Nigeria is blessed with leaders who took to sports in their younger days. Two of them stand out for doing so much as individuals before they became top government officials:President Nnamdi Azikiwe and Chief of Staff Supreme Headquarters, Vice Admiral Akinwale Wey.
One thing they had in common was that they spent time in Calabar as students. Dr. Azikiwe was at Hope Waddell Training Institute, Wey finished from St. Patrick’s College after Primary education at the Roman Catholic School, Anua. Both spoke Yoruba too having relocated to the then Federal Capital.
Zik did not play for the national team. He did not win the Challenge Cup as a footballer. Wey did being capped from the Lagos Marine team which won the First Challenge Cup in 1945. The squad was originally known as Harbour Eleven until a name change in 1938.Seven years later the Seasiders defeated Ministry of Labour’s Corinthians to lift the trophy.
It was also in 1938 that Azikiwe established the Zik’s Athletics Club (ZAC). It was more than a football team because they had good athletes who were some of the best at the time. What stood ZAC out was that they raksed three formidable oufits: Bombers, Spitfire and Hurricanes. Prominent members included Dan Anyiam, Carl ‘Gentleman’ O’dwyer, Albert Osakwe, Titus Okere, ATB Ottun and Sam Akbabot.
In 1942, ZAC Bombers won the Governor’s Cup. ZAC Spitfires grabbed the Zard Cup.It was therefore no surprise that the three ZAC teams took part in the maiden Challenge won by Marine. Other teams were: Railways, P and T, Corinthians, PWD, Lands and Survey and UAC.
Father Denis Slattery, the Irishman from Fermoy who arrived Nigeria during the Second World War in 1941 and settled in Ilawe Ekiti, was the centre referee of the grand finale. One of the linesmen was Zik whose three teams lost out on the way to the big occasion.
However, Azikiwe also played soccer. In 1923, he was in the Lagos Diamonds team that paraded English teacher Baron Mulford. Zik would later play for ZAC Bombers in the formative years from the inside left position. When the team confronted Desalu’s Eleven in 1938, he gave a good account of himself.
Wey was well known at Onikan playing for Marine. According to Akpabot : “he was a bearded bulldog who in every match gave opposing forwards heart failure. I can hear the roar of the crowd at the stadium chanting ‘ Wey!Wey!Wey! as he responded by nodding his head incessantly and daring any forward to pass him”.
Zik built the Yaba Stadium in 1940. He was an all rounder. As far back as 1926, the Nigerian excelled in the Long Jump, Mile Race and Penthatlon to be voted Track and Field All Rounder, at Storer College, West Virginia, the United States. Azikiwe was a welterweight boxer and also tennis star.
Refusal by white Londoners to allow Zik take part in a long distance race in the UK capital caused him to drop his English name, Benjamin.Wey was well received in Lagos and retained his other names, Joseph and Edet. After football Zik joined politics and became Premier, Senate President, Governor General and President. Wey moved to the Navy, became Service Chief, Federal Commissioner and Vice President equivalent.
Read also: SPORTS FLAKES: To hell with Indomitable Lions!
General Muhammadu Buhari was a strong marathoner in his Cadet years both in Kaduna and Aldershot. His course mate, Juventus Chijioke Ojukwu, remembers that much. That explains Buhari’s victory in 2015 after several attempts. The race is not for the swift. When he ran like a sprinter to become Head of State in 1983, Buhari did not last.
General Ibrahim Babangida earned the sobriquet ‘Block Buster’ before Aloysius Atuegbu.As Head Boy of Provincial Secondary School (Government College), Bida, he was a good defender and also took part in cricket, hockey and athletics. Sports captain was Mohammed Magoro.
General Sani Abacha played good football at the Nigeria Military Training College (NMTC), Kaduna where he met Babangida and General Abdusalami Abubakar. Abacha was known as Obi de Pele. Abdusalami was first choice goalie during his Government College Bida years. Babangida was in defence. Till date he is still keeping watch over his buddy who defends him in return.
Under Zik as Premier of Eastern Region, Nigeria won a first Commonwealth gold. In the Gowon years (he played hockey for Sandhurst and like Azikiwe was good in boxing, soccer and athletics), All Africa Games football gold came. The Buhari junta received the FIFA U-17 trophy. IBB almost got nothing until Shooting Stars won the< maiden CAF Cup.We all remember Abacha and First Olympic gold and Africa’s first Olympic soccer triumph. Keeper Abdusalami kept the laurels safe.
