I am embarrassed to write this but I must. A friend I have not heard from for a very long time, Segun Lawal, rang me up a few days ago. After the usual long-time-no-see pleasantries, he told me why he was calling. He was having a harmless conversation with a friend about the present whereabouts of one of Nigeria’s past football heroes. Their conversation had degenerated to an argument and they decided they had to call the one man they thought would have the answer – me. They were wrong! I stared at the phone in my hand in embarrassment and realized how negligent I have been in keeping track of members of my constituency, particularly those that have retired. Time was when I had addresses and telephone numbers of most ex-internationals and occasionally called them.

Many years ago I founded an association of ex-international footballers in order to do just that – keep track of their activities so that when there arises a need to do something with, or for, them they can be easily reached. Twice I invited as many as I could locate to a re-union in Lagos and both occasions were quite memorable for all those that came or were a part of it. For reason of struggling to survive in the harsh economic environment of Nigeria I have neglected that all-important responsibility. Segun’s inquiry thus became a rude awakening for me. Where are the great heroes of Nigerian football, players, coaches and administrators that have left indelible footprints in the history of Nigerian football?
Where are Willy Bazuaye, Alabi Essien, Amusa Shittu, Johnny (the tailor) Egbuonu, Mathew ‘Mogambo the Truck Pusher’ Atuegbu, Ndaliman, Sule Kekere, Christian Madu, Adeyemi (of Plateau) Godwin Iwelumo, Godwin ‘Shakara’ Obasuyi, Papadopoulos (NFA Vice-Chairman), Carew (the goalkeeper), Olu Onagoruwa, and so on, players of different past generations! We should not wait until we all die before we are remembered. We must be relevant in one way or the other in Nigerian football. The field is still virgin, looking for input to nurture the game to become a viable industry in Nigeria.

This is an appeal to the Nigeria Football Association to please set up a data base of information on the whereabouts of all Nigerian players of all generations.

Finally it is totally unacceptable that I do not know (without calling friends up from all over the country) where a great icon of Nigerian football, an exceptional player of his time, one time captain of Bendel Insurance and the national team, the first coach to win a global championship for Nigeria, coach ‘Sabara’, Sebastian Broderick is?