By John Egbokhan
It has been 25 years since Samuel Okwaraji died while playing for the Eagles at the National Stadium, Lagos. It was a FIFA 1990 World Cup qualifier against Angola. Nigeria won the match 1-0 but painfully lost Okwaraji to the cold hands of death.
Okwaraji was playing before a full capacity at the Sports City and had wanted to use the opportunity to impress the ever-demanding Lagos fans. Sadly and ironically too, the only headline he made was that announcing his demise
Doctors said he died of congested heart failure, which some said was orchestrated by the hot weather condition on that fateful day of August 12, 1989. Till date, his death hangs like a dark epitaph on Nigerian football.
One of Okwaraji’s bosom friends and teammate, Henry Nwosu, who also hails from the same Owerri zone like the deceased ex-international, while recollecting his time with the dreadlock-wearing former VFB Stuttgart midfielder, has said that his tears are still flowing for Okwaraji, who died at the tender age of 25.
“Anytime I think of Okwaraji, my tears start flowing uncontrollably. In fact, when I woke up on August 12 and remembered that it was the anniversary of the day that he died, I started shedding tears. I shed these tears because I remembered his humility and dedication to the service of our fatherland.
“He was a true patriot, who wanted to prove to Nigerians that he was a good player but unfortunately and cruelly too, he didn’t live to see his work appreciated by fans”, Nwosu said in an interview with Saturday Sports Vanguard.
Recalling his relation-ship with Okwaraji, Nwosu, a 1980 Nations Cup winner, who missed the game against Angola because ASEC Mimosas hid the invitation letter sent for his release by the NFA, said that it was the only match that he did not play for Nigeria during the short career of Okwaraji.
“I was supposed to play that match against Angola and was expecting my call-up letter from the NFA but surprisingly, I did not get any letter. I was alarmed and had to ask why I was not invited for the match. I was later told that the NFA sent a letter for my release but my club in Abidjan hid the letter. I was furious but there was nothing I could do because it was late and just had to stay back and follow the match through commentaries in Abidjan”, said Nwosu, who recalled with nostalgia, the conversation with the late Okwaraji during their time in camp.
“When Okwaraji joined us in camp for the first time, he naturally became my good friend because he was humble. I saw the potentials in him. He was a good dribbler and passer of the ball, a very creative player but one day, I called him aside and advised him that no matter how good a footballer is, that if he was not scoring, Nigerians would not remember him.
“What I told him touched him a lot because when he scored his first goal for Nigeria during the group match against Cameroon at Maroc 1988, he ran to me, shouting, ‘shame to bad people”, in Igbo language.
“He told me that my advice helped him a lot .That goal meant a lot to him and Nigeria, because it was the equaliser against the Indomitable Lions. The match ended 1-1.
“After that match, he stayed close to me and I was looking forward to reuniting with him in Lagos on August 12, 1989, which was not to be. It was the only match that I did not play for the Eagles during the time that Okwaraji came into Eagles limelight. “And unfortu-nately, it so happened that it was the match that my friend had to die while playing for Nigeria. How cruel can this life be”, Nwosu said rhetorically.
Okwaraji’s 25th anniversary on August 12, went without any fanfare and remem-brance service to honour the player, a development that Nwosu said Nigerians should be ashamed of given the fact that the deceased paid the ultimate sacrifice.
“We have not done enough for him. This was a young man, who died playing for Nigeria but regrettably, Nigeria has not done any meanin-gful thing to remember this man. If only, they can even organise one competi-tion, which final will be played on August 12, then one can say that Nigeria has done something to remember Okwaraji. But that has not been done, 25 years on. I don’t think they have done enough or anything for his family.
“Okwaraji was a Nigerian hero, who should be treated well. He paid the ultimate prize for this country. If I die for this country, I know it will be a good death”, added a sorrowful Nwosu.
It has been 25 years since Samuel Okwaraji died while playing for the Eagles at the National Stadium, Lagos. It was a FIFA 1990 World Cup qualifier against Angola. Nigeria won the match 1-0 but painfully lost Okwaraji to the cold hands of death.
Doctors said he died of congested heart failure, which some said was orchestrated by the hot weather condition on that fateful day of August 12, 1989. Till date, his death hangs like a dark epitaph on Nigerian football.
One of Okwaraji’s bosom friends and teammate, Henry Nwosu, who also hails from the same Owerri zone like the deceased ex-international, while recollecting his time with the dreadlock-wearing former VFB Stuttgart midfielder, has said that his tears are still flowing for Okwaraji, who died at the tender age of 25.
“Anytime I think of Okwaraji, my tears start flowing uncontrollably. In fact, when I woke up on August 12 and remembered that it was the anniversary of the day that he died, I started shedding tears. I shed these tears because I remembered his humility and dedication to the service of our fatherland.
“He was a true patriot, who wanted to prove to Nigerians that he was a good player but unfortunately and cruelly too, he didn’t live to see his work appreciated by fans”, Nwosu said in an interview with Saturday Sports Vanguard.
Recalling his relation-ship with Okwaraji, Nwosu, a 1980 Nations Cup winner, who missed the game against Angola because ASEC Mimosas hid the invitation letter sent for his release by the NFA, said that it was the only match that he did not play for Nigeria during the short career of Okwaraji.
“I was supposed to play that match against Angola and was expecting my call-up letter from the NFA but surprisingly, I did not get any letter. I was alarmed and had to ask why I was not invited for the match. I was later told that the NFA sent a letter for my release but my club in Abidjan hid the letter. I was furious but there was nothing I could do because it was late and just had to stay back and follow the match through commentaries in Abidjan”, said Nwosu, who recalled with nostalgia, the conversation with the late Okwaraji during their time in camp.
“When Okwaraji joined us in camp for the first time, he naturally became my good friend because he was humble. I saw the potentials in him. He was a good dribbler and passer of the ball, a very creative player but one day, I called him aside and advised him that no matter how good a footballer is, that if he was not scoring, Nigerians would not remember him.
“What I told him touched him a lot because when he scored his first goal for Nigeria during the group match against Cameroon at Maroc 1988, he ran to me, shouting, ‘shame to bad people”, in Igbo language.
“He told me that my advice helped him a lot .That goal meant a lot to him and Nigeria, because it was the equaliser against the Indomitable Lions. The match ended 1-1.
“After that match, he stayed close to me and I was looking forward to reuniting with him in Lagos on August 12, 1989, which was not to be. It was the only match that I did not play for the Eagles during the time that Okwaraji came into Eagles limelight. “And unfortu-nately, it so happened that it was the match that my friend had to die while playing for Nigeria. How cruel can this life be”, Nwosu said rhetorically.
Okwaraji’s 25th anniversary on August 12, went without any fanfare and remem-brance service to honour the player, a development that Nwosu said Nigerians should be ashamed of given the fact that the deceased paid the ultimate sacrifice.
“We have not done enough for him. This was a young man, who died playing for Nigeria but regrettably, Nigeria has not done any meanin-gful thing to remember this man. If only, they can even organise one competi-tion, which final will be played on August 12, then one can say that Nigeria has done something to remember Okwaraji. But that has not been done, 25 years on. I don’t think they have done enough or anything for his family.
“Okwaraji was a Nigerian hero, who should be treated well. He paid the ultimate prize for this country. If I die for this country, I know it will be a good death”, added a sorrowful Nwosu.
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