A YEAR AFTER KESHI AND AMODU

Arsenal’s interest in Henry Onyekuru was a big plus for Nigeria during the week. It has been a long while to have a big club in the mould of Arsenal show interest in a Nigerian player. After a very fantastic season with Eupen of Belgium, Onyekuru with 24 goals was highest scorer for his team and at only 19, he is a big prospect. Eagles Manager, Gernot Rohr, has also extended invitation to him

He was in France for the two friendly games Nigeria played and also on the cards for next week’s crucial Nations Cup tie against South Africa. Onyekuru should work very hard to match the big stage he is moving to, the English Premier League.

The Super Eagles’ list for Bafana Bafana is another big issue of discussing just as the Senate passed the Nigeria Football Federation Bill on Tuesday in Abuja. So far, the programme of Rohr has been good and one expects the best from the team on June 10, considering the time spent together.

However, I am in the mood of reflection this week as we approach one year after the death of two big coaches in the history of Nigerian football-Stephen Keshi and Amodu Shaibu. How time flies! On Tuesday, June 8, it will be one year after for Keshi and on Thursday June 10, it will be one year after the demise of Amodu.

Between that time and now, nothing significant has happened to really show how much we loved these two football heroes. Keshi won the Nations Cup as skipper at Tunisia ’94 while he did the same as a coach in South Africa 2013.

Amodu as a coach qualified Nigeria for the World Cup three times but was never allowed to take the team to the Mundial. I had personal experiences with these two coaches as a reporter and editor.

As a rookie, Amodu taught me football tactics at club level when he was the Chief Coach of BCC Lions of Gboko. He took interest in me and we became so close. He would tell me about his match plan and almost always his projection would play out.

Keshi was also good as a player and coach. My very first interview of a superstar was the Keshi interview three days to the match against Angola at the National Stadium in Lagos. As an intern, I was nervous but he placed his hand on my shoulders to give me little confidence to do my job. I pleaded with him to help me get late Sam Okwaraji. Keshi took me to him that Thursday only for the midfielder to die on match day in 1989.

Over the years, I was very close to these two coaches and they had impact in my career especially Amodu. One year after, we can still make corrections to ensure these football greats are given due respect even in death.

There are no concrete plans on the ground to immortalise them and it is important to do so for history. We saw games in the EPL whereby football greats who died over 20 years ago are still honoured before all league games in a particular weekend.

On June 10, Nigeria takes on South Africa in Uyo, and it will be great to see the Eagles file out with black arm band in honour of these two great coaches while a minute silence is observed for them. If there will be domestic games next weekend, all teams can also be compelled by the League Man- agement Committee to do the same.

The NFF can also pay a visit to the families to know how they are faring and determine how to make them more comfortable. Pronouncements were made after the shocking deaths of Keshi and Amodu but nothing on the ground in concrete terms to show we TRULY love them.

Only recently, came in from Abuja that the outstanding emoluments of all the coaches would be paid and the late coaches were among the would-be beneficiaries. Till now, the money is yet to be paid. I recall my relationship with these late coaches with nostalgia. May their gentle souls continue to rest in peace.