SAMUEL OKWARAJI, Nigeria's Most Legendary Footballer

As I am writing this, I am struggling to plug a wall of emotions with a stoic face. General Kollington Ayinla's Late Okwaraji which has filled my room with its sober and somber lines is not helping matters. Hmmm....there is no way one will tell the story of SAMUEL SOCHUKWUMA OKWARAJI without feeling the pain of the loss gnawing at your heart, and as your head swells with patriotic pride, your lacrimal glands conspire to betray you. For millions of Nigerians, the most fabled soccer player is none other than this gentleman. Many grew up listening to incredibly woven and mesmerizing story of how he gave up the ghost while Nigeria was playing against India.

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After Nigeria had defeated India by a world-record-breaking 99-0, and were on the verge of making it 100-0 and completing the humiliating defeat of the Hindus, they decided to summon their magical powers. Then the horror started. Within a matter of seconds, the Indian goalkeeper transformed into a lion and the football turned into a rock-hard stone, both of which were visible only to Okwaraji.

But Okwaraji was unrelenting, he wanted to score. Then he kicked the ball of stone. Well, you know the rest of the fantastic lore. Whoever came up with such a brutally false but imaginative story deserves more than 99 knocks. On the other hand, the story and the circumstances of his death turned Samuel Okwaraji into the most fabled footballer in Nigerian history. It's been almost 24 years now since he slumped and died while proudly representing our dear nation. I am sure I am not the only one missing the footballing genius from Umudioka community. This piece is in his honour and memory. For the labours of our heroes past shall not be in vain...

BIRTH AND EARLY DAYS
Sam was born on the 19th of May, 1964 in Umudioka Orlu, Orlu Local Government Area, Imo State, Southeastern Nigeria. His father, Mr. David Okwaraji worked with the defunct Nigeria Airways as a Duty Officer with the mother, Lady Janet Okwaraji being a retired school headmistress. Both met at Port Harcourt, Rivers State where he was working as a Produce Examiner at the Produce Board and courted for about 3 or 4 years before marriage in 1950 and had seven kids. They lived together for just nine years before the Nigerian Civil War broke out during which he died, five boys, two girls. Sam was second to the last.

According to his mother, Sam had a very active childhood and played various games while growing up. Football was one of them while table tennis was another. However, he seemed to enjoy football more. His mum stated that he was quite hardworking right from primary school and because he was quite intelligent, he was jumping classes, and according to her, he was the most intelligent of all her children. But unfortunately, he lost his father at a young age, even before he was admitted into secondary school.

SCHOOLING
-He attended WTC Practicing School, Enugu for his primary education then proceeded to Ezeachi Secondary School, Orlu, Imo State. Later, he went to Federal Government College, Orlu where he was with the very first set admitted and had a brilliant academic performance there. A serious-minded chap, he bagged both Bachelor's and Master's degrees in International Law, and yes, he could speak five languages -English, German, Italian, Spanish and of course, his native Igbo. Give it to him, he was an intellectual giant -flawlessly combining academic rigours with footballing talents. According to his mother, Sam could be a lawyer and a footballer at the same time but he believed playing was a better career path for him. Sorry, lawyers...lol

FOOTBALL CAREER
A talented midfielder wearing the Number 6 jersey for Nigeria, Okwaraji had an eventful soccer career albeit a very short one. During the 1988 Nations Cup in Morocco, he blasted one of the fastest goals past the Cameroonian goalkeeper -all within 60 seconds! He was later named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) -twice.

His mother narrated how he got to start his footballing career: I was lucky to meet a friend of mine whose son was going to Europe. But I knew it would cost a lot of money to send children to Europe so I went to her and made enquiries after which she told me everything about it. I gathered the little money with me and asked if my son could also follow hers to Europe. I felt that he was so brilliant that letting him stay here was a waste of time. So I had to send him. (, o ku oro omo o...Olohun a je ki gbogbo ikunle jere wahala won o, a de nu omije Mama Samuel Okwaraji nu).

He passed his West African Secondary School Certificate Examinations with flying colours and got admission to the Sapienza University of Rome (Sapienza – Università di Roma) which is the largest European University by enrollment, is regularly ranked the best of universities in Italy and remains among the top 3% of universities in the world. Samuel Okwaraji studied law at this great citadel. Upon getting to Europe, it did not take a long time before he started displaying his soccer skills and was soon sported by football scouts and was promptly signed up in 1984 at the age of 20 by Associazione Sportiva Roma (AS Roma) a professional Italian football club in Rome, Italy. Over time, he would play for the following clubs too:

-NK Dinamo (Građanski Nogometni Klub Dinamo Zagreb), Zagreb, Croatia. Here, he scored a hat trick in one of his matches with NK Budućnost Hodošan (now NK Hodosan) on the 30th of April, 1986. Dinamo actually won the match 12-0!
-VfB Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany.
-SSV-ULM 184
6: His last match for the club was on the 29th of May, 1988 under Klaus Toppmoller. The match was against FC St. Pauli.

Later, he would be recommended to play for the national team by the former chairman of the Nigerian Football Association, Group Captain John Obakpolor (rtd). His very good friend and footballer, David Ngodigha said of his late friend in an interview with SuperSports.com:

“When Sam was in Rome studying and playing for AS Roma, I knew him well. Also there was another friend of ours, Bismarck, who was in Italy playing football too though he didn’t make the headlines like Sam did.”


