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46—SATURDAY Vanguard, MARCH 3, 2018
•Mikel
Troost
Ekong
What may go well
for Eagles in Russia
– Aghahowa
•Speaks about his days in Eagles, Bendel
Insurance and the league
In the late 1990s, a young
energetic and pacey attacker
emerged from Bendel Insurance.
He shot his way to the National
team and by 2000, he became an
instant hit for Nigeria. Julius
Aghahowa soon became Nigeria’s
‘redeemer’ in some intriguing way.
He spoke with Jacob Ajom as he
recalled some of those
unforgettable moments of his
international career. Excerpts:
What are you doing at the
moment?
When we were playing, we
used to stay away a lot from the
family. Now we give them a lot
more attention. It is family time
now. We also want to spare some
moments and see how we can pay
back to the society by getting
involved in a lot of projects. I have
been around, since I retired in 2013.
I stopped playing in 2013. I have
been outside(the country), but I
come in once in a while. We are
now involved in community
service kind of thing. We support
the kids through developmental
projects. That is what basically
takes most of my time now.
This is a World Cup year and
the Super Eagles are going to
Russia. As a former national
team player who has been to the
World Cup, how does it feel
flying your country’s flag at the
World Cup?
You can’t really define the
feeling. As a footballer, the World
Cup is the biggest tournament you
aspire to play. It is the ultimate. It
is a very big deal when you qualify
to go and represent your country
at the world stage and a very big
experience to you personally
because when you are out there
you feel the weight of expectations
from over 180 million people
back home who are also solidly
behind you. The feeling is
tremendous.
What do you see in this Super
Eagles squad as per their World
Cup campaign?
I think they have assembled the
best set of players ever for the
national team going by their
qualification even before their last
match. I think they can go far.
From what I have seen, we have a
solid team. If you want to add one
or two players to the team, no
problem. On the whole, I think
they can go far in Russia.
With Argentina, Croatia and
Iceland, you believe the Eagles
can qualify from that group?
I am very optimistic we can go
past that group and even beyond.
My optimism is based on the fact
that these players are active for
their various clubs; they play week
in, week out and they are in top
form. The ones that are strikers
are scoring goals, the midfielders
are consistent, while the defenders
have been playing well. With their
present form, they will come out of
that group and even go beyond.
As an ex-Super Eagles player,
which was your most memorable
match for Nigeria?
If I look back, I played a lot of
games and I have a lot of fond
memories. I think few will stand
out if you judge the degree of
impact I had on the fans. In that
respect, the game against Senegal
will stand out and my goal in the
World Cup will stand out also.
But I think the match against
Senegal will stand out most
because I scored the equaliser and
the winner at the national stadium
Lagos. It was during the Ghana/
Nigeria 2000 AFCON match.
Senegal were leading and I was
•Gov Obaseki
By Desmond Ekweme
gwo Nnaji, David Adiele,
AKadiri Ikhana, Francis
Monidafe, Leotis Boateng,
Peter Egharevba, Felix
Agbonifo, Henry Ogboe and
Prince Afejukwu are among
players of the golden
generation of Insurance FC of
Benin.
For those who watched or
read the story of the all
conquering squad of this
great team in 1978 when they
dusted “Almighty” Enugu
Rangers International FC in
•Aghahowa
brought in
as a
substitute.
I
scored
the
equaliser
and
the
whole
stands shook as spectators
poured onto the pitch. Play was
held up for some minutes before
fans were asked to return to their
seats for the game to continue.
When we resumed play, I scored the
winner about 5 minutes from the
final whistle. It was a very
important victory and a very
memorable game to the team and
me as a player.
How do you feel that you lost
that tournament in the final?
It was very unfortunate because,
to me we didn’t lose the final. We
did our best. I cannot say we lost
the final, it was the referee’s error
that cost us that final. But to me as
a young player, just coming up,
getting into the national team and
the then revered FA Cup, it is a
taboo for the club to be missing in
the elite League for over a
decade....I hope I’m correct.
When you marry this to the fact
that the best of coaches the sport
has offered Nigeria hail from Edo
State leaves one wondering what
has happened to this great team.
From Alabi Aissien to Sebastine
Brodericks-Imasuen down to the
era of Willy Bazuaye, Shaibu
Amodu, Lawrence Akpokona,
Solomon Ogbeide, Fanny Amun
and later to Rowland Ewere,
Austin Eguavoen, Paul Aigbogun
who are all sons of the soil....you
can only ask, why will anyone
want Insurance FC to remain in
the backyard of Nigerian football?
From the glory of Insurance FC
clubs like New Nigeria Bank FC,
Rubber Board FC, Flash
Flamingoes FC, Okomu Oil FC
and Igbino Babes FC emerged
and made great impact on the
nation’s football scene.
Stars flooded Nigeria’s soccer
•Alex Iwobi
have
was an
getting to the
final of the
Africa Cup of
Nations, having
played a major role
getting to that stage and
if not for the referee’s
mistake, we would
lifted that trophy, it
amazing experience.
