Prince Lemmy Akakem did what sounded strange in Nigerian football circles when as Chairman of Heartland Football Club[ then known as Iwuanyanwu Nationale], he rarely travelled with the team outside the country. The money kept aside as allowance meant nothing.
While Akakem followed the team by road all over the country during Premier League matches, Vice Chairman, Dr. Ihechukwu Madubuike, hit the air for continental games especially the CAF Champions’ League.
The Orji Prince mounted the saddle in 1981 when the government of Chief Sam Mbakwe gave him the job of Chairman, Spartans football club, the original name of the Owerri team. He began so well and would have presented the National league trophy to Imo people in his first year.
However, Shooting Stars of Ibadan, who were supposed to honour their last match in Owerri to decide the league winners, chose to stay away. The Oluyole Warriors were afraid they would lose the game by more than two goals which was going to give the trophy to Spartans.
The NFA could do nothing as the penalty for staying away from a match was two points and two goals against the defaulter. Shooting Stars, therefore, became dubious winners of the title. Spartans were runners up and earned an automatic ticket to the regional WAFU Cup.
That meant Spartans were going places all over West Africa. From Benin Republic, to Togo, Cote D’Ivoire and finally Ghana. Yes, the international debutants got to the finals. In the Lagos first leg, Isaac Paha led the Ghanaians to a heart breaking 1-0 victory. In the return leg, there were no scores.
At the end of the 1985 season, the Imo State government pleaded with Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, to take over the club. The Attah Chief listened and did the needful. A new name, Iwuanyanwu Nationale, was adopted.
In January 1986, Chief Iwuanyanwu sent the team to Brazil, on a training tour. It was a contingent of 30 players and five officials. Leader of delegation was Chief coach, Willy Bazuaye. Prince Akakem stayed away but made sure the 75,000 dollars fee to the Brazilian Football Academy, Mendes was paid in good time.
In 1987, Iwuanyanwu Nationale, represented the country in the WAFU Cup once again. They played in Senegal against Diaraf before losing to Africa Sports on penalties in the quarter finals. From that year, the club remained international.
Between 1988 and 1991, Iwuanyanwu Nationale became a strong force in the CAF Champions’ League. In their first attempt, they got to the finals where they lost to Algerian side, Entente Setif. That same year, 1988, the team flew to South Korea for a Pre- Olympics soccer tournament.
Prince Akakem avoided the foreign trips. I think, he only travelled once, to Abidjan. The experience did not go down well with him. His team qualified for the semi finals of the Champions League at the expense of Africa Sports, Cote D’Ivoire. Hell was let loose. Physiotherapist, Alphonsus Dike, got a broken head from the rabid crowd.
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The semi finals was against FAR of Morocco. Akakem stayed away. In the second leg finals against Entente, Algeria, the journey took the team to London, Cairo and cold Constantine. The Prince was glad he did not travel. It was like merry go round.
Many fans did not know that Akakem was not comfortable flying from one country to the other. The belief was that he was either too busy with his job as a big time contractor or that since many of the matches at away were against Francophone countries, Vice Chairman, Dr. Madubuike, a PhD holder in French, stood in.
On Sunday Septemeber, 18,1994, what Akakem dreaded most, happened. An Oriental Airlines BAC 1-11, 50 Series, Flight R.NO 5N Imo crashed at the Tamanrasset Airport, Algeria. It was conveying Iwuanyanwu National players and officials back to Nigeria from Tunisia.
The team had lost 3-0 to Esperance of Tunisia in the first leg of the quarter finals of that season’s CAF Champions’ League. Two players, goalie Uche Ikeogu and defender, Aimuonwansa Omale, were among the five casualties. The others were, the Pilot, Co-Pilot and an air hostess.
