Elkanah Onyeali was born in 1938 in Port Harcourt, the Garden City, as an indigene of Mbieri in Mbaitoli Local government area of Imo State. He attended St Cyprian and Banham Primary School Port Harcourt and passed the entrance examinations to Holy Ghost College, Owerri in 1954.
At the college, his innate talent of soccer was developed which improved by daily progression. Even from the second year, young Elkanah started featuring in the college XI and this exposed his soccer potential. In the years ahead, his soccer wizardry reigned throughout the colleges than in Nigeria. He was a terror to team defenders and would mesmerise them to score such checky goals that would reduce the goalkeepers to mere ”traffic wardens ”
During the years he captained the College XI (1957 & 1958 ) all the football trophies then competed for Eastern Nigeria were won which included: the physics cup (later Academicians Cup), Bishop Shanahan’s Cup, MacNaulty Cup and Owerri Parish Cup.
While in the College he played for the indomitable Owerri Town XI and shone like a pearl
He was signed by the Port Harcourt Red Devils, a local team that rose to fame across the nation serving the national team with lots of talented players.
His reputation was enhanced by many dazzling performances, including the 1958 domestic cup final, when Elkanah Onyeali put on a sensational display as his team emerged victoriously.
A place in the national team followed shortly thereafter, and Elkanah began to thrill crowds at King George V Stadium in Lagos.
He even set a record by scoring four goals in one international game, a feat that has only been matched once by another Nigerian.
The country was then under British rule, and it wasn’t uncommon for young Nigerians to study in London and beyond.
Young Elkanah then was a dedicated pupil, and a desire for excellent qualifications brought him to Wirral in the summer of 1960. Elkanah studied electrical engineering at Birkenhead Technical College, and succeeding in that endeavour was very important to him.
Still, he yearned to play football. Elkanah wanted a familiar pastime in an unfamiliar place.
A taste of home, if you will, to smooth the cultural transition. After settling in Birkenhead, he wrote letters to Liverpool and Everton, famous clubs across the Mersey, asking for a trial. Neither club was interested. It’s doubtful he knew about Tranmere Rovers, the hometown team, but they soon came forward with an invitation that couldn’t be refused.
However it transpired, Rovers’ player-manager was keen to see what the lad could do, and Onyeali subsequently played in three reserve matches for Tranmere. The skilful forward is impressed enough in his Cheshire League audition to earn a first-team contract for the season ahead. Onyeali could only play part-time due to his studies, but the talent was undeniable. He would be Tranmere’s wildcard in Division Three.
Back home, he was known as Mercedes for his sports car-like speed. On his Rovers debut, Onyeali scored twice in a thrilling 4-3 victory that caused great excitement among townsfolk and newspaper cartoonists. Elkanah became an instant favourite with Rovers fans, who affectionately called him ‘Al’ for the sake of simplicity.
He became the first black player in Tranmere history. He also became the first non-British or Irish player to appear for Rovers. Records show that he was also one of the foremost Nigerian to play professional football in Britain, and was among the very first waves of African footballers on these shores.
That pioneering spirit is simply brilliant, and it opened the door to future generations, both at Tranmere and beyond and today as we all know many other Nigerians including the legend here with us today, Amb Kan…
