We cannot forget so easily the duo of Emmanuel and Patrick Okala, brothers, the first Nigerians to bring African Nations Cup gold and silver to a family. The former won gold in 1980. The latter picked a silver medal in 1984.
The senior Okala was not the first goalie to emerge from the family. His uncle, Walter, was goalkeeper of Christ the King College [CKC], Onitsha. To make the first team of the CKC was a feat because of the school’s strong soccer tradition. In 1938, CKC became unofficial national champions when they defeated St. Gregory’s College, Obalende in Lagos. In 1977, CKC won the International Schools Sports Federation[ISSF] football championships in Dublin, Ireland.
Emma Okala joined Enugu Rangers in 1971 from Onitsha Red Devils. The Flying Antelopes won their first major trophy, the Amachree Cup, thereafter. That victory took them to the CAF Champions’ League for the first time. They were eliminated in the quarter finals by ASEC Mimosas, of Cote D’Ivoire.
In 1972, Okala was invited to the Green Eagles camp preparatory to the 1973 Second All Africa Games. Nigeria won the soccer gold medal. In 1973, he was a member of the East Central State Spartans that grabbed the football gold at the First National Sports Festival, Lagos ’73.
The keeper played a huge role. In the grand finale against Benue Plateau State, Okala, saved a penalty to ensure that Spartans emerged best. The ECS team defended the gold medal successfully in 1975.
Enugu Rangers remain the only club to have won the Challenge [Aiteo] Cup three times consecutively. They did it in 1974, 1975 and 1976 respectively. Okala was in goal all through and went on to lift a fourth Challenge Cup in 1981.
The Flying Antelopes became Africa Winners Cup champions in 1977 following their defeat of Canon Sportif, Cameroon in Yaoundé. The first leg in Lagos ended 4-1 in favour of the home team. The away second leg produced a 1-1 result. Okala stood between Canon and goals. At the end, the losers claimed he was indeed a Cameroonian because some of them bear Okala.
The Green Eagles lifted the Nations Cup in 1990. Okala was part of the squad but as reserve to Best Ogedegbe. He quit the team later because Director of the National Sports Commission [NSC],Isaac Akioye, prevented coach Otto Gloria from playing him as a late substitute in the 3-0 grand finale triumph over Algeria.
Younger brother, Patrick, kept goal for Nigeria in another Nations Cup final. The opportunity that was denied the senior Okala offered itself. And the coach was a Yoruba man, Adegboye Onigbinde, just like Akioye. It was sad that Akioye, reserve goalkeeper to Sam Ibiam as a member of the 1949 UK Tourists team treated Emma Okala with such disdain in 1980.
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Patrick was not as lucky as Emmanuel. At the Cote D’Ivoire ’84 Nations Cup final, the Green Eagles lost 3-1 to Cameroon’s Indomitable Lions. Something like pay back. One Okala dealt with Cameroon in 1977, another Okala slumped to Cameroon in 1984.
Patrick Chuka Okala also won the Challenge Cup with Rangers in 1983, something his brother won four times. Unfortunately, the younger Okala died in 1991. Another brother, Charles, was forced out of the game by injury.
Peter and Sunday Rufai are from a ruling house in the Idimu area of Lagos although they grew up in Port Harcourt. The former became popular in 1981 when Stationery Stores got to the finals of the Africa Winners Cup.
It did not end well. The Adebajo Babes got a goalless result against Union Douala in Yaoundé. The Lagos second leg was a disaster. Rufai had to be pulled out for James Wariebi when the visitor’s hit two goals through their captain, Eugene Ekoule. Stores lost 2-1.
Sunday Rufai played most of his game in Kaduna and was given invitation to the national camp. He was not as successful as his elder brother. Peter Rufai scored for the Eagles in the 6-0 demolition of Ethiopia in 1990.
Christian and Emeka Obi once faced themselves in a League match in 1990. It was Enugu Rangers versus Julius Berger, Lagos. Christian had won a Nations Cup silver at Algiers ’90 with the Green Eagles. In 1985, he gained global attention at the FIFA World Youth Championships after coming on a sub for Aloy Agu in the third place match against hosts, USSR.
The Flying Eagles beat USSR 2-1 to clinch the bronze medal. The same Soviet team had beaten them 2-0 in one of the group games.
