Green Eagles were good enough for a World Cup debut until luck dealt Nigeria a terrible blow by bringing Rangers International, Enugu and Shooting Stars, Ibadan together in a battle of giants in the semi-finals of the Third Africa Winners Cup in 1977.
The road to Argentina ’78 was so smooth. The Eagles looked so good for a medal at the Montreal ’76 Olympic Games but were back home at the last minute following boycott by some African countries over apartheid South Africa. Many members of that team were still active in 1977.
They included Skipper Christian Chukwu, Keeper Emma Okala, Sam Ojebode, Patrick Ekeji, Muda Lawal, Aloy Atuegbu, Godwin Odiye and Thompson Usiyen. New faces had also joined the team and were considered even more dangerous. Segun Odegbami operated from the right wing, having taken over from Baba Otu Mohammed who was voted best right winger at the Ethiopia ’76 African Nations Cup.
Adokiye Amiesimaka was fully settled in the outside left position, after benching Kunle Awesu, the continent’s best left winger in 1976.Godwin Iwelumo, Chris Ogu, Anas Ahmed and Shefiu Mohammed had also filled the space left by Andrew Atuegbu and Kelechi Emeteole. Coach Jelisavic ‘Father’ Tiko had assembled a killer squad that was dreaded all over Africa.
Nigeria got to the final round of the qualifiers without losing a game. In the first round Sierra Leone slumped 6-2 in Lagos after getting a barren result in Freetown. It was one of Christian Madu’s few matches for the national team. Aloy Atuegbu got a brace. The second round was easier as Zaire failed to appear. In the third round, Cote D’Ivoire were massacred 4-0. They would not forget Amiesimaka. The other leg in Bouake ended in a 2-2 draw.
In the last round, three teams- Nigeria, Egypt and Tunisia- emerged and only one would qualify to represent Africa as the continent had a lone slot. The Green Eagles got a comfortable goalless draw in Tunis, then bombed Egypt 4-0 in Lagos. With two matches to go, everything went as planned.
Shooting Stars were defending the Africa Winners Cup which they won in 1976. Rangers were playing in the competition for the first time. Like the Eagles, the Flying Antelopes remained unbeaten the competition while the Oluyole Warriors had dropped games against Bata Bullets of Malawi and Stade Abidjan respectively. Rangers had conceded only two goals before the semi-finals and played more games, six, against Shooting Stars’ four. The Ibadan side had let in four goals.
Shooting Stars and Rangers met in Winners Cup semis. The first leg was billed for Lagos on October 15,1977. It was like war between Yoruba and Igbo. There was tension in the air. Shooting had beaten Rangers2-1in the grand finale of the 1971 Challenge Cup. Hero of that duel was keeper Amusa Adisa who saved Godwin Achebe’s last minute penalty that would have put scores at 2-2.
Achebe was said not to have missed a penalty kick until that day. It was not exactly true. In 1970, one young giant, Emmanuel Okala, stopped Achebe’s kick while in goal for Onitsha Red Devils. That was the day Rangers grabbed him. In 1977, Achebe was coach of the Flying Antelopes, Okala was their goalie. Rangers had also avenged the 1971 defeat when they defeated Shooting Stars 1-0 in the grand finale of the 1975 Challenge Cup.
In the Winners Cup first leg, everyone knew Okal;a was the best keeper in Africa. All knew too that Odegbami was the most dangerous winger in Africa. All eyes were on the two players who also shared the same room in the Green Eagles camp. Achebe put school boy, Nnamdi Anyafo, on Odegbami. Francis Nwosu, Christian Chukwu and Ignatius Ilechukwu stood firm at the back.
In the midfield were Christian Madu,, Aloy Atuegbu and Stanley Okoronkwo. Sam Onyeaka, Chimezie Ngadi and Ogidi Ibeabuchi were to harass Best Ogedegbe, in goal for the opposition. Sam Ojebode led the Oluyole Warriors. Muda Lawal was there. Idowu Otubusin, Moses Otolorin, Kunle Awesu, Joe Appiah stood their ground. It was like the second invasion of Ore. If there was a Victor Banjo, it could have been Francis Nwosu who played for Lagos Academicals to beat East Central State in the final of the Manuwa/Adebajo Cup in 1974.
