You are just through with secondary education, getting ready to hit home for some deserved rest you are accosted by officials of one of the top clubs in Africa who drive you straight to camp and in the next couple of days, you make your international debut.
That was what happened to Emmanuel Merenini in 1976. An accomplished star and member of the dreaded Holy Ghost College, Owerri squad, he was given a a first team role by the Enugu Rangers technical crew in the quarter finals of African Clubs Championships ( now known as CAF Champions League).
Rangers had lost 3-1 to Green Buffaloes of Zambia in the Lusaka first leg. Both teams had met the previous year, in the same competing and in the quarter finals. Rangers got a 2-2 draw at away, thanks to Ogidi Ibeabuchi and Stanley Okoronkwo and won the second leg 2-1 in Lagos.
Rangers manager, Dan Anyiam was forced to change tactics. He drafted Merenini to the battle field and got the desired result. The Flying Antelopes beat the Army team 3-0 in Enugu.
Merenini said: “Rangers officials came to Holy Ghost College, picked me up and drove me to Enugu to join the club. I will never forget when coaches Dan Anyiam and Godwin Achebe visited me in my hotel room as Tony Merenini ( his brother who was also a soccer star) visited me.”
Anyiam and Achebe were former national team captains and veterans of the Civil War. They knew just how to get the best out of a greenhorn.
“Anyiam told me, ‘you can’t get experience by lying on the bed’. He said I would start against the Zambian side. I remember heading the ball to Johnny Egbuonu to score our first goal.
“That was my first international match, just coming out of secondary school. Ace radio commentator, Ernest Okonkwo, started calling me ‘ School Boy International’ from that day,” Merenini added.
Date was September 25, 1976. After Egbuonu’s goal, Stanley Okoronkwo made it two before Chimezie Ngadi slotted in the decider to end it 3-0. Rangers qualified for the semifinals on 4-3 aggregate.
School Boy International made his first international trip and it was to Algeria. Rangers faced MC (Mouloudia Chalia) Alger at the Stade 5 Juillet 1962 (July 5, 1962 Stadium) Algeria. It was a cold night.
Mouloudia Chalia knew how to freeze teams at home. All through the competition, no visiting team conceded less than three goals.
In the first round, Ahly Benghazi of Libya fell 3-1. Al Ahly of Egypt lost by the same margin in the second round. Kenya’s Gor Mahia got a 6-3 drubbing in the quarter finals. Defending champions, Hafia of Guinea lost 3-0 in the final.
Rangers defeated the Algerians 2-0 in Enugu and were in for a shocker in the second leg when they played on synthetic pitch.
“It was the first time we saw and played on an artificial field. We thought it was grass when we saw it from afar.
“The officials did scope it out during their exploratory visit introduced by Egbuonu because of his European football experience in Germany. We wore the wrong boots for the match,” Merenini told me from Houston, United States.
Egbuonu was also a School Boy International in the 1960s and made the Green Eagles from Stella Marris College, Port Harcourt before traveling to the former East Germany where he trained as a Vet. Doctor.
In Algeria, Mouloudia enjoyed Rangers handicap and scored three goals to knock out the Nigerians. The hosts had Abdesalam Bousri who finished the competition as top scorer with five goals.
The quartet of Mohammed Azouz, Zoubir Bachi, Omar Betrouni and Ali Bencheikh, each scored three goals all through the 1976 Championships. Their team won the Cup by defeating Hafia 3-1 penalties after the return leg of the finals ended 3-0 in Algiers. That was the first time an Algerian team would rule the continent.
Emma and Tony Merenini won the East Central State Secondary Schools Cup in 1974 but lost it to Dennis Memorial Grammar School ( DMGS) Onitsha in 1975.
Emma said: “We had a good coach, Sunny Aguta (Sunny Soccer) who instituted a smooth playing style. He believed in ball possession and accurate passes. Aguta was ahead of his time, taught us how to take on players when necessary and urged us to play our style, win or lose.”
He blamed the loss to DMGS on Nwachukwu Onyekwelu ( Igaliga ) and Okey Isima’s goal that did not count. “Igaliga was the main reason. He used brute force and our defence could not stop him. Then our first goal by Isima was not counted because the net had a hole.”
Merenini and Isima teamed up with Igaliga and DMGS team mates, Nnamdi Anyafo, Vincent Chika and Mike Ochiagha to lift the African Winners Cup with Rangers in 1977.
