be an individual pursuit, is in reality a collective endeavour. Every byline carries the fingerprints of numerous supporters, friends, family members, colleagues and institutions whose contributions make the work possible.
This tenth World Cup attendance therefore belongs not only to me but also to everyone who has supported the journey from its humble beginnings in Italy in 1990 to this historic milestone in North America in 2026.
For Hon. Kunle Soname and Bet9ja, for the dedicated members of the company’s marketing team, and for Femi Adesina, I offer my heartfelt gratitude.
Their support has helped make possible a dream that began more than three decades ago and has now culminated in a personal “La Décima” — ten consecutive FIFA World Cups.
For that, I remain profoundly thankful.
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BY KUNLE SOLAJA, BROOKLYN.
How does one say goodbye to a family that opened not just the doors of their home, but also their hearts during an unforgettable World Cup journey? After weeks of enjoying their extraordinary hospitality, leaving feels far more difficult than I had imagined. It is almost as though I should stay a little longer.
As I pen these few words, it is the birthday of one of them—Daniel Ogunleye, easily my closest companion in this wonderful family of four. It is fitting that I pay this tribute today.
Daniel Ogunleye beams with pride as he poses with an impressive collection of academic, basketball and sporting trophies at his family home in New York. A gifted student-athlete and entrepreneur, Daniel has excelled both on the court and in the classroom, embodying discipline, determination and excellence. Happy Birthday to a remarkable young man whose achievements continue to inspire.
Daniel and I spent countless hours sharing jokes, exchanging ideas and discussing sports. A first-year Criminology student at Fisher College, he is every good quality rolled into one.
Though he began as a football player, he later switched to America’s favourite sport—basketball—where he has earned considerable honours. He has successfully combined academic excellence, sporting achievement and an impressive entrepreneurial spirit, making him a young man with a very bright future.
My friendship with his father, Olukayode Ogunleye, goes back more than five decades. We grew up together in Ibadan and later worked as sports journalists at the then Concord Press of Nigeria before life took him to the United States.
When I arrived in New York to cover the FIFA World Cup, Olukayode did far more than provide accommodation. He transformed his family home into my own Nigerian sanctuary. Throughout my stay, I never felt I had left home. Every familiar comfort was there, especially the food.
From eba to amala, pounded yam and other cherished Nigerian delicacies, every meal reminded me of home. For that unforgettable culinary experience, special appreciation goes to his lovely wife, Launette.
Although African-American by birth, Launette cooks Nigerian cuisine with such authenticity that one would easily believe she spent her formative years in Lagos or Ibadan. Yet, remarkably, she has never even crossed the Atlantic to visit Africa.
If she were to compete with some of Nigeria’s finest cooks, I have little doubt she would give them a serious contest. Her nickname may be “China,” but after my experience, “Naija” would be a far more fitting name. Her warmth, humility, kindness and generous spirit embody the very best of Nigerian hospitality.
Indeed, food was never in short supply. In fact, I was so well fed that I eventually had to plead with her to slow down. I joked that I had gained so much weight my own family might struggle to recognise me when I returned home.
As though determined to make the weight gain permanent, she often insisted on driving me to the train station, denying me the opportunity to walk off a few calories. It became a running joke between us.
Kayode often speaks proudly of his wife, noting how effortlessly she blends into Nigerian gatherings. At every “Naija party,” she dresses the part, mingles naturally and embraces the culture with remarkable ease. Watching her interact, one would hardly believe she did not grow up in Nigeria.
Their daughter, Yuhniece, reflects the same admirable values of industry, courtesy and ambition. Armed with an Associate Degree in Business Administration and Accounting, she has successfully translated her education into enterprise, building ventures in both real estate and the automobile business. She carries herself with maturity, confidence and the strong work ethic that clearly runs through the family.
As my World Cup assignment comes to an end, saying goodbye has become one of the most difficult parts of the journey. Families like the Ogunleyes remind one that true hospitality goes beyond providing a place to sleep. It is about making a guest feel loved, valued and completely at home. They did exactly that for me.
For every delicious meal, every ride to the station, every conversation, every laugh and every act of kindness, I owe the entire Ogunleye family a debt of gratitude that words can scarcely express.
Yet, every journey must eventually come to an end.
The consolation is that I now look forward to reuniting with my own family, who have always borne the sacrifices that come with my profession. Every World Cup has meant weeks away from home, missed family moments and long periods of absence.
My wife, Oby, our children and our grandchildren have, through the years, shown unwavering love, patience and understanding. They have accepted the demands of sports journalism with remarkable grace, even when it meant celebrating important family occasions without me. They have remained my greatest source of encouragement, reminding me that every sacrifice made in pursuit of excellence has meaning.
As I board my flight home, my heart is filled with gratitude—gratitude to the Ogunleyes for making New York feel like home, and gratitude to my own family for always making home worth returning to.
Some goodbyes are difficult because they remind us of the goodness of people. This is certainly one of them.
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- Summary
- A 64-team format would comprise 128 matches if FIFA kept the 2026 structure
- That format could add roughly another week to a tournament already lasting more than five weeks
- Saudi Arabia’s 2034 hosting faces Ramadan timing complications and heavy infrastructure demands
- Player welfare, competitive balance and World Cup exclusivity would face renewed scrutiny
The first 48-team World Cup has barely finished, but Gianni Infantino has already acknowledged the possibility that soccer’s biggest tournament could one day grow larger still, a move that could fundamentally alter the economics of the sport.
