Former Super Eagles’ Defender Endures Chaotic Scenes At 2020 ‘Grassroots Reunion’

By Femi Fasetire

A member of Nigeria’s Super Eagles’ squad to Ghana 2008 Africa Cup of Nations, Ifeanyi Emeghara (Fifty) put up a surprise appearance but then had to endure chaotic scenes, at the much-talked-about 2020 reunion of products, former coaches and officials of National Grassroots Dream Team in the backstreets of Ikotun area of Lagos.

It was a huge sight to behold seeing Emeghara among the early arrivals at Animashaun Street, as he defied distance and put aside pride or prestige to turn up on a humble note for a ceremony in which he was invited as a product of now-defunct National Grassroots Dream Team, and he had earlier donated two brand new footballs to Will-B Excellence Secondary School.

Though the event was set to be staged in the interior suburbs of Ikotun, Emeghara was not one to shy away nor was he bothered by the unusual terrain that would see him play an exhibition match on a street, instead of a football pitch, as he willingly honoured the all of his mentors and eventually turned up among the earliest guests to arrive for the event.

Indeed, the former defender of Politecnika Timisoara and Steaua Bucharest of Romania as well as Partizan Belgrade of Serbia, who is now the technical director of FEMMAK Football Academy in Ikeja area of Lagos, was ready for action, as he arrived in sports gear, only to meet a chaotic situation that eventually saw the venue shifted to a ‘real field’ some 20 minutes walk away.

Palpable and strong signs of hitches that could derail the event began last Friday, when Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu declared a ban on street rallies and public gatherings, in order to curtail an emergent second wave of COVID-19.

With the 2020 Grassroots Reunion having been scheduled to hold with five-a-side matches on a street in the Ifesowapo Community, it was bound to be a testy situation in which the organizers, Nigerian Grassroots Football Federation (NGFF), would have to avoid running foul of directives.

The storm entered a deeper shade 24 hours later, when news emerged that one of the coaches under the banner of NGFF, Hyacienth Nkwocha, had passed away early Sunday, thereby leaving the organizers with an option to either call off the following day’s event or declare it low keyed in mourning the man who won the body’s maiden coach of the year award in 2000 and went on to become technical director of their youth project, Community Action Through Sport (CATS).

However, something scarier and graver eventually occurred few hours to Monday’s event, which had been stylishly arranged to accommodate the official launch for the football teams of Will-B Excellence Secondary School, in Abogunloko area of Ikotun.

The final blow that eventually sent the organizers scurrying in search of a new venue was an armed robbery attack that occurred at a building directly on the same street where the day’s uncanny round of matches, speeches and side attractions had been expected to take place.

Pots of gatherings appeared, as guests started arriving, players turned up in their droves and the organizers stepped up appeals to residents of Animashaun Street to allow the event go ahead on a low keyed level, but it all fell on deaf ears, plus a threat.

A lady whose home was said to have been the direct target of the robbers and the number one victim blurted: “This place is already a security risk and the police are still investigating the matter. What will you do if they come here and start arresting your players as suspects because we know it was youths like them that came to rob us.”

That took them to the community development association chairman, who had in fact given the approval for use of the street alongside some members of the executive committee, but he only begged that his hands were tied over the matter; then offered them an alternative possible spot at a nearby parcel of land that is often used for public activities.

So, the ‘resolution panel’ that included NGFF secretary-general, Oscar Ezinwa Emmanuel and Will-B Excellence Secondary School games prefect, Daniel Aribatise, shifted attention to the said portion land, which was said to be owned by a school and church, whose owners lived in the building right behind it.

However, after several minutes of waiting outside the gate for a decision to be reached on the appeal for use of the property, the verdict was: “Don’t you know there is a lockdown in Lagos? We don’t know what will happen if we allow you to use the land.

“We cannot allow you to use the land because the government has banned anyone from holding public gatherings. Someone in the community can report us. Even if you accept to sign a letter of undertaking that our school is not involved, you will be gone when they come and we will be in trouble. I am sorry, but my hands are tied over this matter.”

That left the organizers with only one choice, call off the programme and dismiss everyone that had already turned up for the event, including several journalists, as well as the crew of Murhi International Television (MITV), Emeghara and his players that were expected to play one of the exhibition matches, students of Will-B school as well as products of Grassroots Dream Team.

A number of former players of the grassroots centre of excellence did turn up early for the event, with the intention of feature in one of the exhibition games that would have seen home-based lads tackle those from abroad, but they all returned to their various bases without kicking a single ball, as a breakdown in communication with the organizers kept them all in limbo.