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“Anyafo and I left for the US the same day, the same flight, for the same school. We went to school together, were room mates and did things together until graduation.
“He left Huntsville, Alabama for Houston, Texas after his first degree while I stayed and did my Masters before joining him in Houston in 1982. I have been in Houston since then,” the right winger explained.
“I left Nigeria in the summer of 1978. My family and I are living peacefully in Texas. We have a son, Altonio Merenini. He did not play football. He enjoys watching wrestling. My wife is Wanda Merenini. She is from Alabama, we met in school, Alabama A and M University. This June will make it 41 years of peaceful and respectful marriage.”
Merenini was East Central State 110 metres Hurdles champion. In 1977, he was a member of the Rangers 4x 100 Relay team that defeated the Nigerian Relay quartet. His team mates were Emeka Onyedika, Charles Adimora and Sam Onyeaka.
He is also an Eko Boy. “Yes, I speak Yoruba because I was born in Lagos. I attended St. Paul’s Catholic Primary School Apapa. Tony Merenini (Takwa) is late now. May his soul rest in peace.”
![Fwd: SPORTS FLAKES. THE NEXT EDITION. FRIDAY V victoria ibanga to me, chinwe 6 hours agoDetails Pls publish. > > SPORTS FLAKES : OKALA : CONQUEROR AND EMPEROR OF CAMEROUN Byline: Emeka Obasi Category: SPORTS Picture: Emeka Obasi > > Camerounians will live to remember Emmanuel Anthony Oguejiofo Okala as one goalkeeper that made them cry severally and remained shoulders above their soccer teams. Only once did the legend lose to Cameroun and it was after full and extra time. Before that stain, he tormented the Indomitable Lions in Yaoundé, stopped Canon Sportif in Lagos and dismissed Tonnerre Kalara in Calabar. > > Okala's first encounter with the Indomitable Lions was in a 1974 Yaoundé friendly. The Green Eagles defeated their hosts 1-0. Other members of the Nigerian squad included Harrison Mecha, Nathaniel Adewale, Christian Chukwu, Idowu Otubusin, Musa, Philip Boamah, Kenneth Olayombo and Mohammed Lawal. The rest were John Nwadioha, Haruna Ilerika and substitutes, Mike Okotie, Jossy Dombraye and Yakubu Mambo. > > The Camerounian strike force of Roger Milla, Eugene Ekoule, Djombi, and Ama found it most difficult to put the ball past Okala. Even when Doumbe Leah, Bahoken and Machongo joined the attack from the rear, the Nigerian keeper was unbeatable. The introduction of Gregoire Arantes Mbida made no difference. The only goal conceded was by Keeper Mballa. > > At the Algiers '78 All Africa Games, the Lions were in the same Group B with Eagles. Okala was in goal again and the Camerounians needed a win to qualify for the semi-finals. They remembered that Nigeria were defending champions and Okala was in the team that won gold at the Lagos '73 All Africa Games. The game ended goalless. Nigeria later advanced to the grand finale losing narrowly to hosts Algeria. > > The 1978 encounter came a year after Okala had turned Camerounians into day dreamers. On April 16, 1977, the first international match at the new Calabar Stadium was between Tonnerre Kalara of Yaoundé and Enugu Rangers. Tonnerre had won the first Africa Winners Cup in 1975 but lost it to Shooting Stars, Ibadan in 1976. They came with Roger Milla. The Flying Antelopes gave them a 5-1 drubbing as Okala's face seemed to put Milla in a deep blue funk. > > Later in the year, another Yaoundé side, Canon Sportif, confronted Rangers in the finals of the third Africa Winners Cup. That was the top club in Cameroun at the time and had won the Africa Cup for Champion Clubs [today's CAF Champions' League] in 1971. > > The first leg was decided in Lagos. Rangers were merciless, trouncing the visitors 4-1. Their goalkeeper was Thomas Nkono. He was forced to visit the net so often as his defence succumbed to the fire power of the Flying Antelopes. With Sam Onyeaka, Nwachukwu Onyekwelu, Chimezie Ngadi, Aloy Atuegbu and Emma Merenini in top shape, Okala had little to worry about. > > The return leg at the Stade Omnisport, Yaoundé was billed for December 4, 1977. Canon were so sure the first leg advantage would be erased. After all, they were not Tonnerre who could not cancel the same margin when they fell to Shooting Stars in 1976. Canon meant firepower, yes, it was 'Canon Kpakum'.They apparently did not know that Rangers had many ex -Biafran soldiers. Coach Godwin Achebe, the 'Ide' himself was even an Instructor at the Biafran School of Infantry. > > Canon