Speaking to Swiss television during the tournament, the FIFA president said a 64-team World Cup was among the ideas that could be examined once the finals were over, reopening debate over how large the game’s showpiece event can realistically become.
The logistical implications of another expansion are obvious. A bigger tournament would require more stadiums, more hotels, more transport and, most likely, more time.
But the financial implications could prove even more significant. By making qualification easier for many of the game’s biggest nations, a 64-team tournament could reduce the commercial value of qualifying competitions while increasing the importance of FIFA’s own flagship event.
If broadcasters place less value on qualifying campaigns, soccer’s six regional confederations could become increasingly dependent on FIFA’s own distributions, potentially shifting more financial influence — and power — towards the global governing body.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea for the World Cup itself, and it’s not a good idea for our qualifiers either. So I’m not supporting that idea,” UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin said last year. The European governing body’s position has not changed since then.
Asian Football Confederation President Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa has also voiced opposition, questioning last year where further expansion might end.
FIFA did not reply to requests for comment.
“I think it is important that when you want to organise a World Cup, you do it for the whole world — not just Europe and South America,” Infantino said when discussing the idea of an expanded tournament. “If you don’t give smaller countries a chance to participate in the World Cup, they’ll lack the incentive to keep improving.”
CHALLENGES ON AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT SCALE
The 2026 tournament in Canada, Mexico and the United States was the first since 1998 to move away from the 32-team format, expanding to 48 nations and 104 matches over more than five weeks.
If the competition retained the same basic structure, with four-team groups followed by a 32-team knockout stage, a 64-team World Cup would comprise 128 matches — 24 more than in 2026 and double the total staged under the old 32-team format.
Unless FIFA compressed the schedule or staged more games simultaneously, that could add roughly another week to a tournament already lasting more than five weeks.
Plans are in place for Spain, Portugal and Morocco to stage most of the 2030 finals, with Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay each hosting a single opening-round match to mark the tournament’s centenary.
Accommodating 64 teams across six host nations presents a formidable organisational challenge. Doing so in a single country could prove even more demanding.
Saudi Arabia, due to host the tournament alone in 2034, already faces significant scheduling questions. Ramadan is expected to begin in mid-November that year, making the November-December window used for the 2022 World Cup in neighbouring Qatar difficult to replicate and potentially forcing another unprecedented reshaping of the global football calendar.
A 64-team tournament would magnify those challenges, requiring more stadiums, training facilities, hotels, transport capacity and volunteers while placing additional pressure on infrastructure in a country still developing its tourism industry.
The Saudis have proposed 15 venues for the existing 48-team format, with eight stadiums in Riyadh, four in Jeddah and others in Khobar, Neom, and Abha. Construction and renovation work is already underway ahead of the 2027 Asian Cup.
DOMESTIC PRESSURE
An expanded World Cup would also place greater strain on an already congested international calendar and increase pressure on domestic leagues, many of which have aligned themselves with Europe’s traditional August-to-May season.
Japan’s J-League is about to begin its first August-to-May campaign, while U.S. Major League Soccer plans a similar switch from next year. Any future winter World Cup would therefore disrupt an ever-growing number of competitions rather than primarily Europe’s major leagues, as was the case in 2022.
World Cups can be costly for national federations, even rich ones like France. The French Football Federation had been expecting to spend 24.5 million euros ($28 million) at this year’s World Cup, with federation president Philippe Diallo saying Les Bleus would probably need to at least reach the semi-finals not to lose money.
At the April FIFA Congress in Vancouver, Diallo said FIFA needed to provide greater financial support to participating nations.
If a 48-team tournament is already stretching the finances of participating federations, a longer 64-team event could increase those costs further.
Player welfare concerns would also intensify, with more matches adding to the workload of elite players. A 64-team tournament would give more nations access to football’s biggest stage but could also reignite debate over competitive balance, tournament length, fan costs and whether the World Cup risks losing some of the exclusivity that has long underpinned its appeal.
Whether the idea progresses beyond discussion may depend in part on how the first 48-team World Cup is ultimately judged.
-Reuters
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Kunle Solaja
July 7, 2026 at 6:44 pm
Eto ni gbogbo e !!!. Another Magun Opus. This is beautiful. Very nostalgic and poignant. Congratulations.
Those that are well brought up appreciate favors and never forget their benefactors, even when those who transformed their life for the better are dead.
This piece speaks to your acclaimed humility.
You laboured for your success. Yet you refused to attribute your achievements strictly and solely to your capabilities. Rather, you recognized and gave credit to the man who opened the doors of success to you, and graciously acknowledged that without his intervention in your career at its nascent stage perhaps the impressive milestones you have recorded to date might have been impossible. That is magnanimity. That is who we are.
I believe that in the not too distant future your contributions to the development and elevation of sports journalism will be duly rewarded with a well deserved national honor. It is unfortunate that in typical fashion when our own Osinbajo was VP he never honored you. But it’s just a matter of time.
Eto ni gbogbo e.
Comment from Seun Sonoiki. US
Kunle Solaja
July 7, 2026 at 6:51 pm
Otunba Ibikunle Solaja! Beautiful write-up! MKO! No one like him, ever! Bravo!
Comment from Biola Abimbola, Lagos