They shone like Northern Stars, came back home to Ibadan and made more marks at Shooting Stars Football Club. Some progressed to the national team, winning laurels. At least one of them topped the scorers chart outside Africa.
Patrick Olusegun Odegbami was born in Lagos on August 27, 1952. His parents took him to Jos on the Plateau as a toddler. Education began at St. Theresa’s Primary School. That was where the all famous Atuegbu brothers began to shine.
From there, Odegbami moved up to St. Morumba, a prime Roman Catholic secondary school in the tin city. The institution is home to quite a number of soccer stars. It produced Kenneth Abana, scorer of Enugu Rangers first local and international goals.
Mathew Atuegbu, the eldest of the Atuegbu bunch that included Nicholas, Andrew, Aloy and Fidelis was also there. His nickname, Mogambo the Truck Pusher, was real fun. Benedict Akwuegbu is one of the Old Boys of the school
Odegbami left Jos for further studies in Ibadan. His mission was to make the premier university. The player settled for an Engineering course at the Polytechnic, Ibadan. And from there, soccer continued.
The striker paid tuition moving from Nigerian Tobacco Company (NTC) to the more rewarding WNTV/ WNBS football club. He joined Housing Corporation before Shooting Stars snatched and turned him to a superstar.
Odegbami came from a family of footballers. His elder brother, Dele, had won the Thermogene Cup for Western Nigerian schools in 1964 and played briefly for Stationery Stores, Lagos. Wale, the younger sibling was part of the all conquering Leventis United, Ibadan squad of the 1980s.
Mathematical won the African Nations Cup with the Green Eagles in 1980, captained the national team to the Moscow ’80 Olympics before quitting in 1981. He had lifted the African Winners Cup with the Oluyole Warriors in 1976.
Segun speaks Hausa fluently and also understands Igbo, thanks to his years in Jos. A man with tall dreams, he ventured into sports management, journalism, marketing and politics.
Solomon Tunde Bamidele, born on May 13, 1951 also spent time in Jos where he attended Government Secondary School. Bauchi became the next attraction. He enrolled at the Bauchi College of Arts and Science (BACAS).
Footballers wander like pilgrims. Bamidele left Bauchi to play for Taraba Stars. It was while doing his thing there that a jumbo offer came from Raccah Rovers, Kano. The journey to Shooting Stars followed.
Bamidele was part of the Nations Cup winning Green Eagles in 1980. The left back had earlier won bronze in the same competition two years earlier in Ghana. He also made it to the Olympic Games in 1980.
His saddest moment came in October 1981 when what would have been a World Cup debut was shattered by Algeria. Bamidele could not eat after that disaster. “I just couldn’t get myself to eat. It ended my dream of playing professional soccer in France”, he told me long after that experience.
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Felix Owolabi Akinloye, popularly known as Owoblow was also taken to the North as a boy. His primary school, United African Nations School, Kaduna had thrown up keeper Inua Rigogo and Aloy Atuegbu.
As studies progressed, the left winger turned left back also played street football around Tudunwada, Katsina Road and Constitution Road. That was what earned him a place at Kaduna Rocks.
Owolabi trianed as a teacher at Katsina after leaving Government Secondary School, Dutsin Ma. He excelled in athletics as a sprinter. His Games Master, Dr. Tijani Yusuf, later became Secretary General of the NFF.
Coach Ismaila Lulu was seconded to Katsina from Zaria. The first thing he did was to manage a new club, Nasarawa. One of the prominent players was Captain Bala Shagari, son of president Shehu Shagari. Owolabi was there too.
Raccah Rovers of Kano did not keep their eyes off Owolabi. They got him. It was from there that Father Tiko saw a new addition to the Eagles’ team. In 1978, the player got an All African Games silver in Algiers.
That same year, he signed for Shooting Stars. It was a journey back home which did not materialise until 1979. Owolabi scored the last goal when the Oluyole Warriors bagged the Challenge Cup after beating Sharks 2-0.
Rashidi Yekini, a professional vehicle painter and part time glacier, was playing Sunday soccer in Kaduna right from his ABS school until his friend, Ade, lured him to UNTL in 1981.
Coach Muniru Sule room over from there. Yekini turned out as the club’s leading scorer until 1983 when Shooting Stars fan, Adegoke, saw him play in Port Harcourt. Yekini’s days in the North were over.
Gangling Yekini joined Shooting same time as team mates, Olu Kalejaiye and Kayode Aina. Keeper Daniel Abdullahi and Sola Akinsola came from Leadway Assurance. Yekini was once top scorer in Portugal, playing for Vitoria Setubal.
Sola Akinwale was a Kano Boy all through, from Baptist Primary School to Ahmadiya Secondary School. He played for Works Golden Stars and Yala Super Eagles. The man graduated from Bayero University with a degree in Mass Communications.
Soccer took him to Bank of the North and North Breweries respectively before Shooting Stars hauled him back to Ibadan. Akinwale won the maiden CAF Cup with the Ibadan club in 1992.
