Shooting Stars victory in the maiden edition of the CAF Cup was laced with drama. It began in the
second round whenUSCB Burkina Faso refused to field the duo of SakiruOlabodun and Taofeek Alabi. The quarter final against Mbongo Sport of Congo Democratic Republic was more news as well when movement became a huge problem.
USCB [Union Sportive Club de Bobo Dioulasso] were held to a 1-1 draw in the first leg decided at Stade Wobi. They believed they could get something out of the second leg in Ibadan. I was in the Oyo State capital for the Olu Asekun Swimming Championships. Remarkably, one individual, Chief Moshood Abiola, donated the CAF Cup in 1992 and was the sole sponsor of the swimming competition.
I stayed at Lafia hotel where I met a group of Burkinabe journalists who were in town to cover the match. In 1989, I had made friends with one of them, Ilboudo Ablase, when he accompanied another team, Association Sportive des Fonctionnaires de Bobo Dioulasso, to Benin in an Africa Winners’ Cup duel with Bendel United.
Also lodged at Lafia Hotel was a former African champion. Evelyn Okeke won Shot put gold for Nigeria at the Lagos ’73 All Africa Games. She had come as the Secretary of the Anambra State Swimming Association. It did not occur to me that we were going to see another continental champion, this time in soccer, for the second time. The Oluyole Warriors were Africa Winners’ Cup champions in 1976.
The Burkinabes exuded confidence and tried to know more about Shooting from me. USCB emerged in 1959, a few years older than their opponents. Continental debut was in the CAF Champions [Cup] League in 1969. Shooting went international in 1972. The Oluyole Warriors had achieved more than the visitors. The second leg ended 3-0 against the fellow West Africans.
In the next 24 hours I was on my way back to Lagos on a National Sports Commission Mercedes bus. I met a face that did not look quite strange. He turned out to be Olabodun. The player was in the ASFB team that lost 2-0 to Bendel United at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in 1989. As we got talking, Olabodun told me he arrived Ibadan with USCB, fit as fiddle but was not allowed to play.
Olubodun said:”I am Yoruba, from Shaki. There is another Nigerian, Taofeek Alabi, in the USCB team. Officials of our club refused to use us against Shooting Stars because they were afraid we might not perform against an Ibadan team.”
I could not but laugh out loud. I did not see the logic in that reasoning just like the player. He was traveling to Lagos to see some family members. We joked that if USCB officials saw him in our midst enjoying a ride to Lagos instead of following them back to Bobo Diaoulasso, their fears would be confirmed.
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When Olabodun followed ASFB to Nigeria in 1989, there was a nasty experience. As they arrived the Murtala Mohammed Airport, Ikeja to board their chartered plane back to base, it was discovered that thieves had vandalized the flight. Vital parts, including the compass were stolen forcing the Burkinabes to hit the road. It took them over 48 hours to get home.
In the 1992 quarter finals, Shooting Stars had to rely on penalties to beat Mbongo Sports in Mbuji Mayi after aggregate scores stood at 3-3. There was no road to the town and the only available flight belonged to Gen. Mobutu Sese Seko. The hosts were looking for a way to walk over the Nigerians. Match Commissioner, Mawade Wade, of Senegal threatened them with disqualification before the Congolese made arrangement for a flight.
Iit was funny. The Zairean currency was worthless. When conversions were made, the Nigerians discovered that they all were millionaires. Those millions could not buy more than a bottle of soft drink. With victory achieved after a hard fought battle, some of them became millionaires for the first time and had a good laugh.
Shooting Stars advanced to win the CAF Cup following victory over Nakivubo Villa of Uganda. For Cup donor, Abiola, it was sadness and joy. He lost his wife, Simbiat, just before the finals.
Olabodun was back in Bobo Dioulasso. The Bobo are the second largest group in Burkina Faso after the Mossi. They are found in the South -West of the country. In Nigeria, the Yoruba occupy the South-West. There is a huge Shaki population in the Francophone country. Ghana belongs to people from Ogbomosho. Ivorians are used to seeing faces from Ejigbo. There is a regular bus from Ejigbo to Abidjan.
We had every right to laugh at USCB for treating Olubodun and Alabi with disdain. In 1975, Christian Madu, an Igbo played for Accra Great Olympics against Enugu Rangers in the CAF Champions [Cup] League. He was so good that the Flying Antelopes grabbed him . In 1986, Peter Rufai a Yoruba prince from Idimu, played for Dragon of Benin Republic against Abiola Babes, Abeokuta. There was another Nigerian with him, Uwakwe Eke.
Henry Nwosu, playing for ASEC Mimosas of Abidjan scored against his former team, New Nigeria Bank[NNB] in a WAFU Cup match decided in Benin. In 1993, Wasiu Ipaye led Sogara, Gabon to Lagos against Stationery Stores. In 2006, Onyekachi Okonkwo’s loan goal sent his former team Enyimba out of the CAF Champions League. He played for Orlando Pirates South Africa. Another Nigerian, Willy Okpara was Goalkeepr trainer of the Buccaneers.
It was so bad for Enyimba in 2004 when they tackled Etoile Sportif Sahel five times in the African Super Cup and CAF Champions League respectively. The quartet of goalie Austin Ejide, Ogochukwu Obiakor, Emeka Okpara and Onyekachi Nwoha did not think Igbo. At the Enyimba Stadium, Okpara got an early goal for the Tunisians before Obinna Nwaneri’s equalizer from the box saved the day.
In December 2019, Liverpool became world champion thanks to victory over Flamengo of Brazil. The winning goal was scored by Roberto Firmino, a Brazilian.