I have been neglected

Could you tell us how you started your football career?We started football at the national level in this country. My interest in football dated back to my early childhood in 1930,where I played for the Church of Scotland Mission School,Unwanta, Afikpo in inter school competitions. I later moved to Hope Waddel Training Institute,Calabar and kept […]

Could you tell us how you started your football career?
We started football at the national level in this country. My interest in football dated back to my early childhood in 1930,where I played for the Church of Scotland Mission School,Unwanta, Afikpo in inter school competitions. I later moved to Hope Waddel Training Institute,Calabar and kept goal for the school senior team even though I was still very young.
At which point did you become the star goalkeeper?
After my secondary school I joined Calabar First Eleven and in 1947 I got a job with Public Works Department (PWD) and was picked as a player for the Railway Football Club then known as the Port Harcourt Red Devils and we played in the national challenge cup competition. Even though I was in the goalpost in most of the matches, at times I play from the outside right but at the end of the competition I was adjudged the best goalkeeper in the competition.
You know before the competition there was no national team but the then NFA assembled the best players from the competition and since I was the best goalkeeper, I was lucky to be among them and we went on a tour of Europe.
Can you remember some of the notable clubs you played against in the UK tour?
Yes,I can remember a few of them. You know it has been a long time. Some of the English clubs were South Liverpool FC, Dulwich Airlet and Lettensone. We played nine games,won two,lost five and drew two. We also played some African clubs like the Accra Great Olympics of Ghana and Sierra Leonean FC. It may interest you to know that we played bare footed against the English teams who wore boots.
Which was your most memorable match?
It was in 1958, the UK team came from overseas for the return match in Enugu. We had played against them in England. In the return leg, their strikers were so good and our defence was porous. I stood between them and victory. I saved my team and the game ended 1-1 and I can still remember the commentator saying the match is between Ibiam and UK.
At the end of the match, the then regional premier of Eastern Nigeria late Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe who was the guest of honour in the match sent for me and gave me a warm handshake and each time I remember that I always marvel at my performance.
Now that you are 90 years old what do you think the government should do for you?
I should not be the one to tell them what should be done for me. Even my state of origin has not deemed it fit to honour me as has been done to my contemporaries like Dan Anyiam in Imo state and Teslim Balogun in Lagos State. Even the nation has forgotten us that flew the banners of the nation high with our sweat without asking for anything. We played with sheer patriotism and it would not have been out of place for us to be honoured for generations yet unborn to know that there is honour in representing your nation. I can say it with my head high that we played for the nation with patriotic zeal.
I am happy because of the recognition I get from my immediate community, the recognition is encouraging, at least by the people. But as for the government, there is no recognition.
I have solace in the fact that the National Sports Commission listed me among distinguished sports award heroes as a member of the team that played the UK tourist team in 1949. I can remember some of those listed to include Isiaka Shittu, Dan Anyiam, Soleari Dokubu,Gabriel Anosike, Teslim ‘thunder’ Balogun and captain Etim Henshaw and many other great players.
What will you say of the present situation where players now agitate for money before playing for the country?
You don’t have to blame them. May be some of them are now learning from the experiences of their predecessors. If they know after playing for the nation you will not be forgotten as a used rag then you will have less of such cases but I still believe there are better ways to do it but holding your nation to ransom is not one of the ways.
There should be a proper means of communication and understanding between managers and players.
You are here in Abuja in honour of the Late Premier of Eastern Region Chief Akannu Ibiam, are you blood relations?
No but we are same kinsmen. My coming from Ebonyi State to Abuja for the unveiling of a trophy for a football competition in his honour is worth it because he was one man that stood for the good of the people and my prayers is that may the players that will be discovered in the tournament be nutured to greater height and they should exhibit high sense of discipline as that is the hallmark of a good player that has great future ahead of him.