While Uyo fans chanted for Olisa Ndah and Orlando Pirates to win the CAF Confederation Cup, many did not look the way of Issoufou Sellsavon Dayo, the pillar of RS Berkane defence.
Dayo, a Nigerian from Ogbomosho, lifted the trophy with the Moroccans who first won it in 2020. Dayo scored the lone goal that beat Pyramids of Egypt.
The same Pyramids sent Enyimba packing from the Confederation Cup in 2021. After a 4-1 drubbing despite Victor Mbaoma’s early minute goal at away, the Egyptians were forced to a 1-1 draw in Aba by Anayo Iwuala’s equaliser.
There were so many similarities in Uyo. Ndah played in the central defence for Pirates, the same role Dayo enjoyed for RSB. Both players wore dreadlocks. And they are also national team players who featured at the last African Nations Cup in Cameroon.
I sensed Dayo’s Nigerian background and he confirmed it to sports journalist, Solomon Okpo at the end of the game. Many had the impression the star defender who Captains RS Berkane irregularly, hailed from Burkina Faso.
He was born in Bobo Dioulasso in 1990 to an Ogbomoso dad and played for RC Bobo and Etoile Filante, Ouagadougou respectively before moving to AS Vita, Congo Democratic Republic.
RSB coach, Florent Ibenge was hired from Vita and he took his central defender along to North Africa. It has paid off as Dayo remains one of his sub Saharan stalwarts. Others include the Congolese duo of Chadrack Lukombe and Tunsila Kisinda. The rest are Mamadou Camara, Senegal, Clatous Chama, Zambia and Fiston Abdulrazak, Burkina Faso.
Dayo is also a key member of the Burkinabe national team having debuted in 2014. He has taken part in three African Nations Cup championships since 2017. The last was in Cameroon where the Stallions went three goals up against hosts, Indomitable Lions but failed to win the semi finals game.
There are more Saki, Yoruba in Burkina Faso than their Ogbomoso brethren. Most of them are based in Bobo, the second largest ethnic nationality, second to the Mossi.
I met one of them, Sakiru Olabodun, twice. In 1989, he played for Association Sportive des Fonctionnaires de Bobo Dioulasso (ASFB). Against Bendel United in the African Winners Cup, they lost.
In 1992, Olabodun came with Union Sportive Club de Bobo Dioulasso (USCB). It was the first round of the first CAF Cup donated by Chief Moshood Abiola and their opponents were Shooting Stars. The first leg at Stade Wobi had ended 1-1.
USCB refused to use Olabodun and Taofeek Alabi in Ibadan because of their Yoruba background. Shooting Stars dazed the visitors 3-0 on their way to cup victory. Twenty four hours later, I was on the same Green Eagles bus to Lagos with Olabodun.
The Yoruba – Burkina nexus is strong. My University of Benin pal, Femi Adamolekun, a banker from Erin Ijesa agrees with me.
Adamolekun said : ” In 2009, during an official assignment in Burkina Faso, I met an Ibadan boy who gave me a relief from the language barrier.”
In 1998, the Super Eagles played the Stallions in an African Nations Cup qualifier. From my Yibi Hotel room on Avenue Kwame Nkrumah, I was glad to see two Chisco luxury buses filled with supporters and led by an Ibadan man, Dr. Rafiu Ladipo.
The Chisco drivers spent 48 hours to get to Ouagadougou, from Lagos. That was Thys Libregts’ first game as Eagles manager. It was also Eddy Dombraye’s debut and his last game for the Super Eagles.
Willy Okpara was in goal. Mutiu Adepoju led the team that included Kingsley Obiekwu, Uche Nwobi, Duke Udi and reserve goalie Ndubuisi Egbo. Jerome Shakpoke caught a flight back to Italy after the game which ended even.
The trip by road reminded me of Olabodun and ASFB in 1989. They chartered a flight to Lagos and hit Benin by road. After being knocked out by Bendel United, the team returned to Lagos to meet a sad, shocking development.
Their aircraft was vandalised by thieves at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport. The compass was missing. USCB could not fly back to Bobo. It took them 48 hours by road to make it.
Dayo was not even born at the time but the story must have been told him by family and friends. RS Berkane did not go through similar experience. It would have taken them donkey days to return to Morocco by road.
Ogbomoso players are more in Ghana while Cote D’Ivoire belongs to Ejigbo. Unofficial records have it that one FIFA graded Ivorian referee was indeed Yoruba. However, the only Nigerian to have played for the Elephanteux of Cote D’Ivoire, Sam Abouo is from the Ogoja axis.
The Ogbomoso Ghana squad was led by Amusa Gbadamosi, aptly nicknamed African Pele. From Bimbilla he crossed over to Northern Star before featuring for Accra Hearts of Oak and later, Asante Kotoko.
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Gbadamosi played for Black Stars and won the African Nations Cup, Tunisia ‘ 65. He was at the Mexico ’68 Olympic Games and is best remembered as the man who taught former ECOWAS boss, Mohammed Ibn Chambas.
Another Ogbomoso star, Ganiyu Salami, also known as Salakwa was born in Accra and played for Ghana Academicals before joining Hearts. He also won the African Nations Cup in 1965 but switched allegiance to Nigeria and played at the Mexico Olympics as a Green Eagle while Gbadamosi was a Black Star.
Ogbomoso is blessed with star footballers. It is the hometown of Amusa Adisa, the Shooting Stars goalkeeper who killed Godwin Achebe’s last grasp penalty in the 1971 Challenge Cup grand finale to give WNDC 2-1 victory over Enugu Rangers.
Left winger Olayiwola Olagbemiro who played for the Green Eagles was an Ogbomoso man. He was one of the foundation members of Mighty Jets of Jos, alongside Sam Garba Okoye, Ismaila Mabo, Sule Kekere, Mathew Atuegbu and Gabriel Babalola.
Prominent people from Ogbomoso include Chief Ladoke Akintola, last Premier of the Western Region, Salaudeen Akano, the naval rating who hoisted the Nigerian flag after lowering the Union Jack in 1960 and former Inspector General of Police, Sunday Adewusi.
Ogbomoso also produced former war commander, Benjamin Adekunle, alias Black Scorpion, former governors Oladayo Popoola, Adebayo Alao Akala and Sports minister Sunday Dare.
Akala who died recently grew up in Ghana and was a great football lover. Unfortunately, he passed on before Dayo arrived Uyo with RS Berkane.