Armed with a degree from the University of Benin, Victor Oko joined Enugu Rangers in 1990. It was like a tall order to grab the number one shirt with the duo of Emeka Obi and Fancy Maduka as contenders. Austin Okocha was among the new recruits as well as Chukwuma Nwoha, Charles Nduka, Monday Osagie and Akeem Ashiru.
Chief Ben Osi Umunna, one of the directors at Crystal Palace, England was Rangers boss and wanted the double. He had recruited world class coach, Janusz Kowalik, in 1987 but the former Rotterdam star left at the end of 1989.
As a child, Oko adored the Flying Antelopes. Wearing their jersey was a dream come true. He became first choice goalie under coach Mathias Obianika and his assistant, Innocent Obi Ekwo. It looked as if the the League and Challenge Cup would come back to Enugu after more than five years of empty shelf.
Jay Jay met his elder brother, Emma Okocha and other senior players like Skipper Sunday Iwuozor, Jude Agada,Azuka Asomugha, Dotun Alatishe, Herbert Anijekwu, Hilary Azodo and Golden Ajeboh. There was also a younger Anijekwu, Ebele.
The senior Okocha and Anijekwu won silver with the Super Eagles at the Algiers ’90 Africa Nations Cup. Jay Jay did not last as he left mid way to play professional soccer in Germany. However, Oko saw what the future held.
“Jay Jay Okocha was phenomenal, unique and a bundle of football skills and tricks. I was wondering how and where he learnt those things he did with the ball at such a young age. He was too extravagant with his skills, he was also a good passer of the ball, with powerful and accurate shots on both legs.”, the goalkeeper told me from his base in Enugu.
Oko said : “I knew Jay Jay would blossom to be a star though it came sooner than expected and he left for Europe midway into the 1990 season.”
Rangers defeated ASESA Warriors 3-0 to lift the Anambra Challenge Cup and were in Port Harcourt for the national preliminaries. They came out tops. Calabar Rovers fell in the quarter finals, followed by BCC Lions in the semis.
Stores were grand finale opponents. Maduka, Ajeboh and Alatishe knew the Adebajo Babes so well. Coach Obianika played for Nigeria alongside his opponent, Austin Ofuokwu. The Lagosians ran away with a 5-.4 penalties victory after full and overtime scores stood at 0-0.
Oko has not forgotten that disappointment. ” We lost on penalties and I still feel bad about not saving even a kick which had never happened in my football career. Having said this, it was a match Rangers could have won in regulation time if not for certain blunders.
” Chukwuma Nwoha, our workaholic midfielder, was dropped from the team that played the final match, and secondly, during the match, an enterprising Ebele Anijekwu was surprisingly/unreasonably substituted in a match he was continually terrorizing Stores defence with Dotun Alatishe.”
This one sounds interesting because Rangers Coach, Obianika was an uncle of the Anijekwu Brothers. Possibly, there was something he knew or saw which other members of the team did not realise.
The Flying Antelopes were also nearly men in the league. Against all expectations, they lost in Enugu to lowly Obanta United of Ijebu Ode.That was when the tide turned and even after avenging that defeat in the second stanza at away, Rangers did not recover.
” We underrated Obanta, some players even went clubbing the night before the match and we paid dearly for it. Iwuanyanwu National [Heartland] came back from their continental engagement, won their remaining matches and the league with a point more than Rangers,” the goalie recalled.
Oko began with NNPC Emene before joining Vasco Da Gama. It was from Vasco that he went for further studies. That club also made him as he picks a 1984 Challenge Cup quarter finals game at the Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin against Ranchers Bees as most memorable. P and T won 1-0 .
Vasco went for him again in 1993 and paid BCC Lions 30,000 naira, the highest by the club. It was wrong and Oko felt bad when he found out because his contract with the Cement Boys had ended.
READ ALSO: Nigeria @60: Reactions Continue To Trail Buhari’s Speech
” I initially did not know that Vasco paid what was then deemed a huge amount of money to BCC Lions because my contact wit them had expired. I was supposed to be a free agent. However, to justify the spending, I put in a lot of work and we took Vasco to the elite league [Division One.]”, Oko added.
Vasco had a solid team under coach Godfrey Esu. Oko came just as Ndubuisi Egbo was leaving for NEPA, Lagos. There were three other good shot keepers. Liberian import, Momoh Blamoh, Tony Donwa and Timiye James were reserves.
That showed Oko’s quality. Blamoh was Liberia’s number one after dethroning Pewu Bestman. Both were at the Bauchi ’90 ECOWAS Championships which was one by Nigeria after Senegal dashed them the trophy because the Teranga Lions said they could not play in darkness. Tafawa Balewa Stadium, Bauchi had no flood lite.
Oko was happy to return to Vasco. ” The management needed me to come back to where I started and help with other talented young players like Patrick Ovie, Mutairu Momodu, Chris Ucheagwu, Tony Donwa and others. To help take Vasco to the elite league. It was really home coming to the place I started serious football.”
Oko, from Mgbidi, Awgu in Enugu State also played for Insurance, Flash Flamingos and Eagle Cement before quitting. He trained as a coach and has a diploma from the National Institute of Sports [NIS].The ex-player also holds CAF A Licence in football coaching and FIFA MA certificate for coaching goalkeepers.
Married with four children, Victor Oko is “presently a career civil servant but will get back to football administration and coaching in no distant time.”
