𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐁𝐄𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐏𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄
We were young, but we were already learning that football could open doors — if we did not allow it to close the others.
In 𝟏𝟗𝟖𝟐, while in the 𝐅𝐥𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐄𝐚𝐠𝐥𝐞𝐬 camp at 𝐁𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐨 𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐕𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐠𝐞, 𝐈𝐛𝐚𝐝𝐚𝐧, some of us — including Paul Okoku, Segun and Femi Olukanni, Taju Disu, Alphonsus Akhahon, Christopher Anigala, Raymond King, Tarila Okorowanta, Samson Siasia and Patrick Udoh — had just returned from Sweden after winning the 𝐆𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐚 𝐂𝐮𝐩 against Ayr of Scotland with the 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐅𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐍𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚 (𝐘𝐒𝐅𝐎𝐍).
A year earlier, many of us had been selected by 𝐂𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬 𝐔𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐮𝐞𝐳𝐞 following the National Sports Festival in Benin City, tagged Edo ’81. By the time we arrived at camp, we were already three weeks late because of Sweden.
Before long, we were back in Lagos football with 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐤 for the Oba Cup.
We defeated 𝐍𝐄𝐏𝐀 in the semifinal and 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐬 in the final to win the 𝟏𝟗𝟖𝟐 𝐎𝐛𝐚 𝐂𝐮𝐩. Not long afterward, National Bank reached the Challenge Cup final against 𝐀𝐂𝐁, losing on penalties.
Then came another memorable test.
In 1982, National Bank played a friendly against 𝐈𝐈𝐂𝐂 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬 at Liberty Stadium, Ibadan, and they came with their full strength — Segun Odegbami, Mudashiru Lawal, Best Ogedegbe, Orlando John and others.
It was a serious examination for a very young National Bank side just back from Sweden.
Our team included Abia Ekaete in defence alongside Emmanuel Thompson and William Eke, Yemi Adebanjo in goal, Aiyepe as captain, Leonard Eyo, Segun and Femi Olukanni, Paul Okoku, Affinnih (Fineyo)Taiwo, and Mensah Kweku, among others.
We were young.
They were established.
But we competed.
And people were watching.
Through all of this, 𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐬 had been paying attention.
He repeatedly sent 𝐆𝐞𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞 𝐇𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐧, a former Green Eagles midfielder who had been with IICC Shooting Stars and later linked up with Masteroudes, to our camp to persuade some of us to leave National Bank for 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐩𝐞𝐭 𝐑𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐥 — the club that was preparing to become 𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐬 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝.
It was not an easy decision.
National Bank had treated us like family.
We were still students when they recruited us in 𝟏𝟗𝟖𝟏, while we were preparing for our West African School Certificate examinations.
They supported us while we were in school. They gave us free bank luncheon vouchers, which allowed us to eat throughout the month, and they promised us permanent jobs at the bank’s Broad Street, Lagos location when we finished secondary school.
They kept that promise.
So walking away was difficult.
It took us months.
Then came this picture.
This was the moment the decision became real.
𝐓𝐨𝐧𝐲 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐲𝐞, our team manager, even wrote the resignation letters for us. We signed them, and he carried them from Ibadan to National Bank headquarters on Broad Street in Lagos — a tall order.
From the story he later told us about what happened inside that office, Tony Soleye will probably laugh about that day for the rest of his life.
How he came out alive from the bank’s headquarters on Broad Street?
He lives to tell the story.
And that was how another chapter began.
𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐩𝐞𝐭 𝐑𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐥 became 𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐬 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝.
We helped build something special.
We won the 𝐎𝐲𝐨 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐠𝐮𝐞.
We played the elimination match in Kano to qualify for the National League Second Division, where Paul Okoku scored a half-volley from a beautiful cross by Emmanuel Akpan.
We won the 𝐎𝐲𝐨 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐂𝐮𝐩 𝐢𝐧 𝟏𝟗𝟖𝟑.
We became champions.
But football was never the final destination.
Even as young players, we wanted security.
We wanted education.
We wanted a future beyond the pitch.
The beautiful thing was that within our small circle of friends, we thought alike:
𝐄𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.
𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥.
We played together.
We moved together.
And in 𝟏𝟗𝟖𝟒, we left together to pursue higher education.
Football was never our destination.
𝐈𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞’𝐬 𝐣𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲.
𝐀 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐧𝐝.
And this photograph captured one of the stops along the way.
𝐏𝐚𝐮𝐥 𝐋𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐲 𝐎𝐤𝐨𝐤𝐮
FIFA Legend | Former Nigeria Flying Eagles Vice-Captain | Former Super Eagles International | AFCON Silver Medalist | Football Historian | Football Analyst | Investigative Football Writer | Journalist-at-Large | Founder & CEO, Greater Tomorrow Children’s Fund (GTCF)
PaulOkokuMediaHub@gmail.com