Your international career
w a s short. Would you
say it was fulfilling?
Yes, it was fulfilling. I
played for the national
team for 7 years, I cannot
say that was short
compared to a lot of
people playing now;
some will play for two
years, some three
years. For me, those
seven years were
memorable. I cannot
count how many times
they called on me to
rescue Nigeria and I
did that very well.
Sometimes they
called me from the
bench, sometimes
I started the
game and I
always delivered.
It was pleasing
playing for the
country and I felt
happy delivering Nigeria in
times of difficulty. I did that for
seven years and I can’t say that was
short.
Compare the current Eagles and
your squad, which would you rate
higher?
Every generation has its own
challenges, peculiar to its time. You
cannot compare two generations
under the same parameter. We
have some areas that were better
and they have theirs that are better
than our time. Now you have a set
of young players coming together,
while in the past you had a mix of
both young and old players, what
you term as youth and experience.
Right now you still have a couple
of some young players who still
have the experience, mixed with
some youthful players, which is
from Edo State and some are
products of Insurance FC while
many others are not....Yet we had
great ambassadors of the state,
talking about indigenes who
made the state proud through
football. Julius Aghahowa,
Yakubu Aiyegbeni, Osaze
Odemwingie, Osaro Obobaifo,
Austin Igbinabaro, Humphrey
Edobor, Sunday Eboigbe, Bright
Omokaro, Monday and Austin
Eguavoen and Monday Agbotaen,
Willy Agbonavbare, Andrew
Aikhmuogbe, Bright Igbinadolor,
Pius Ikedia, Thompson Usiyen,
Charles Okonebor, Kingsley
Aikhionvbare, Joe Enakhire and
Festus Okougha to mention a few.
We hear that Governor Godwin
Obaseki has set in motion plans
and strategies to return the great
Insurance FC to where it rightfully
belong in Nigerian football
through Tuesday’s rebranding
event at the Government House.
I join millions of football fans in
saying “WELLDONE YOUR
EXCELLENCY”.....I also wish to
good for the team. During our
time, it was good for our
generation and what we are
having now is good for this
generation. But they have a better
chance of doing better than us.
What would you say of Nigeria
football, generally, particularly,
the domestic league?
The domestic league is still what
it used to be but what we are
lacking is the presence of the fans.
There is no more dedication from
the fans as we used to have then. I
remember in 1997 when we just
signed for Bendel Insurance;
about nine other new players
signed together with me then. We
were young players from nowhere,
from playing in the amateur
league, eleven of us were paraded
in the opening game of the season
and we did very well and even got
to the final of the FA Cup that year.
The fans were rooting for us and
the expectations were high among
them as they wanted to see what
these young players could offer. As
for us the players we were out to
do our best because we wanted
to impress. These days you
attend a match and you find
empty stands. The support is
lacking for the players. I think
that is what is lacking in the
domestic league.
The administrators too, most of
them know more about foreign
clubs like Chelsea, Man United,
Arsenal and so forth, they don’t
know much about our league. And
the sponsors seem to be shying
away. The agents are not helping
matters. Once a good player
emerges, the next moment he is
taken abroad. People no longer
want to play at home. So I will
encourage the players to put in at
least two or three years before they
start thinking of going abroad. We
all started from here and most
players who featured for the
national team in our days, started
from home.
And, what is your feelings for
Bendel Insurance FC of Benin?
I am saddened. I am saddened
because when you want to
mention football clubs in Nigeria
in the past, you can’t mention
three teams before Insurance of
Benin. This is a team that won
WAFU Cup many times, a club
that have a robust history.
Now they are down below. It is
sad, indeed. I think we need to
inject more ex-players to come
and run the club. They need to be
involved at every stage to help
bring back the club to what it used
to be. If we leave it for people who
don’t know anything about
football, our football will continue
the downward slide. It is
important that ex-footballers get
seriously involved in the
administration of the game. For
instance, players that have
travelled far and wide, who have
garnered a lot of experience, who
can bring their experiences to bear
on the local game. Like myself
now, I have been to England,
Turkey, Ukraine and many more.
All these places I have passed
through, you think I have not
learnt anything that can make our
football better?
“Return” of Insurance FC?
•Wake Up Call On Shooting Stars, Stationary Stores, Others
use this privilege to say a big
CONGRATULATIONS to the
teeming fans of this team.
Perhaps, this will serve as a huge
step to revive the old order of
beautiful football through healthy
rivalry among the traditional
teams in our domestic sport.
Enugu Rangers Int’l, Shooting
Stars FC and Stationary Stores
FC among others. Sadly, the likes
of Sharks FC have
matamorphosed and their history
almost buried.
My advice to Gov. Obaseki is
simple, Your Excellency don’t
allow politics and power tussle
within your state hinder this great
move of yours. That was exactly
the factor that almost destroyed
Insurance FC. Those who felt
High Chief Igbinomawhia
Ekisouehi had overbearing
influence and control over the
club used their closeness to the
corridors of power to ‘divide and
rule’....in the end the club
commenced a free fall.