Playing in the Nigerian league in the 80s was enjoyable – Fuludu

The beginningWell, football came to me naturally and I eventually became a footballer in my life. You know those of us that came from the ghetto area, football was the only game we could exercise, the passion was there.So, I started playing very early because I can show you my testimonial where I played for […]

The beginning
Well, football came to me naturally and I eventually became a footballer in my life. You know those of us that came from the ghetto area, football was the only game we could exercise, the passion was there.
So, I started playing very early because I can show you my testimonial where I played for my primary school in the early 70s and then played for my secondary school, then played for my university; I was the captain of the University of Benin. Before I graduated, I went to two NUGA Games.
It came naturally like that, even when I graduated I did not want to go to the office and work, in fact I wanted to work with the New Nigerian Bank where I served as well but the passion for playing football was so much that I felt the best was to showcase my talent and that is why I decided to play football until I retired from it.
Schools attended
For the primary school, it was Tesu Primary School Warri and I was one of the first eleven team players. One good thing then was there were inter-primary school games and matches and there after I went to College of Commerce, also in Warri and in that school again, while in class one, I played for the U-13 and in my class two I was promoted to the senior team automatically, even though I was the smallest player at that time.
So, I became senior team player from class two till class five and when I left class five I went to the University of Benin in 1983 and as one young player who just came, I made the team to NUGA 1984 where we won bronze, and then at NUGA 1985, I was already the captain.
I was the first student to be in my second year and captain the University of Benin football team.
So by 1987, they gave me a scholarship as the Sportsman… In fact, football became a big deal for me because I was not being charged for accommodation and was given provisions until the military regime came and things changed.
But before then, I became the captain and in 1986 we went to NUGA Games in Ibadan and after 1986 I was invited to the national U-20 team to Chile 87 but because of my exams and Uniben does not compromise academics and sports, I opted out because I needed my degree first. So I stayed back to do my degree.
I graduated in 1987, served with New Nigerian Bank in 1988 and then I was the captain of New Nigerian Bank Football Club in 1988 too, and that was how I became a full time footballer.
National team
Yes, I also had the opportunity of playing for my country then because as at 1987-1988, we were known because the Nigerian league was still vibrant then so we became household names and were in the national team while playing in the Nigerian league.
Then it was very enjoyable because people come to the stadium to watch us, it was competitive. We were playing Rangers IICC, Leventis United and Abiola Babes, so it was a big deal and people come to the stadium to watch matches.
So, my desire was also to play for Nigeria, and at the time I went to BCC Lions of Gboko, that was the biggest climax in my career and we won the Mandela Cup under Coach Shaibu Amodu and after that I was invited to the national team under Clemence Westerhof and by 1991 had my first cap against Burkina Faso, precisely on the 7th of January 1991.
But in the national team , I did not feature so much because between 1991 and Westerhof had started talking about foreign-based players, so more of our people started going to Europe, so the focus of the team was of the foreign-based professionals,
But most of us still fought our ways in because we were naturally gifted and hardworking. So, in the Nations Cup of 1994 where Nigeria won the gold medal outside the shores of this country, I was privilege to be part of it but I did not go to the World Cup in USA.
I was one of the three home-based players, I Semitoje and Nduka Ugbade that they dropped us eventually from the squad to the World Cup in USA.
But we are grateful that Nigeria went to the World Cup and din well.
Past clubs
Well, like I told you, I can’t go to the amateur level because I played for the Oleke Youth Service, Union Bank in Benin City as a student where we were earning N50 a month as match bonus, I went to NNPC Warri, BCC Lions of Gboko where we won the Mandela Cup and defended it up to the final and lost in 1991 to Dynamos of Zambia.
I also played for Julius Berger, came back to BCC Lions again, then left to Turkey at the time Uche Okechukwu was there, and that was 1994 immediately after the World Cup. I stayed in Turkey for three years, JJ Okocha was there, Monday Agbontaen was there, Thompson Oliha was in one club in Anthelia, Alloy Agu was in Kaisele; sp a couple of us were there, and I was there in Ismael.
Laurels won
Yes, while I was at New Nigerian Bank of Benin, I won the WAFU Cup silver and then NUGA Games, I also played in the CAF Champions League with Julius Berger but we did not win anything.
These are the laurels I can remember wining in my career apart from winning the league with BCC Lions and the Challenge Cup.
Best teammates at club and national teams
I had a couple of good friends but I can’t start pin-pointing at them because even at the national team I was always in the room with Baldwin Bazuaye, Ike Shorunmi, Monday Agbontaen when we go to camp and my brother and good friend Humphrey Jebba at BCC when we were playing, Moses Kpakor was a good friend and we still talk today.
At the national team again, I have Nduka Ugbade, Emmanuel Amuneke and Mutiu Adepoju.
Best club
BCC Lions of Gboko was my best club.
Reason
Because I had swell time there, I played one of my best football there and when I left people  were still crying that why did you leave?
The best match
The best I can not pin point but there was this match we played against Colombia in the US 95 Gold Cup and I was marking Carlos Vadorama, it was an exciting game, even though we lost, but it was exciting; not necessarily about winning a game but input and if the coach notices that you have done so well.
I also played one game against Ajax, when Ajax was on top. The national team was on tour of Thailand in 1993 and it was a beautiful and wonderful game.
Worst game
One game that I did not enjoy was when I lost a penalty against Stationery Stores when I was playing for Julius Berger in a league match in 1992.
Why they are the worst
Yes, that match was my lowest moment in football because up to that time I never lost a penalty and that was the only penalty I lost.
Result of the match
We lost the game (laughs).
Number of goals scored while playing
I don’t know, in this part of the world, we don’t keep records and it is very bad otherwise, we would have been tabulating everything but our system does not permit that.
If you go to the NFF Glass House, you can’t get the records as to how exactly people played in the national teams, how many goals they scored. We are not keeping records if that, this is contrary to what happens in Europe.