Before the game, NFA tried to put things in order. Ace cameraman, Peter Obe, who had covered the Third Marine Commandos during the Civil War, with Col Benjamin Adekunle and later Col. Olu Obasanjo, called out the quartet of Chukwu, Okala, OJebode and Odegbami for a photo session. The picture was used as cover in the Daily Times.
The game ended 0-0. Hero of that match turned out to be Anyafo who was promptly christened ‘Policeman’, by legendary radio commentator, Ernest Okonkwo. Achebe could have told Anyafor :’If Odegbami goes down, go down with him. If Segun goes to toilet, go to toilet with him. If he dies ,die with him’. That was before the match and the young defender did exactly that.
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Achebe dished out those orders like a soldier. Of course, he fought for Biafra and ended up training soldiers at the Biafra School of Infantry. Rangers was full of Biafran soldiers from the beginning. Captain Nwabueze Nwankwo had retired in the Winners Cup quarter finals after the goalless draw with AS Police of Senegal.
The Eagles had lost 3-1 to Egypt in Cairo and needed victory over Tunisia in Lagos to qualify for the Argentina ’78 World Cup. Saturday November 12 was match day. Head of State, General Olusegun Obasanjo, did not like the signals he was getting from within. Playing the second leg of the Africa Winners Cup semi-finals between Shooting and Enugu was almost going to cause another Civil War.
Rangers were surrounded by veterans. former skipper Dominic Nwobodo was a Biafran commando just like Obasanjo commanded Nigerian commandos. His elder brother, Chris Nwobodo, died in battle while defending Owerri against Obasanjo and the Third Marine commandos. Gen. Obasanjo had to intervene. He handed over the matter to his deputy, Maj. Gen. Shehu Yar’adua. The match was moved to Kaduna.
At the end, the goals did not come. It took penalty kicks for Rangers to win 4-2. Okala was hero, his friend ,Odegbami, missed. Rangers would go ahead to win the trophy in Cameroun after beating Canon Sportif 5-2 aggregate.
A week later, Tunisia beat Nigeria 1-0 in Lagos to end Eagles’ World Cup dream. And the goal was self inflicted. Gowdwin Odiye tried to head away from goal but the ball beat Okala and sailed into the net. It was a spin from Tarek Dhiab. The man Father Tiko had warned Eagles about. The Yugoslav had told Muda before the first leg :’Muda look for Tarek, Tarek run, Muda run, Tarek sit Muda sit. Tarek walk, Muda walk. Today, Tarek no play”.
Recently I got chatting with two former players. One was involved, the other watched and both live in the United States. Sam Onyeaka, better known as ‘404’ was in the Rangers team. Fidelis Atuegbu is one of the famous Atuegbu Brothers of Mathew, Andrew, Aloy and Nicholas. He watched the Kaduna leg. Both believe the Winners Cup match cost Nigeria a World Cup place.
Onyeaka said; “That game really divided Nigeria and Obasanjo saw it and acted right by moving the second leg to Kaduna. The tension so generated made it uninteresting and both teams played below their normal standard.”
Atuegbu did not mince words: “The divide in the Eagles camp at that time was more damaging to the cohesiveness of the team. There was no doubt in my mind that the club match between Rangers and IICC took precedence over the World Cup match. The fact was very much in display. The Eagles did not gel. They were not playing as a team. People that used to cover other people did not do so on that day.
“I was shocked by the animus and palpable division at the camp prior to that game against Tunisia. I can still remember that as if it was yesterday.. Even players from other teams were forced to take sides.”
The goal came off the mistake of Ojebode. All Eagles defenders had gone forward leaving Odiye behind. Tarek Dhiab got the ball after Ojebode’s cross missed target. Chukwu and Patrick Ekeji could not catch up with the Tunisian danger man. And Odiye was left alone to cover Okala. He tried but the ball went into his won net. Odiye played for National Bank Lagos. He left for the United States in 1978 but won the Nations Cup in 1980.
Beyond the mistake, the NFA had also erred by hiking gate fee before the game. It turned Nigerian fans against their own team.
Rangers had four players in the Eagles camp, Chukwu, Okala, Atuegbu and Ilechukwu. There were also four Shooting Stars in camp, Ojebode, Odegbami, Muda and Best Ogedegbe.
