Nigerian Football
A REPORTER’S PERSONAL ENCOUNTER WITH LEGENDARY ‘THUNDER’ BALOGUN
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
Growing up in the environs of the famous Liberty Stadium in Ibadan in the late 1960s, it was my dream that I could one day become a great footballer after being informed of the exploits of Tesilimi ‘Thunder’ Balogun especially the fairy tales around the legendary footballer nicknamed ‘Thunder.’
I had heard fairy tales of Thunder Balogun taking a ‘thunderous shot that tore through the stomach of popular Soviet goalkeeper, Lev Yashin.’
I grew up to later discover that it was part of ‘tales by moonlight’. I remember one evening after seeing a hard metallic shot put, I imagined it must be a ball specifically designed for ‘Thunder’ whom I believed was the only one with a special soccer boots to kick it.
Not so much endowed with the skill to back my dreams as I could not even make the team to my primary school football squad, I was nicknamed ‘captain’ among the dregs I played with on a patchy pitch where the Nigerian Tribune is currently located.
Directly facing it was a storey building I lived in. On the ground floor was a beer parlour that Thunder Balogun used to come to relax.
On a particular evening, he chose to sit out and drink alone outside as we were engaged in our kick about.
Upon noticing that a ‘scout’ was around, everyone, particularly my self engaged in selfish exhibition of individual skills. I was aged nine then.
Later ‘Thunder’ Balogun called us. I remember him rebuking me for showmanship and being selfish with the ball instead of passing to better-positioned teammates.
In the process of the advisory, I childishly asked him whether it was possible to be given ‘invitation’ to play for Nigeria.
He mischievously laughed and the other teammates joined in asking to be ‘called to camp.’
Balogun told us it was possible, but he knew our parents will not release us, a claim we all easily dismissed.
He picked a paper and pen and started to write down our names.
Meanwhile, all of us were not part of the core school team footballers. The next day, we reeled out the tale to the members of the school team who often stay behind to play football after school hours.
To my house everyone headed to after close of school, awaiting the arrival of Thunder Balogun so he could also write their names.
He eventually arrived in his Opel car. Before he could come out, hoards of school children had besieged him and prostrated. Wondering if anything had happened, I told him they were my friends who would also like to play for Nigeria.
Before I could finish my statement, one of them cut in and remarked that Thunder had written down names of misfits and that they, the new comers, were the ‘real’ footballers.
He requested that they should go and write down their names and bring to him as he entered the beer parlour.
Fifty-one years on, we are still awaiting the invitation to the national football team.
The miserable run of Akwa United and Ikorodu City came to an end after six games in the Nigerian Premier League this season. Both teams were initially glued at the bottom of the league table.
They now got respite as Akwa United beat Kano Pillar by 2-0 while Ikorodu City even did what could be considered an upset, beating Bendel Insurance 3-0.
Remo Stars bounced back to the top of the log after a 3-0 defeat of Nasarawa United. Shooting Stars are yet to get their rhythm this season, playing a barren draw with Enyimba in Ibadan.
Kwara United who got their first full points of the season last week after a 1-0 defeat of Remo Stars could not consolidate as they were beaten 1-0 by Abia Warriors.
Heartland under Emmanuel Amuneke are gradually recovering as they got a valuable away draw against El-Kanemi Warriors.
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
It is 75 years since Nigeria’s national football team first played an international match. That was on 8 October 1949 when the first set of Nigeria’s assembly on their return voyage stopped over in Freetown and engaged Sierra Leone in an international football match. Nigeria won 2-0, setting a chain of positive results on 8 October.
The country never lost any competitive duel on that date. More significantly, the Super Eagles first qualified for the World Cup on an 8 October date.
That was in 1993 when they were held to a 1-1 draw by Algeria in the quest for USA ‘94 World Cup.
Nigeria became the first English-speaking African country to qualify for the World Cup. Another significance of the October 8 match at the July 5 Stadium, Algiers is that Nigeria were unbeaten for the first time by Algeria at home.
The only deviation from the 8 October Magic was in 2015 when Nigeria lost 2-0 to Congo in a friendly match.
Twenty-six years after Nigeria’s debut international match, one of Africa’s biggest football nations, Egypt fell to the October 8 magic, losing 4-0 to Nigeria in the last stage of the triangular World Cup qualifying series for Argentina ’78.
Up till October 15, 2013, when Ghana beat Egypt 6-1 in Kumasi, the October 8, 1977 duel with Nigeria remained Egypt’s biggest loss in a World Cup qualifying match.
Before the 1977 duel, Nigeria in 1963 played a friendly match with Liberia in Monrovia. The October 8 magic was active, even in an away match. Nigeria drew 2-2 in their very first encounter with Liberia. It was shortly after the team had, through a protest, upturned a victory by Guinea to pick Nigeria’s very first African Nations’ Cup ticket.
Little wonder then that when FIFA suspended Nigeria in 2010, the world governing body provisionally lifted the ban on October 8!
Nigeria on 8 October
- 1949 – Freetown (Friendly) Sierra Leone 0-2 Nigeria
- 1963 – Monrovia (Friendly) Liberia 2-2 Nigeria
- 1977 – Lagos (World Cup qualifier) Nigeria 4-0 Egypt
- 1993 – Algiers (World Cup qualifier) Algeria 1-1 Nigeria… qualify for USA ‘94.
- 2005 – Abuja (World Cup qualifier) Nigeria 5-1 Zimbabwe
- 2010 – FIFA, in apparent respect to the 8 October magic, provisionally lifted a ban imposed on Nigeria.
- 2011 – Abuja (African Nations Cup qualifier) Nigeria 2-2 Guinea. Although undefeated, Nigeria failed to make it to the 2012 African Nations Cup.
- 2015 – D.R. Congo beat Nigeria 2-0 in Visé, Belgium. The ‘October 8 Magic’ is finally broken.
Rivers United have launched themselves to the top of the log at the end of the match day 5 of the Nigeria Premier League. The Port Harcourt side beat Akwa United 2-1 to go afloat after initial leaders, Remo Stars crumbled to a 1-0 defeat at Kwara United in Ilorin on Sunday.
It was Remo Stars’ first defeat in the season. Rivers United are now with 13 points. Stephen Mayo put Rivers United ahead after 31 minutes. But it turned a temporary lead as Akwa United bounced back almost at the blast of the referee’s whistle for the second half.
Friday Apollos levelled up for Akwa United before Ndifreke Effiong Udo scored the winner in the 85th minute.
Sunday Results
- Kwara United 1-0 Remo Stars
- Rangers International 1-0 Abia Warriors
- Heartland FC 2-0 Niger Tornadoes
- Kano Pillars 2-0 Sunshine Stars
- Plateau United 1-0 Ikorodu City
- Rivers United 2-1 Akwa United
- Enyimba 3-0 Katsina United* Suspended
- Nasarawa 0-0 Bayelsa United
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