US-based ex-Green Eagles midfielder, Paul Okoku, won a silver medal at the 1984 AFCON. Okoku, who was in South Africa to cheer the Eagles to a third title, tells ’TANA AIYEJINA about his experiences at Africa’s top football showpiece 29 years ago
How did you make the team considering the array of superstars in the Eagles then?
I knew I had to do more substantially considering the extraordinary skill level and experience possessed by my midfield contenders. I also saw the need to raise my game and create a lasting impression on the coaches. I did it quietly but proficiently.
I was confronted with several challenges; to play well, outperform my rivals, impress the coaches, make the team, absence from my family and friends, and no girlfriend to cuddle. In the end, the sacrifices paid off. The high level of the experienced players helped me to raise my game. I had an advantage playing the last friendly game against Stationery Stores in Lagos where the coaches selected the final 23 players to represent Nigeria in the tournament. It was a moment I will never forget.
How was the experience like playing in the Nations Cup for the first time in 1984 as a youngster?
It was a dream come true, definitively, for a young lad. It is the biggest football competition in Africa. And winning a silver medal culminated that worthy experience for me personally.
People didn’t expect the team to advance far in the competition. What was the driving force to the final?
Yeah, we got the feeling too that majority of Nigerians did not have any hope in us. Indeed, no one but us knew we had the potential to win it all. We had a will which saw us through to the final despite all challenges. We knew we had the capacity to beat any team and possibly lift the cup. Few months before the tournament commenced, we had defeated Ghana and Morocco and so, we exuded confidence to beat any team. As a result, we were in a vintage position against Ghana in our opening game of the tournament and we defeated them 2-1.
Our story was more like a fairy tale. The coaches, Adegboyega Onigbinde and James Peters, understood the importance of the commitment of having a team mixed with youthful and experienced players. They invited six of us; myself, Chibuzor Ehilegbu, Yisa Shofoluwe, Wilfred Agbonavbare, Tarila Okorowanta and Humphrey Edobor from the Flying Eagles soon after the 1983 U-20 World Cup in Mexico. We were playing for both the Green Eagles and the Flying Eagles simultaneously.
How did you feel losing to Cameroon in the final?
I felt bad and dispirited because we knew we had a better chance of defeating them. The frustration that came out of that defeat was depressing. The goodwill speech before the final by a military officer, who represented the then Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari, wore off in a hurry. Just as I was attempting to cope with the loss, we had to mingle with the Cameroonian team; Roger Mila, Thomas Nkono, Theophile Abega and others at a gala organised for us. It was torture seeing them having a good time while I was still unhappy as a result of the defeat.
What was the highlight of your tournament in Abidjan?
It had to be our first and only goal in the final against Cameroon. It is still in my mind — Muda Lawal half-volleyed the ball and scored. Though, losing to them was not what we had hoped for.
Can you remember your most difficult part of the tournament?
Certainly, it was against Algeria. It was a desperation time for us. All we needed was a draw to see us through to the next round and that meant Ghana was out. There was a collective sigh of relief after we advanced to the second round and Ghana crashed out.
What was it like playing alongside one of Nigeria’s greatest strikers, late Rashidi Yekini?
That tournament was Yekini’s first on the international scene. He was quiet and reserved. In fact, he was a gentleman. He hardly spoke, rarely went out but he was respectful and prayerful. He took his Muslim faith to heart; a non-smoker, non-drinker and he did not womanise. I can remember myself, Shofoluwe and the late Muda Lawal used to pick on him so he could hang out with us, he conceded but he was shy of the girls who were ready to make a move at the snap of his fingers. After every game, he would retire to his room and off to bed.
What was the reception like on your arrival to Nigeria from Ivory Coast?
There was no reception or celebration of any kind. My presumption was that any medal less than gold was seen as a failure and their action substantiated it. It was a high-level display of apathy for silver medalists. This was the first Green Eagles team ever to get to the final of the AFCON outside Nigeria. Yet, we felt treated with scorn.
That eventually turned out to be your only Nations Cup outing. Do you regret not playing in subsequent editions of the competition?
There were no regrets for me. I left the football scene, far from my peak, for self actualisation. I had two choices: continue playing, risk injuries and fade into obscurity or take advantage of the scholarship I was awarded by an American university. I chose the obvious.
Punch Nigeria
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