Getting a national team call up sounds great, it is more exciting when a debutant ends up scoring in the process. That was what happened to Arthur Ebunam in 1977 when the Green Eagles defeated hosts Azingo National of Gabon.
Ebunam said: “My Green Eagles debut was in 1977 in Libreville against Gabon. Nigeria defeated them by a lone goal and I was the scorer.”
The year turned out good for the dazzling debutant. On July 9, 1977 his Christ the King College (CKC) Onitsha team won the International Schools Sports Federation (ISSF) Cup in Dublin Ireland. It was the first time an African school would take part in the tournament.
CKC, managed by Eagles and Rangers veteran, Chukwuma ‘It’s a goal’ Igweonu had won the Manuwa/Adebajo Cup for Nigerian secondary schools in 1976. That outing earned the ISSF ticket. It turned out to be Nigeria’s first global soccer trophy.
Ebunam recalled the grand finale. “The game ended in a penalty shoot out. CKC led 2-0 in the first half. Our opponents from Turkey came back and tied the game in the second half. We beat them 6-5 with Patty Ikeagu scoring the winning penalty,” he told me from his holiday crib in the United States.
Some of the CKC players also did well later playing for Rangers and African Continental Bank (ACB). Ebunam moved from the Flying Antelopes to Standard, left Nigeria, returned to Rangers, moved again to BCC Lions and ended his career at El Kanemi Warriors.
Skipper Nnamdi ‘Camel’ Nwokocha, Sam Igwenagu, Amechi ‘Darkness’ Igweobi, Okey Ozo and reserve goalie Paul Obiakor joined the Coal City club. Patrick Ikeagu, whose elder brother, Forster, was a force in Rangers spent time at ACB, the Lagos Rangers.
The 1977 success story reached its height when Rangers won the African Winners Cup. The first leg in Lagos ended 4-1 against Thomas Nkono’s Canon Sportif of Cameroon. In Yaounde, the Nigerians triumphed 5-2 aggregate.
“The Yaounde game was played twice. The first was disrupted by rain with Canon leading by a goal in the first half. In the replay, we went ahead through Nwachukwu ‘Igariga’ Onyekwelu’s blinder before Canon equalised. It ended 1-1 but we won the trophy with 5-2 aggregate scores”, Ebunam added.
Ebunam was back in Libreville in May 1978 for what would have been the First African Super Cup. It was between Winners Cup champions, Rangers and Cup for Champion Clubs winners, Hafia of Guinea. The Cup was donated by Gabonese president Albert Omar Bongo.
Organisers, Supreme Council for Sports in Africa (SCSA) had everything in place waiting for Hafia. The Guineans chickened out at the last minute. Rangers beat a Gabonese selected 5-2 but were not awarded the Cup.
At the end of the season, he left Rangers with team mates Okey Isima and Humphrey Okechukwu for Standard, Jos. In the 1979 league, they beat their former team,home and away, with goals coming from Isima in Jos and Okechukwu in the Nsukka second leg.
Ebunam has no regrets humiliating the Flying Antelopes. “No, I didn’t feel for Rangers because some of their players were unfriendly to us during inspection, saying all kinds of trash before we actually got on the pitch.”
From Jos, Ebunam joined the Yankee train. “I was offered Athletic Scholarship by Clemson University in South Carolina, to come play soccer and get some education. I thought that after playing football, I would have something to fall back on, ” he said.
With a degree in Textile Engineering, the star returned to Enugu in 1983 where he spent a season before heading back to the North to team up with BCC.
”Yeah, I returned to Rangers in 1983 but the Managers, Sole Administrator, coaches weren’t ready to do the right thing, therefore, I had to leave the Club. I later joined BCC in 1984 and took them to the 1985 FA Cup final against Abiola Babes”.
The ex- international has fond memories of the Maiduguri Warriors, founded by Col. Abdul Mumuni Aminu, President Ibrahim Babangida’s Aide de Camp (ADC) who was appointed governor of Bornu State as a young Major in 1985. Aminu became Chairman of the Nigeria Football Association in 1996.
“I was at El Kanemi. It was the richest club in the country at the time. Funded by governor Aminu, the team was star studded. We had stars like Samson Siasia, Etta Egbe, Paul Yusuf, Hassan Abdullahi, Amechi Otti, Celestine Nzekwe(late), Benedict ‘ Surugede’ Ugwu, Leo Moffi, Okwuchukwu ‘Agarimojo’ Anigbogu, Manu Garba and Malam Chindo.”
He also revealed why the North was a huge attraction having played in Jos, Gboko and Maiduguri respectively.
”In the North, you get paid your worth. They were honest in dealing with players and above all, players’ welfare was their first priority,” Ebunam emphasised.
He harped on his time at Nike Grammar School, Enugu. “I was at Nike Grammar School where we dominated football in Enugu. Yeah, I can say that my my soccer skills were honed there.”
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His parents also received full marks. “My growing up was wonderful because my parents were supportive of whatever productive goals I embraced. I guess it was because my dad worked with some white professionals at the Coal Corporation before Civil War broke out.
“His mentality was that of a white man. He later worked in the transport section of the East Central State Sports Council. My mother was also very instrumental to my good upbringing, making sure I didn’t derail from my set goals.”
Ebunam is also in the club of players whose names are pronounced or written wrongly. Emmanuel Amuneke became Amunike, Michael Obi is written as Mikel Obi. Before them,some Igbo saw Adokiye Amiesimaka as Amasiemeka just as Daniel Amokachi turned to Amokachie.
He clarified it: “My name is Arthur Ebunam but every radio commentator, newspaper reporter etc misspelled my last name by often adding ‘g’ to it. Till this day, I still encounter that problem.”
Ebunam is into many things. He worked with the Anambra State Government as Special Adviser, Sports. Consultancy also takes most of his time even as you can see him discussing oil and gas.
