At about this hour 46 years ago, 22 of us, members of the national football team of Nigeria, the Green Eagles, were lacing our boots with trembling hands in preparation for the football match that was to become a milestone in the history of Nigeria – the 1980 AFCON final!
It was the day when, demonstrably, Nigeria became ‘one country and one people’ united behind a simple cause (football) 10 years after the end of a bloody, 3-year Civil War that had splintered the fragile geographical space called Nigeria.
On March 22, 1980, a single football match became the glue that started to put together the broken pieces of a shaky relationship, and to provide a soothing balm for painful post-war emotions, amongst Nigerians.
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On that day, through the effort of some ‘warriors’ clad in the Green and White of the country’s colours, Nigerians experienced, in 90 pulsating minutes, the clearest evidence of the power of Sport to bring the people come together bound by a common cause!
22 of us, representing different ethnicities in Nigeria, demonstrated what is possible when a people set aside their differences to confront an ‘adversary’, beat the odds and win!
Unfortunately, several of those great ‘warriors’ have passed on to the beyond.
On this day, 46 years later, we remember them. Their achievements are beautiful memories still lingering in the many stories of March 22, 1980.
Today, I remember my friends very fondly.
I wish them perfect peace as they continue to rest with the Creator of our Universe.
1. Christian Chukwu, MFR
2. Mudashiru Lawal, MON
3. Tunde Bamidele, MON
4. Best Ogedegbe, MON
5. Okey Isima, MON
6. Henry Nwosu, MON
7. Martins Eyo, MON
8. Moses Effiong, MON
9. Charles Bassey, MON
Segun Odegbami MON
For the rest!
