Take a walk with Patrick Olusegun Odegbami around Accra, the Ghanaian capital. You will be surprised that indeed there is a compatriot idolized more than the Nigerian leader.
Shouts of ‘Mathematical’ fill the air anytime the former Nigerian pacy international visits Ghana. I wonder why he has refused to relocate to the former Gold Coast to do business like some of the Nigerian conglomerates.
The respect is well deserved. Odegbami almost brought down the Accra Sports Stadium in 1978. As Green Eagles winger, the Nations Cup hosts prayed that the Black Stars be spared meeting Nigeria.
Odegbami was the most dreaded winger in Africa at the time. In 1976, he had won the Africa Winners Cup with Shooting Stars of Ibadan. In 1977, Green Eagles won the soccer gold of the ECOWAS Games defeating a second rate Black Stars team in the grand finale.
The Black Stars were horrible in the Argentina ‘78 World Cup qualifiers. Guinea bundled them out in the first round while Nigeria sparkled to the last round. Although the Eagles lost Africa’s sole ticket to Tunisia, they were the most attacking side in the series with 17 goals from six matches while Tunisia scored 15 from eight matches.
Nigeria’s second round opponents, Zaire[Congo Democratic Republic] withdrew. The goals tally would have been more than 17 if the Christian Chukwu led side had played as many matches as Tunisia and Egypt.
Green Eagles had deadly strikers upfront. Thompson Usiyen and Odegbami led the pack. There was left winger, Adokiye Amiesimeka. You could bank on Godwin Iwelumo, Chris Ogu, Shefiu Mohammed , Aloy Atuegbu and Rufus Ejele. But Mathematical was the storm trooper.
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At the Nations Cup therefore, Odegbami put the hosts in a blue funk. Ghana, Nigeria, Zambia and Upper Volta[Burkina Faso] played in the Accra Group. In their first games, the Black Stars managed to beat Zambia 2-1. Odegbami lived up to the hype when his brace gave the Eagles a 4-2 advantage over Upper Volta.
On March 8, 1978, it was Ghana against Nigeria. Odegbami terrorized the homers, no one seemed to have a solution to his speed and dribbles. In the 33rd minute he scored. Grave yard silence in Accra. The Black Stars were lucky to draw level in the 76th minute through Klutse. It ended 1-1, both teams moved into the semis.
Ghana eventually won the Nations Cup for keeps with their captain, Abdul Razak, picking the Golden Ball. General Kutu Acheampong was happy with the squad that included Joseph Carr, Awule Quaye, Mohammed ‘ Polo’ Ahmed and Opoku Afriye.
All eyes were on Odegbami. Nigeria lost to Uganda in the semi-finals, exactly what Ghana wanted because another confrontation with Mathematical in the grand finale would be a nightmare.
Odegbami shared the Golden Boot Award with Afriye. Each of them scored three goals. The Nigerian would repeat that feat in 1980 when the Eagles won their first Nations Cup. He tied with Labied of Morocco.
In December 1983, Odegbami travelled to Ghana with Philip Boamah to recruit players for Shooting Stars’ 1984 continental campaign. When they got to the Kotoka Airport to catch a flight back, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari had struck in Nigeria. All borders closed. They were broke and stranded. But all he could hear were shouts of ‘Mathematical’.
Between 2000 and 2003, he frequented Ghana with Shell Nigeria Academicals against their Ghana VALCO counterparts. He met Sam Asante and John Orlando, ex-Shooting Stars. Everywhere, from La Palm Royal Beach Hotel, Labadi to Kata International Hotel down to the Stadium, Ghanaians chanted: ‘Mathematical’.
