When Kano defeated Lagos Dynamos 2-1 to win the Challenge Cup in 1953, it signaled the emergence of Northern Nigeria as a strong force in Nigerian football. Individual footballers shone within the region especially in Jos where the Dankaro brothers lived. John Dankaro made the UK Tourists team of 1949, David also ventured abroad to play soccer.
In 1954, Calabar turned joy into sadness for the defending champions who were trounced 3-0 in the grand finale. The Calabar team was full of school boys from St. Patrick’s College and led by an Irish priest, Father Fitzgibbone. It did not come as a surprise that Calabar won the cup. Football was first played in that town and as far back as 1906, there was organized soccer there in what was called the Beverly Cup.
With Brendan John in goal, Kano could not put the ball in the Calabar net. The team was captained by Ndayomon Ekanem and had players like Emma Okoro, Cyril Anyanwu, Hubert Ejoh, Atinigwu ‘Control’, Tim Nwogwu, Francis Bassey and Hamilton Ihenacho, popularly known as ‘Wonder Boy’. It was from him that Paul Hamilton and Mathias Obianika adopted the nickname.
For 36 years after that Kano victory, no team from the North won the Challenge Cup until Shuaibu Amodu, a 31- year- old coach from Okpella in today’s Edo State took Benue Cement Company [BCC] Lions, Gboko to glory in 1989. The Cement Boys dethroned defending champions, Iwuanyanwu Nationale with a lone goal at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Stadium, Bauchi .The goal, scored by Aham Nwankwo, brought the North back to life.
In 1990, Amodu moved up. BCC won the Africa Winners Cup in Tunisia with a 4-1 aggregate victory over Club Africain. That was the first and only time a soccer team from the North won a continental title. The Lions followed the footsteps of Shooting Stars and Enugu Rangers who won the cup in 1976 and 1977 respectively.
Before BCC Lions, it was a strange tale that trailed the North. Many teams from there got to the grand finale but failed to win. Zaria lost in 1957. Mighty Jets of Jos had lost in 1951 and continued with their bad turn in 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1970, 1972 and 1974. AlyusufSalam Rocks of Ilorin fell in 1976, Raccah Rovers, Kano followed in 1977, Niger Tornadoes in 1982, and Ranchers Kaduna in 1983.
Some of those grand finale were the North lost were full of drama. In 1966 Mighty Jets could not raise a team to play in the final because most of their players were of Igbo extraction and had returned to the Eastern Region during the genocide that preceded the Civil War. That was when players like Tony Igwe [World Two], Peter Anieke and Sam Garba Okoye moved down to Lagos.
In 1972, the Challenge Cup final was taken out of Lagos for the first time following a 2-2 draw between Jets and Vipers of Benin. Jets were losing until Sam Garba scored two late goals to bring both teams level. Referee Sunny Badru was sanctioned by the NFA and a replay ordered at the Liberty Stadium Ibadan. Jets lost 3-2. That Jos side paraded some players whose homes were not far from Ibadan. Stars like Olayiwola Olagbemiro, Sule Kekere and Jide Dina.
There was no Challenge Cup in 1973 because of the First National Sports Festival in Lagos. In the football final, Mighty Jets represented Benue Plateau State and confronted East Central State Spartans. The jinx followed the Jos Boys. Spartans won 1-0, thanks to Emma Okala who saved a penalty.
Jets came face to face with Okala again in the 1974 Challenge Cup final. The Atuegbu Brothers, Mathew, Andrew and Aloysius from the East Central State with Kelechi Emeteole as well could not save the Tin City Boys from a 2-0 loss to Enugu Rangers. That was the first of the Flying Antelopes‘ numerous Challenge Cup golden outings. The goals were scored by Kenneth Ilodigwe and Ogidi Ibeabuchi.
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In 1976, a team, Alyusufsalam Rocks, emerged from Ilorin. Many in the town were used to Pioneers and Midland Stores. The greatest player to come out of Ilorin then was Folorunsho Gambari [Gambus] who won the Africa Winners Cup with Shooting Stars in 1976. Gambari finished from Government Secondary School, Ilorin. That School was the best in Kwara soccer and had players like Frank Omenka [yes Col. Frank Omenka], Victor Aniago [ he died as an Air Commodore], Frank Odiachi, Taofeek Azeez [No Good] and Steve Olarinoye [the NFA man].
AlyusufSalam qualified for the grand finale of the Challenge Cup. The remarkable thing was that all but one of the First Eleven, were Ghanaians. Skipper Owura Agyei led his countrymen, James Quino, Ahmed Nalando, Alkali Dafe and Loatis Boateng against Rangers. Chimezie Ngadi’s brace gave Rangers the cup for keeps after three consecutive wins. The lone Nigerian, Humphrey Okechukwu, joined the Flying Antelopes after the game.
When Ranchers Bees lost to Enugu Rangers in 1983, it became the first time penalty kicks would decide Challenge Cup champions. After a barren result, Rangers won 5-4 penalties. Christain Chukwu was coach of Rangers while Chris Udemezue led the Bees. Udemezue grew up and played in Jos
Amodu had also lost in the grand finale. Playing for Niger Tornadoes Minna in 1982, he got a silver medal after his team lost 4-1 to Stationery Stores. That was the last time he played active football. His first team was Dumez Benin, a largely unknown club. The man turned to coaching. It is possible he felt the pain of the North and decided to do something.
After BCC’s victory in 1989, the road was opened. El Kanemi Warriors, Maiduguri were crowned Champions in 1991, and again in 1992. BCC wion in 1993 and retained the trophy in 1994. You can imagine the North that did not win the Challenge Cup for so long, 36 years, keeping the trophy up there for four seasons. It was the handiwork of Amodu At the end, Amodu won the Challenge Cup five times, with BCC and El Kanemi respectively.
However, Amodu’s defence of the Africa Winners Cup in 1991 also created a record. BCC lost the Cup to Zambia’s Power Dynamos in Lusaka. It was the first time an African soccer title would be won by a country from Southern Africa. I watched the match at the Independence Stadium, Lusaka and before the duel, Power Dynamos’ Scottish coach, Jimmy Bone told me he was gong to crush the Lions. And he did.
Shuaibu Amodu, a five- time coach of the Nigerian National team took the Eagles to bronze at the Mali 2002 Africa Nations Cup and Angola 2010 Nations Cup respectively. Twice he qualified the team for the World Cup, twice, he could not make it. Amodu also took Shooting Stars to CAF Champion’s League finals loss in 1996. He died on June 10, 2016 in Benin City.