The roll call of grassroots products that left in dismay included France-based Wasiu Afolabi, Italy-based Ikechukwu Nwani and Ebere Goodluck from England, as well as the home-based Silva David, Damilare Adegoke with three Soyingbe brothers – Dare, Yemi and Segun.

The hiccups also meant there was no need for chairman of the day, Pastor Victor Ukozor Macdonald to turn up any longer, despite having travelled in from Swaziland with some colleagues to witness the occasion, while the special guest of honour, Lagos State former commissioner for social development and NGFF president, Alhaji Agboola Dabiri was also advised to stay away.

However, another snag soon emerged to further sour the day, as all food and drinks meant for the event were not ready, even as it was already 12noon, and the organizers felt it would be unkind to dismiss everyone without at least giving them something to refresh their bellies and recharge their nerves; and a new round of worries set in, only for two of Will-B school’s students to pop with a face-saving solution.

“Sir, we can play the matches at Community School. It’s not far from here, just close to Ikotun, along Abaronje Road, and they will not even collect money for us to use the place. I am sure they will allow us use the field once we get there,” said Abiola Sultan, and his close pal, Ayomide Rabiu buttressed the point, along with Ibrahim Ayeni.

That was how everyone eventually shifted to Community Primary School, along Abaronje Road, near Ikotun market and roundabout, with a total of six matches eventually taking place among teams and coaches that took the pain of joining the exodus from Animashaun Street to the new venue; but the Grassroots Products’ game versus Emeghara’s Boys could no longer hold.

The revised schedule, as outlined by NGFF secretary-general, Oscar Ezinwa Emmanuel with two other Will-B teachers, Mr Chidi and Dominic Chinedu, had the school’s students hogging all but one of the games that would eventually go ahead, with only the first of the lot not involving any of the kids, whose teams were meant to be officially launched that day.

The matches that the organizers eventually hurriedly outlined were: Young Stars of Ojo versus Young Tigers of Ikotun, Coach Bolaji’s Golden Boys of Iyana Ejigbo versus Will-B Junior Boys, Will-B Senior Boys versus Young Tigers Snr, Will-B Girls Combined exhibition game, Young Tigers versus Will-B Junior Boys and Will-B Senior Boys versus Santos FC of Ikotun.

Despite all the odds, it turned out to be a day well spent by the students of Will-B Excellence Secondary School, as the refreshments eventually arrived, albeit in a reduced quantity, and they had lots of fun playing on a full field, unlike the five-a-side contraptions that had been planned for Animashaun Street; which caused the invited teams to keep asking: “Where is the field?”

To cap the day of delight, which many of the organizers, invitees, observers and students tagged ‘Every Disappointment Is A Blessing,’ Will-B Senior Boys won the very last match of the spree; as Blessed Onyedinma and Frankline Ojieh scored either side of half time to give the excited kids from Elder William Folorunsho Olaoye’s centre of academic excellence a 2-0 win over Santos FC.

It was a befitting end to a day that started on a stormy note and had to be reduced from a joint-celebration of the 2020 Reunion of former players, coaches and officials of National Grassroots Dream Team into a hastily rearranged football festival among students and kids of youth clubs.

One of the journalists present was overheard saying: “These students have really tried o. Imagine all the stress they went through; even having to walk for almost 20 minutes from the other venue to this place. Plus all the disappointment they still managed to play these matches.”

That was the comforting summary of a really dramatic yet captivating day that brought out the best in terms of patience, enthusiasm, dedication and loyalty from a large number of male and female students of Will-B Excellence Secondary School, Ikotun for their mentors, teachers and invited guests, who stayed from morning till late evening witnessing all six matches.

All captains of the three squads – head boy Tolu Olaoye for the senior team, assistant games perfect Chinecherem Moughalu for the combined females and Daniel Hassan for the junior boys – got literal pats on the back for holding their own, as did the games prefect, Daniel Arabatise for being part of the long search for a solution to the hitches.

Also present was the head girl, Miracle Innocent (Mimi), who followed the unfolding drama from start to finish and provided a strong dose of encouragement for the guests, organizers and students not to be discouraged when food and drinks failed to arrive early, until the social prefect, Christiana Balogun eventually showed up with the package.

“All’s well that ends well,” said another of the invited journalists, Afolabi Gambari, who noted in passing that he was happy seeing that almost everyone present was able to eat rice and get one drink or the other, including all the clubs that featured in the historic day’s array of rescheduled matches; plus a symbolic note that a former Super Eagles player had turned up for the occasion.