It was quid pro quo between Nigeria and Ghana as both sister countries exchanged sports stars in the first twenty years of independence. Rivalry played up and fans and families enjoyed the fun.
The Okolis were an interesting trio. Siblings Alex, Edith (later Mrs Mojekwu ) and Amelia (later Mrs Okpalaoka) grabbed news headlines at the 1961 Triangular Games. While the sisters represented Nigeria, their brother competed for Ghana. He was a student of the University of Legon at the time.
Alex Okoli bagged a bronze medal in the Long Jump. His sisters posted better performances winning gold in their respective events. The Triangular Games involved Nigeria, Ghana and Sierra Leone, all freed from British colonial rule.
Abdul Ganiyu Salami, was born in Accra to Ogbomosho parents. He attended St. John’s Grammar School Accra and played for Ghana Academicals. Salami also featured for Accra Hearts of Oak before making the national team, Black Stars. Twice he was in the Nations Cup team: Ghana’63 and Tunisia’65.
The Eagles made their Nations Cup debut in 1963. Salami won the Cup with the Black Stars while the Eagles were pounded by Egypt and Sudan respectively. The Ghanaians retained the trophy in Tunisia. Some of Salami’s team mates then included Aggrey-Fynn, Ofei Dodo, Osei Kofi and Kofi Pare.
There were two other Nigerians who played for Ghana in the 1960s: Ben Aminu Rafat and Amusa (Hamza) Gbadamosi, better known as Pele.So Nigeria gave the Black Stars a Pele before the emergence of Abedi. Salami later switched nationality and played for the Eagles at the Mexico ’68 Olympics. He was also part of the team that beat Cameroun 3-2 in Yaounde in a Mexico ’70 World Cup qualifier.
Salami, Rafat and Gbadamosi were brought back to Nigeria in 1967 by Ibikunle Armstrong, Team Manager, Leventis, Lagos, the Iddo Tigers. Salami turned coach later. He handled the Golden Eaglets and Super Eagles. In 2000, he took Shell Nigeria Academicals to Accra against their Ghana VALCO counterparts.
Ethel Jacks played ping pong for Ghana and emerged champion after defeating her friend Mukazel. She made for Nigeria later. Her national team pals included Engore Toun, Lekan Fenuyi, Omawunmi Majekodunmi, Sunday Eboh, Babs Obisanya, Kasali Lasisi and Lateef Sunmola. She ended up as a coach in Rivers State.
The most successful of the stars remains Kano boy, Ibrahim Sunday. Born in Koforidua, he took part in two Nations Cup grand finale: Ethiopia ’68 and Sudan ’70. Although the Black Stars lost on both occasions, Sunday did play. Salami did not play in a day Nations Cup grand finale. Sunday’s contemporaries included Cecil Jones Attuquayeffio and Jabir Malik who would coach Kano Pillars almost four decades later.
Sunday captained Asante Kotoko to CAF Champions League glory in 1970 over the much dreaded TP Englebert (Mazembe).He was the most popular Ghanaian player in 1970 and even traveled to Germany as a professional.
I met Sunday at the Houphouet Boigny Stadium, Abidjan in 1991 and he proudly declared to me: “I am a Nigerian from Kano.” That was shortly after he led Africa Sports, Cote D’Ivoire to win the WAFU Cup as coach. Losers were Lobi Stars of Makurdi who blew a 1-0 advantage to succumb 2-1.
Christian Madu was the engine room of the Accra Great Olympics team that confronted Enugu Rangers in the first round of the CAF Champions League in 1975. Although the Ghanaian side lost at home and away, Rangers could not let go. Madu joined the Flying Antelopes leaving team mates Awule Quaye, Obley and Sabban Hammond.
Another Kano boy, Souley Mountari, also played for the Black Stars. He is best remembered for his pass to Michael Essien which gave Ghana the winner against Nigeria at the Ghana 2008 Nations Cup. Fact is, Essien has no Nigerian blood and he was not the first Essien to play for Ghana. Essien is also a Ghanaian name.
So whenever Sam Asante tells you he won the 1976 Africa Winners Cup with Shooting Stars, quickly remind him that Ibrahim Sunday led Asante Kotoko, the Porcupines, to lift the CAF Champions Ĺeague in 1970.
