OGABA: WHY FLYING EAGLES CAN’T RE-ENACT MIRACLE OF DAMMAN

How did you get into the junior national teams? I started out as a secondary school boy. I attended the 1985 National Sports festival where I was spotted by the coaches. Then things were done on merit. If you played well, you were given the opportunity to play for the country. Those who spotted me […]

How did you get into the junior national teams?

I started out as a secondary school boy. I attended the 1985 National Sports festival where I was spotted by the coaches. Then things were done on merit. If you played well, you were given the opportunity to play for the country. Those who spotted me kept tab on me and I was given the opportunity to join the Flying Eagles straight away. For the fact that I was really young, I was shuttling between the Flying Eagles and Eaglets. However, when it was time for competition proper, I had to move over to the U-17 to create room for others. I played in the 1987 Eaglets team under Coach Sebastian Brodericks. In 1989 I was part of the Coach Tunde Disu led Flying Eagles to Saudi ’89.

What can you think made the 1989 Flying Eagles squad very special?

The strength of the team was in its togetherness. The ability to work as one indivisible family remained our secret weapon. On and off the field of play, the harmony and unity of purpose was there. We ate together, prayed together and played for one another on the field.

There was nothing like ethnicity or religious dichotomy. In addition, we were very very humble. You know humility is the key to success.

In the quarter final match, the team came back from four goals down to beat Russia in what is now referred to as the Damman Miracle of 1989.

How did it happen?

You see in our time, we had this thing in us. Whenever we went out for competitions, we never looked for match bonuses or stuffs like that.

At all times, we aimed at making the country proud. We always thought about the passion of millions of Nigerians back home. Thus, whenever we listened to the National Anthem of Nigeria, we were ready to lay down our lives. Consequently, even when we were four goals down we never gave up. Some of us were playing and crying out our eyes. We did not want to disgrace millions of Nigerians watching us. In the second half, we decided that we would put in everything we had inside us to save the situation. It was for this reason that Captain Nduka Ugbade and I had to move from our defensive positions to add pressure on our opponents defence. The rest is now history. The feat was achieved because we were looking at the image of the country and not money.

Can you recall the atmosphere in the team’s camp after the historic match?

It was an emotional moment for all of us. Most of us could not sleep throughout the night. When we got back to the hotel, I collected the keys to my room but I ended up sleeping in the reception with some of my team mates. We celebrated late into the early hours of the day. You cannot understand how we felt.

But why did the team concede so many goals in one half of the match?

The matches schedule was entirely responsible for the precarious situation we found ourselves in. We had played all our preliminary matches in Riyadh. After that we travelled to another city for our second round match against Czechoslovakia. We played ten men against eleven. For instance, I was compelled to play in two positions, 2 and 4. And immediately after the match, we again travelled to meet Russia.

As a result, most of the players became completely tired. Remember that both the quarter and semi-finals ended in extra time and this had adverse effect on us in the final match against Portugal.

Going by the attitude of the present national team players leading to the declining fortunes, do you see any of the national teams performing a similar miracle?

Well, even if out of patriotism I cannot say it is practically impossible, I must say that going by the character of our national teams, it will be hard for such a feat to be achieved again. Nigerians should not think about it for now. The present players lack the required commitment and dedication. But I don’t want anybody to blame them because they are wiser having seen what has become of most of us.

Can we in all honesty say those of us who served this country without reservations have been fairly treated? These players now play half heartedly because they do not want to fall into the same trap. Had it been some of us have so much to show for the service we rendered to this nation, the story would have been different. Today, it is give and take. It is not an issue of patriotism. If those who served this nation are remembered and accorded the necessary respect, it will ginger the present generation of players to give even two hundred percent.

Are you therefore saying you and your colleagues have got nothing to show for serving this country?

Nothing, I must say nothing. We came, saw and conquered but were not compensated. I thank God that I am still alive and healthy. I am using my brain to fend for myself. Some of my colleagues are worse off. They are nowhere to be seen. They are treated as outcasts even in football circles.

What are the chances of the present Flying Eagles in the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Colombia?

The Flying Eagles team to Colombia has a lot of talents and I see them doing well at the World Cup.

I don’t want to predict to what stage of the competition that they will reach, but if the coaches can talk to them and let them know that they can do it, I see them going far in the tournament.

It is common to see teams lose pre-tournament friendlies and end up doing well at the competition proper, so I am sure the Flying Eagles will perform excellently at the World Cup proper.