Sam Onyeaka was one of the powerful forces behind Enugu Rangers’ Africa Winners Cup glory in 1977. He is best remembered for the goal he scored in Dakar to help the Flying Antelopes gain a 2-1 victory over AS Police of Senegal in the second leg of the quarter finals. The Lagos first leg ended goalless. The Coal City Boys got the beating of their lives.
Onyeaka , also known as 404, lives in the United States now and has a story to tell about Rangers’ victory over the Nigerian men’s 4×100 relay team at the National Stadium, Lagos on the way to continental triumph. On a certain day, the footballers were training at the same time as the national Track and Field team.
The stars got into a healthy argument which led to a decision to try some Rangers players against the relay squad. Prominent sprinters at the time included Alani Olakunle, Godwin Obasogie, Peter Okodogbe and Samson Oyeledun. The Flying Antelopes offered the quartet of Onyeaka, Charles ‘Wagner’ Adimorah, Emma Merenini and Emeka ‘Owusu’ Onyedika.
Adimorah was a full back who joined Rangers from city rivals, Vasco Da Gama. Onyedika was Rangers best right winger and Eagles favourite in 1974 and early 1975 until injury slowed him down. That was when Onyeaka and Alex Nwosu began to get regular shirts. Before Onyedika, there was Godwin Adimachukwu who ran faster than a truck.
Merenini was one of the best sprinters in the East Central State in 1976. Although he played football for the all conquering Holy Ghost Owerri team of 1975, he was also hard to beat in the 100 meters. His brother, Tony [Takwa] was into football too. Onyedika’s younger brother, Ifeanyi [Ahidjo] won the Africa Nations Cup with the Green Eagles in 1980.
Back to the relay meet between Rangers and Nigeria. The footballers dusted the sprinters. Many were surprised. Adimorah was a hard tackling defender. Onyedika nursed injury. Merenini was largely unknown. None of them played for the Eagles in 1977. That year belonged to Segun Odegbami, Adokiye Amiesimaka and Thompson Usiyen.
Like Onyeaka, Adimorah migrated to the United States and is doing well. Highlife legend, Stephen Osita Osadebe, met him during his tour of the US and sang the footballer’s praise. Merenini also lives in America. Onyedika is late, so is Osadebe.
There are more stories of Track and Field Stars who became very successful footballers. Perhaps, not many know that Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe was one of them. Zik was an attacker with Diamond Football Club of Lagos in 1923. When he traveled to the United States for further studies at Storer College, he emerged All- Rounder in Track and Field.
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It was because he was not allowed to take part in the British Empire Games as the Commonwealth Games was then known that Zik dropped the name Benjamin. The discrimination was based on his skin colour. He returned to Nigeria to set up the Zik Athletic Club[ZAC] in 1938. That same year , the Owelle played for ZAC Bombers against Desalu Eleven.
Albert Osakwe also played for ZAC Bombers. At Yaba Higher College he was a well respected quarter miler. He is best remembered as the Nigerian who captained Oxford University, England to beat Cambridge University 2-1 in 1942. That was seven years before the UK Tourists visited. And almost a decade before Titus Okere became the first Nigerian to play professional soccer in that country.
Peter Esiri won a silver medal in Triple Jump at the Vancouver ’54 Commonwealth Games. He was also a good runner. Two years earlier, Esiri was in goal for Warri in the Challenge Cup grand finale against Lagos Pan Bank. He was a sorry sight in the face of such superstars as Teslim ‘Thunder’ Balogun and Dan Anyiam. Pan Bank beat him six times to earn a record 6-0 victory.
Patrick ‘Power House ‘Ekeji’ was born to a policeman father and lived in Obalende where the best Nigerian athletes performed before Independence in 1960. The boy had the early part of secondary education at St. Gregory’s College, Lagos. He was the Schools 110 yards champion and also took part in the Grier Cup for Secondary Schools in Lagos.
Ekeji won ECOWAS Cup with the Green Eagles in 1977. He joined Rangers in 1978 from Vasco and was a member of the East Central State team that won the Manuwa/Adebajo Cup for schools in 1971.Ekeji was in Canada for the Montreal ’76 Olympics but could not take part because of late withdrawal by some African countries over apartheid.
Nathaniel Obijiofor was Nigeria’s 400 metres Hurdles champion in 1977. In 1976, he was in goal for the Government College, Owerri team that was knocked out of the East Central State Schools Cup by Emmanuel College, Owerri. Better known as ‘Obi Jay’, he was a good actor and played the part of ‘Nomahon’ in an Indian film staged by the OGSSIAN Play Group.
That brings us to Chioma Ajunwa. She is Nigeria’s first Olympic gold medalist and will remain in History as the only one to have represented the country in soccer and Track and Field. She played for Rivers Angels, Port Harcourt before going to the inaugural FIFA Womens Championships, China ’91 with the Super Falcons as a libero.
Ajunwa was national 100 metres champion. She also was once the best female Long Jumper in the country. The ‘Flying Police woman’ reigned as African champion in the 100 metres and Long Jump respectively .
Sam Aghaghovbia played for the Eagles at the Mexico ’68 Olympic Games. He was one of the stars of the Nigerian Athletics Championships at the Obalende Police ground.. Godwin Ironkwe of Lagos Railways became ‘Opel’ because he ran as fast as a car. Samson Ozogula got the nickname, ‘Zion Train’ while playing for New Nigeria Bank [NNB]Benin. Davidson Owumi was called ‘Okada’ by Benin fans as a Flash Flamengo.
Uchenna Emedolu, Athletics World Cup champion, 2001 flew to Turkey for a professional football contract before he became popular. Usain Bolt tried to retire to football after conquering the world. He tried his luck in Australia after failing trials in Europe.