The Next Edition
  • Home
  • About Us
  • News
  • Featured
  • Investigations
  • Foreign
  • Special Reports
  • Entertainment
  • Interviews
  • Advert Rate
No Result
View All Result
The Next Edition
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • About Us
  • News
  • Featured
  • Investigations
  • Foreign
  • Special Reports
  • Entertainment
  • Interviews
  • Advert Rate
Home Columnists

SPORTS FLAKES: WHEN NKRUMAH, SHAGARI CELEBRATED SCHOOL BOYS

Emeka Obasi by Emeka Obasi
September 21, 2018
in Columnists
SPORTS FLAKES: WHEN NKRUMAH, SHAGARI CELEBRATED SCHOOL BOYS

EMEKA OBASI

0
SHARES
14
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Whatsapp

You might also like

Before your bull wanders off

Induced Apathy Killing Nigerians Softly And Slowly

All Brag, No Action

Two of Nigeria’s school boy internationals were honoured by Presidents Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana and Shehu Shagari for exceptional display of talent while they played for the Green Eagles. Johnny Egbuonu was flown to Accra, Henry Nwosu was rewarded in Lagos.
Egbuonu made the Eagles straight from Zixton Grammar School, Ozubulu [in today’s Anambra State but in the then Eastern Region]. It was1961, a year after Nigeria’s independence. Egbuonu and school mate, Mike Nwokedi, were invited to the national camp. Both were discovered during the Phensic Cup for Eastern Nigerian secondary schools.
President Nnamdi Azikiwe was instrumental to the boost sports received while he was in the East as Premier. He followed the Zard Cup for schools in Lagos and established something similar across the Niger in 1956. That was the beginning of Phensic Cup. It threw up other  great players like Ernest Ufele, Luke Okpala, Sylvester Campbell, Kofi Oraedo, Stanley Ihekwoaba, Felix Abii, Patrick Ozua and Kenneth Ileka.
Some of these stars made the Nigerian Academicals that included,  between 1961 and 1963, Lateef Gomez, Edward Akika and Umpire Kanu. Akika was also an outstanding Track and Field star and won medals for the country.
Nkrumah so admired Egbuonu that in 1963, he invited the footballer to Ghana and laid Red Carpet for the skillful forward. Egbuonu became part of what was known as the Nkrumah All Stars team. Shortly after that ceremony, the player traveled to Germany for further studies ending up with a degree in Veterinary Medicine.
Egbuonu returned to Nigeria in 1976 and joined Enugu Rangers. He was the first University graduate to play for the Flying Antelopes. Patrick Ekeji emerged in 1977 as the second graduate player.
Henry Nwosu appeared from the Blues to win the Africa Nations Cup in 1980. The Lagos student had shown his skills at the Imo ’79 Nigerian Secondary School Games. That was like receiving blessings from his roots. The Eko soccer team left Owerri with a prize.
Barely a year later, Henry Onyemanze Nwosu, stood on the same podium as the superstars: Christain Chukwu, Segun Odegbami, Muda Lawal, Adokiye Amiesimaka, Aloy Atuegbu, Best Ogedegbe, Emma Okala. The eagles had won their first Africa Nations Cup.
And victory earned huge remuneration. The Lagos Student won a Peugeot 504 car. He got a flat in Festac, and to crown it all, received the National Award of Member of the Order of the Niger [MON].That was unprecedented. He was not known with any big club yet Nwosu hit the big one in his very first attempt.
READ ALSO: NFF: Amaju Pinnick re-elected as president
He was also set for more honours when he joined New Nigerian Bank, Benin. For the first time, Nigeria won the WAFU Cup in 1983.The Bankers retained the trophy in 1984 and were as good as taking it for keeps when the country pulled out of the competition. Nwosu tried professional soccer in Cote D’Ivoire with ASEC, moved to Racing Baffousam, Cameroon and returned to Nigeria to begin a coaching career.
The first student to play for the country was R.A. Wilson, from Kings College, Lagos. It was in 1938  during an inter-colonial match with Ghana[then known as the Gold Coast]. His team mates came from such teams as Police, Marine, P and T  and LTC. Skipper was Alfa Bello Fashola.
After Wilson came two Ghanaians who indeed schooled and played in Lagos. Alex Quist and Francis Mensah were at St. Gregory’s College. Quist’s elder brother, Pius, also represented Nigeria and was once Chairman of the NFA. Mensah began as a striker but switched to goalkeeping in later years.
One student who nearly made it in 1949, was Taiwo Gbajabiamila of Methodist High School, Lagos. He trained with the UK Tourists but failed to make the team that flew to Britain.
Luke Okpala, captain of Notre Dame College, Abatete played for Nigeria Academicals between 1961 and 1963. And even captained Onitsha Red Devils. He did not get an Eagles debut until 1964 and that was in Equatorial Guinea. Known as ‘Jazzman Bucana’, the defender won the Challenge Cup in 1965 with ECN and lost the trophy with Rangers in 1971.
Tags: CELEBRATED SCHOOL BOYSCOLUMNISTSNIGERIA NEWSNKRUMAHShagariSPORTS FLAKES
Emeka Obasi