started well and were leading with a goal when the referee called off the match. There was down pour, the field was turning into a swimming pool. The fans were not happy that the rain gave the visitors a breather. The match officials knew that if they allowed the game to continue, it could only pass for a water polo match. Both teams were asked to come back in 24 hours. > > The hosts still bubbled with confidence. Canon had scored 18 goals in six matches on the way to the finals. They gained a walk over against Red Star of Congo in the first round. Rangers had played eight games and could boast of nine goals. Canon did not score less than two goals in Yaoundé. They defeated SC Bissau 7-1, silenced Kadiogo 4-1 and hit El Itihad 2-0. > > Achebe stuck to his formation of Okala in goal with Charles Adimora, Nnamdi Anyafo, Vincent Chika, Christian Chukwu and Ignatius Ilechukwu as defenders. In the mid field, he opted for Aloy Atuegbu, Christian Madu and Ogidi Ibeabuchi. Sam Onyeaka and Nwachukwu Onyekwelu were attacking. Francis Nwosu later came in for Chika while Emma Merenini replaced Onyeaka. > > Canon , founded, in 1930 were 40 years older than Rangers. The opposition could not escape defeat, so the Camerounians thought. Onyekwelu had scored in the Lagos first leg. Known as 'Igariga' he was huge and powerful. While the hosts were settling down, the bulky attacker fired a shot from close to the center circle. Nkono did not see it. He heard his net shake. Canon got one goal too. > > Then it became tough. Okala refused to be beaten. Mbida tried his best. Jeane Manga Onguene put in everything. The goals were denied by the giant between the Flying Antelopes' post. Theophile Abega, the 'Doctor' could not sedate Okala. They found him a hard nut to crack. Yaoundé fans thought there must be something about the Nigerian keeper. The match ended 1-1, Rangers lifted the Cup. > > Canon could not bear that loss. They claimed that Rangers would not have won if there was no Okala. It became a big issue. Cameounians swore that Okala was a Camerounian who chose to play in Nigeria and they were ready to bring him back to their country to man the posts.. > > Blaming them was not the best way out. There are Okalas in Cameroun. The first Foreign Minister of Independent Cameroun was Charles Rene-Guy Okala. He was Ahmadu Ahidjo's man and best remembered as the man who stood up at the United Nations in 1961 to speak against British Northern Cameroun [Adamawa Province] joining Nigeria. Like Emma Okala, Charles Okala was a Roman Catholic. > > His daughter, Nicole Okala Bilai, is the first Camerounian woman to lead a political party and she is today, a Senator. The lady has gone round jobs, from acting to modeling. Like Emma Okala , she was born in May. > > Okala is also the name of a town in Cameroun. It is in the Centre Region. One of their famous footballers, Elie Onana Eloundou was born there. There was also President of that country's Table Tennis Federation, a man known as D. Okala. Many were convinced that the man who punished Canon was indeed one of them, the defeat was that painful. > > Okala returned to Yaoundé with Rangers in 1978. It was the semi finals of the prestige Africa Cup of Champion Clubs and foes were Canon. It ended goalless in the Lagos first leg. In Yaoundé there was heavy rain again but the referee refused to stop the match, another barren draw. Both teams went into penalty kicks. Canon won 6-5. That was the only time the Camerounians enjoyed a better hand. > > With Okala out of the way, Canon were unstoppable. They won the CAF Champions League in 1978, lifted the Africa Winners Cup in 1979 and grabbed the CAF Champions League again in 1980. > > Okala must have had a good laugh. One of his younger brothers is Charles, but did not last long in soccer as a goalie. Patrick was going to step into his brother's shoes. He played in the grand finale of the Cote D'Ivoire '84 Africa Nations Cup. Nigeria lost 3-1 to Cameroun. At last Milla and Abega had beaten Okala but not Emmanuel. In 1988 and again in 2000, the Indomitable Lions defeated Eagles to win the Nations Cup. > > Emma Okala put Cameroun in his gloves all through his playing career. He was voted African Footballer of the Year by African Sports Journalists Union in 1978. Okala conquered Cameroun. When he quit, Nkono heaved a whiff of fresh air and attended three World Cups.](https://www.nextedition.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/download-1-200x150.jpeg "SPORTSFLAKES: EZIDINMA’S DIRE DAWA DEBUT")
