“Death is a spirit, no one can stop. No one comes into this world without succumbing to it. We will all die someday” – Tunde Aiyekooto
Dear Egbon Samuel,
Today is thirty four years ago you left us, thirty four years ago I stepped into the National Stadium though my first time and only time in history. I stepped there to watch you , it’s still a striking memories as if it was yesterday as the football community recorded one of the most painful exit in the history of a Nigerian Footballer.
Football enthusiastic had trooped out in their numbers to the National Stadium, Lagos in qualification to Italia ’90 against Angola. I was in National Stadium for the first time, a village boy from a remote Ondo village. I am fascinated to you having watched your rocket goal a year earlier in Maroc ’88. Little did I know that will be the last of you.
The charge atmosphere was electrifying, the visitors Palancras Negra of Angola had boasted to end the dream of the Super Eagles of Nigeria, for the Super Eagles team were trailing behind to cancel an initial deficit against Gabon 1-2 . The Stephen Okechukwu Keshi a.k.a Skipo will have none of it as the team including you were neck deep to cancel and fly the Nigeria flag in Italy ahead of the Cameronians. You’re on top of your fitness level, Africa Maradona Etim Esim, Baba Ali, Stephen Okechukwu Keshi ball distributor it’s a promising midfield that will wreck any Berlin Wall of Defense!
The game started, excited to see my hero do the magic of play, thirteen minutes left of play , tragedy struck , you slumped, ferried away, the commentator suspiciously raise the alarm that the standby van that took away my dreadlock hero came back empty without you! You only had a (77mins). I recollected Jesus of Angola tackled you mercilessly on the pitch who has no iota of Jesus Christ character in him, yet the ball is always glued to your legs until you released to your colleagues. Of course , you’re nick named “lord of midfielder”. I got home not minding the score line, I got the greatest shock of my life when the Nine o’clock news flitter in that you died of congestive heart failure. Thunderbolt! The whole nation mourn and dead silence. The referee who caution you early in the game reputed himself to have given you the first and only card offence in your international football career. A parting gift!
You’re not only a footballer but a wig well placed on your head and a gavel of justice in your right hand, you were a linguist extraordinaire as you could speak Igbo, English, Italian, Spanish, German and Yugoslavian fluently, but, who taught you these? You also boast of a first, second and a Master’s degree in International Law from the University of Rome. Not minding this mastery of International Law which the Attorney General of Nigeria then could not boast of, you prefered the soccer boots to erase the notion that the game of football was played only by dropouts, vagabonds, touts and even people with no future ambition. Actively involved in academic pursuits, you still kept alive his dream of being Nigeria’s “Michel Platini” and “Brazillian Falcao” who were your soccer role models.
Record shows that you began football career with AS Roma and later joined Dinamo Zagreb. After a while, you pitched tent with VFB Stuttgart in Germany. Not long into the contract, you were loaned to SSV-ULM 1848. You’re the club hero in SSV-ULM as the club slogan”No Okwaraji, No ULM. The perfect skill , bundle of mesmerizing dribbles, majestical passes of the ball, eagle eye on the inner box 18, unmistakably shaking the net, ball pass the dotted lines and shout for goooooaaaal cannot say less by crazy fans of Okwaraji.
Patriotic Nigerian, worthy of emulation, it wasn’t a social media world, it’s a snail post, you sent in many written letters telling the Football authority that a shirt on the Green Shirt Green is not a bad idea, luck finally came as a chance to replicate your magical skills… Just two matches you sealed a place in the team. At the African Cup of Nations, Maroc 88. You scored one of the fastest goal in the 16secs in the African Continent history against the mighty Indomitable Lion of Cameroun. It’s a very beautiful goal that can only be scored by a football wizard!
Again, you’re in the Olympic Games in Seoul. Too patriotic!
The world celebrate the Morocco player that wear Hijab the first in history who played in the Female world Cup but history have it on record that you’re the first Nigerian player to play with dreadlock, the first Lawyer to play for Super Eagles, the first Master degree holder to play for the National team. The first Nigerian player to sponsor self to and fro without asking for refund to play for the National Team. Too Patriotic!
You’re the hero of the generation, never shunned call up letters to play for the country, stood out among the galaxy of stars, swallow pride, full with uncommon humility , unparalleled patriotism, very honourable to see yourself dorm the Green White Green jersey. Let me not remind you that you’re a Nigerian Football Legend…Too Patriotic!
Nigeria need another Sam Okwaraji in today Super Eagles, can we find one? the one that will come with his personal savings to the national team without being invited to the team , painstakingly go back to it’s international base without fuming, the one that will write severally without dignified response but still be persistent and honourable with silence, the one that will be charged $45,000 to play for his country before getting released to play for World Cup Qualifiers matches at the risk of club career. Too Patriotic!
Your words finds you, like the musical legend sang concerning you ” O Okwaraji, o Okwaraji, Iwon nikan lowo mama, Iwon nikan lowo Papa, ti won ba gba boolu lorun ki o ge won ni egee ara”.
Meaning (Okwaraji you’re the only one from father and mother, if they play football in heaven, dribble them mercilessly).
Powerful is the tongue , you thundered on your club manager that he must respect agreement that no clause exist that you cannot play for your country of birth, you reminded him you’re a sound lawyer, but the error of tongue caught up with you when you said, “I am a Nigerian, and I will die fighting for the dignity of my country” and on the 12th August, 1989! You slumped right in front of the people you trusted so much, right in the emblem of our symbol of unity, the National Stadium Surulere, Lagos . Forgotten with the only Statue of you at the entrance, I swore never to be in the national stadium again until the country remember and properly immortalize you… Too Patriotic to die for Nigeria.
Adieu my hero…!
Prince Osuya B Omotunde
Coo /Editor Aiyekooto Reporters
12th August 2023.
07012281076 (WhatsApp Only).