Emeka Obasi

Recommended For You

STOP STALKING YOUR MAN

Before your bull wanders off

Funke Egbemode  Husband can and do defect because defection is a two-way street. If wives can defect, so can husbands. If a woman doesn’t get too old for...

KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY MR. AKPANDEM JAMES, FNGE, AT THE 2019 AWARD CEREMONY OF THE CORRESPONDENTS’ CHAPEL, AKWA IBOM STATE CHAPER

Induced Apathy Killing Nigerians Softly And Slowly

By Akpandem James       Something dangerously wrong seems to have happened to our feelings as Nigerians. We seem to have lost our sense of humanity. We...

STOP STALKING YOUR MAN

All Brag, No Action

By Funke Egbemode     He knows it is not true. He doesn’t even believe it himself but he’d do his damned best to convince you it is...

80 Hearty Cheers To Professor Bolaji Akinyemi

80 Hearty Cheers To Professor Bolaji Akinyemi

One is bound to be tempted to write on different issues today, specifically on those ones that tried men’s souls in 2021, a year in which one newspaper’s...

Next Post
FIFA world ranking: Nigeria up one step to 48th as Belgium, France top

FIFA world ranking: Nigeria up one step to 48th as Belgium, France top




Related News

Dragged

APC Releases Guidelines For Lagos LG Poll

Coronavirus: Nigeria Records 296 Fresh Cases, Total Now 55,456

Coronavirus: Nigeria Records 296 Fresh Cases, Total Now 55,456

COVID-19: Opening Markets, Closing Churches, ‘I Smell A Rat’– Oyedepo

COVID-19: Opening Markets, Closing Churches, ‘I Smell A Rat’– Oyedepo




The Next Edition

Office Address

3B, Agboola Aina street, Off Toyin Street,
Ikeja, Lagos.

Quick Contact Details

Phone:
08033018430
Whatsapp:
08051679910

Email:
[email protected]
[email protected]

Categories

  • Aviation
  • Beauty
  • Breaking News
  • Business
  • Columnists
  • Editorial
  • Entertainment
  • Fashion
  • Featured
  • Football
  • Foreign
  • Headline News
  • Home & Garden
  • Interviews
  • Investigations
  • North Central
  • North East
  • North West
  • Opinion
  • Parenting
  • Politics
  • Relationships
  • South East
  • South West
  • South-South
  • Special Reports
  • Sports
  • Top News
  • Vox Pops

© Next Edition Business Development Limited

  • About Us
  • Advert Rate
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • About Us
  • News
  • Featured
  • Investigations
  • Foreign
  • Special Reports
  • Entertainment
  • Interviews
  • Advert Rate

© Next Edition Business Development Limited