Power minister, Babatunde Fashola, may be playing Sunday, Sunday soccer. He is also a much heralded Manchester United fan. The former governor is not in any way close to the cleats of his uncle, Alfa Bello Fashola, the first captain of the Nigerian national soccer team.
In 1938, A.B. Fashola, captained Nigeria against the Gold Coast[Ghana] in what was tagged the first Inter Colonial match, at the Association Ground, Onikan Lagos. The game ended 3-1 in favour of the hosts who paraded school boy, R.A.Wilson, of Kings College, Lagos.
Fashola who came from the Post and Telecommunications [P and T] team led the bunch of keeper Benjamin ‘Ceremonial’ Williams[Police], Oguntoyinbo ‘Spindle Shanks'[Lagos Town Council LTC], Ogbe[Marine], A.A. Alli ‘Expert Corner Kick’ [LTC], Esisi [Marine], Wilson, Nsa [Marine], Aloy Ade ‘Poisonous’ Oni[Marine] and Pius Quist.
A year later, Fashola captained the national team against what was Nigeria’s first Academicals. Of the team that faced the Gold Coast in 1938, four did not make it. Another policeman, Pedro, manned the posts in place of Williams. Richard Etim Henshaw, who would captain the United Kingdom Tourists in 1949, earned his first cap. So did Okoronkwo Kanno, another UK Tourist, and Abua.
Kings College star, Wilson, the first school boy international, missed the 1939 match. The Academicals had three Ghanaians, Alex Quist, Mensah and Ankrah. The trio came from St. Gregory’s College, Obalende, Lagos. Pius Quist who played for Nigeria against Ghana in 1938 was elder brother of Alex.
Alex Quist also played for the senior national team as a school boy. In the 1960s, there were two prominent school boy internationals: Johnny Egbonu and Mike Nwokedi. They moved from Zixton Grammar School, Ozubulu to Stella Maris College, Port Harcourt.
The duo of Saburi Biobaku and Albert Osakwe were also in the Nigerian Academicals squad. Both later graduated from British Universities. Biobaku, from Government College Ibadan was then known as Bisiriyu and in subsequent years became not only a professor of History, he rose to the position of Vice Chancellor.
Fashola joined the Army during the Second World War but served at home with the West African Frontier Forces[WAFF]. One of his contemporaries was, Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi. Another soccer star, Sokari Dokuboh, fought in Burma. When he returned from the battle field, he was given the nickname, ‘Burma Devil’. One soldier who also served in Burma was Babafemi Ogundipe.
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Ironsi and Ogundipe were not footballers. They advanced in their military career and by January 1966, were Head od State and Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters respectively.
One of Fashola’s P and T team mates, Harding Ekperegin, combined soccer with Athletics. He did so well in both and perhaps became one of the first to play soccer and also represent the country in Track and Field at the same time. Chioma Ajunwa apparently followed his footsteps.
Fashola captained the Eagles in 1938, when they had no name. Henshaw led the national team, known as UK Tourists in 1949. That was the first team to play outside Africa. In the 1950s, the Nigerian team became Red Devils. After independence in 1960, a new name , Green Eagles, was adopted. In 1988, Admiral Augustus Aikhomu, changed it to Super Eagles.
Fabian Duru was so proud to be the last captain of the Red Devils and first captain of the Green Eagles. Called ‘Duru Mechanic’ for his robust tackles which left him as stained as a motor mechanic, he was also as educated as Osakwe and Biobaku. The left back ended up as an Engineer.
Fashola became a Veteran of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria [AFN]. Yes he was also active in Track and Field. During the All Nigeria Championships in 1987, Fashola was the Chief Time Keeper. Other veterans who played active roles were Abdul Kareem Amu, Victor Odofin-Bello, Babs Olowu and Pa S.A. Jolaoso, longest serving AFN Secretary General.
Fashola’s great grandfather was also known as Alfa Bello Fashola. Governor Fashola’s dad, Ibrahim Ademola, was AB Fashola’s brother and AB Fashola’s grandson as well. So the Works minister’s great, great grandfather, and uncle, bore the same name, Alfa Bello Fashola.
