Many compatriots may not know that Carlos Alberto Perreira, the man who led Brazil to World Cup victory in 1994, was part of the Green Eagles technical crew during preparations for the 1980 Africa Nations Cup which Nigeria won.
Perhaps a few remember that Carlos Alberto also handled Enugu Rangers briefly. Full back Patrick Ekeji [Power House] who picked a lot from the Brazilian would eventually turn an emergency coach when the Nigeria Football Association [NFA] played a fast one on the Flying Antelopes in January 1980.
Carlos Alberto was recruited alongside Otto Gloria and Carlesso, to lead the Eagles to the Nations Cup. ’Professor’ Otto Gloria was to be assisted by the duo. Carlesso was the fitness trainer.
Rangers were in the final of the 1979 WAFU Cup. Their opponents, AS Police of Senegal, were well known as the team that lost in the quarter –finals of the 1977 Africa Winners Cup to the Coal City team. Victory came at the Demba Diop Stadium, Dakar.
Hell was let loose. The fIrst leg in Lagos had ended goalless. In Dakar, Chimezie Ngadi [Watch me] and Sam Onyeaka stunned the hosts with two goals. It ended 2-1. Home fans descended on the victors. Captain Christian Chukwu was stripped to the pants. Nigerian leader, Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo, had to send a military aircraft to bring back the team.
That was in 1977. Rangers later moved ahead to lift the Africa Winners Cup. In 1979, against Police, the Flying Antelopes planned to win the WAFU Cup for Nigeria. Water Corporation, Ibadan were defeated by the same AS Police in 1977.
In 1979, Rangers were unbeaten at away until they hit the finals. In the quarter –finals, they earned a crucial 3-1 away victory against Requins Atlantique of Benin. Scorers were Ekeji, Ngadi and Sunday Nwokocha. In the return leg, Chukwu’s effort made it 2-0 after Ngadi’s opener.
In the semis, Ifeanyi Onyedika’s brace buried Stade in Abidjan. Onyedika had also scored in the Lagos leg which Rangers won 3-1. Chukwu and Sam Igwenagu completed the rout.
Onyedika was to earn Otto Gloria’s attention when he scored twice for Rangers in a friendly with the Eagles. Scores stood at 2-1. The Brazilian invited him and the striker eventually made it to the 1980 Nations Cup.
When Rangers got to the WAFU Cup finals, Carlos Alberto was drafted to help them win the Cup. The first leg ended in a draw. Chukwu, Ekeji, Aloy Atuegbu, Adokiye Amiesimaka and Sylvanus Okpala turned up from the Eagles camp. Okala stayed away.
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As the team prepared to fly to Dakar, wonders happened. The NFA came up with a story that Carlos Alberto could not make the trip because it could not procure a visa for the Brazilian. [He was also schemed out of the Eagles camp]. Rangers thus embarked on the trip without a coach.
Team spirit came into play. The players allowed Ekeji to act as coach. They did not make a wrong choice, anyway. Ekeji held a degree in Physical and Health Education from the University of Nigeria Nsukka[UNN]. In that circumstance he took up the challenge and played as well as coached the team.
Ekeji’s father was a policeman and he grew up at the Obalende, Lagos Barracks. There was no fear of another attack since he was a member of Vasco Da Gama, Enugu when the mayhem was unleashed on Rangers in 1977. The Coach-Player was also a combatant for Biafra during the Civil War.
‘Quicksilver’ Okpala found the net for Rangers but it was not enough to win the match. AS Police put in two goals to win the Cup. Nigeria would lose in two more WAFU finals. Sharks of Port Harcourt even lost Coach Carl [Gentleman] O’Dwyer in a car crash. Spartans of Owerri came so close in 1982 but lost to Sekondi Hasaacas of Ghana.
It was New Nigeria Bank [NNB] Benin that won Nigeria’s first WAFU Cup in 1983. The Bankers retained it in 1984 and were going to win for keeps when Nigeria withdrew from the competition following the maltreatment of Shooting Stars by Africa Sports in Abidjan. However, another Benin club, Insurance won the WAFU Cup for keeps about a decade later.
One take away from that Carlos Albero miss and Ekeji’s debut as a coach : The Nigerian later coached the Eagles. He also handled Old Edwardians of Sierra Leone, United Nigeria Textiles Mill [UNTL], Kaduna and African Continental Bank[ACB], Lagos respectively.