The Nigerian Football Association requested his release from SSV-ULM 1846, his club, so he could come and represent Nigeria in the match but his club refused demanding that NFA pay a sum of $45,000 in gating fees which they’d lose if Sam did not play for them. Group Captain John Obakpolor, then the NFA Chairman decided to broker a deal for $15,000.

When Sam heard that the club was charging his country, he was very angry and charged at his manager for making such demands. Then he left these indelible words in the ears of his manager:

‘I am a lawyer and you know and I signed to play football for certain conditions but I don’t think it included reselling my services to my country. You or your club cannot stop me from playing for my country. Let me tell you, I am going to represent my country whether you like it or not.‘

And with those words, he left for Nigeria, a land he loved so much and gave his all to. He was actually among the very first players to arrive Nigeria (not today that you will have to be begging some players with bloated egos, and I didn’t mention anyone’s name o so don’t quote ! LOL!)

Okwaraji’s mother was not too anxious knowing what he meant by ‘coming to play for his country.’ She said: ‘I wasn’t very anxious to know what it is playing for a country means. I was just hearing it for the first time as he told me, playing for your country, what does it breed. By then, he would have been qualified as a lawyer. But coming to play for his country, well I don’t know…He was very keen, very serious, very anxious to play for his country. He said that Nigeria has never come into World Cup, world map, that he wanted to bring Nigeria to the world map and I said you yourself would bring Nigeria to the world map, I didn’t know what it meant then…..he wasn’t the only one invited, others were invited but didn’t go because they said Nigeria was not giving them anything, any money…but Sam uses his little money to come down to Nigeria, they don’t send them tickets….’ she said with obvious sadness written all over her motherly face, very close to tears. Watch the full interview with Chinelo Bob-Okagbue, CEO of DiscourseMultimedia here:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfm3H7qOJjs

DEATH
On the 12th of August, 1989, while he was playing for Nigeria in a 2nd round World Cup Qualifier match (Group C, Italia World Cup) against Angola, Samuel Okwaraji slumped on the pitch and died immediately. It was 77 minutes into the match. Right there, in front of 20,000 Nigerians at the Main Bowl of the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos, the Green Eagles were thrown into disarray while the Palancas Negras of Angola forgot the competition and joined in the futile attempts to revive him. His body was then taken to the National Stadium Clinic where he was covered up, and from there to the General Hospital.

The thousands of Nigerians who came to cheer him to glory left the stadium under a dark cloud of grief. Many would never forget that ominous day. It was just 10 minutes to the final whistle. Okwaraji was 25. Autopsy revealed he died from high blood pressure-induced congestive heart failure (which occurs when the heart is unable to provide sufficient pump action to ensure enough blood goes round the body). His heart was discovered to be enlarged -not a good sign in medicine. Okwaraji literally played his heart out for Nigeria. He had just signed a $500,000 contract with Berchem FC of Antwerp, Belgium.


BURIAL
Upon hearing the sad news on the 12th of August 1989, the entire Umudioka Community in Imo State was thrown into understandable sorrow and mourning. Umudioka had just lost one of its brightest stars. But you know, as the saying goes, there is no place like home. The saddened and bereaved people of the community came together and organized a most befitting burial for a true Nigerian hero. The Traditional Ruler of Umudioka, Igwe Solomon Nwafor Chukwunulu (Ezedioka I), now of blessed memory, co-ordinated a very impressive event which ensured that thousands of Umudioka children at home and abroad came home to honour one of their own. The Igwe was supported by other prominent figures in the community, like Chief A. N. Onyejegbu, the Ide of Umudioka, Chief Fidelis Ejiofor, the Ichie Ezeyim and many others.


LEGACY AND REMEMBRANCE
Millions of Nigerians mourned his passing with many musicians like General Kollington Ayinla and Oliver de Coque waxing songs in his honour. On the 12th of August, 2009, Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola of Lagos State unveiled a concrete bust of Samuel Okwaraji in the Rededicated Memorial Garden in his honour in front of the same stadium where he died. The structure is about 7ft high and is placed on marble but as at September 2012, the whole place was already overgrown with weeds and trees which obscure the bust from sight of passersby Yes, you gerrit, no maintenance. It was to mark the 20th anniversary of his passing. Governor Fashola said of him:‘Literally, Sam was ready to die for his country and I believe he demonstrated that before he died and by the circumstances leading to his death.’

In 2012, In Sammy Boots, a sports movie was made in his honour by 360 Degree Entertainment. The movie was specially made for children. Former NFA Chairman, Captain Obakpolor was so moved and touched by Okwaraji’s patriotism that he proposed that the 12th of August on which he died be made a National Patriotic Day. His mother today expresses her pain and agony, almost 24 years after:

That has been my pain all these years…they did not do anything to immortalize that boy…he gave his life, gave his money, gave his education…everything…for his country….he slumped at the National Stadium…if you go there now, you will his skull on the gate (referring to the bust), is that the way to immortalize him? They should re-immortalize him because

He deserves it because he is a hero, he is a patriot. That is what I want….they should immortalize him, there are various ways they can do it..at least naming the National Stadium itself after him….he has done more than all of those big men…

After Nigeria had defeated India
by a world-record-breaking 99-0,
and were on the verge of making
it 100-0

it was india that defeated nigeria 99-0 and on the verge of scoring 100.
But still trying to get the origin of the story and the originator. And the interesting things is the younger generation are still being told that same story and they discuss it among themselves as if it is real.

Tolexander: it was india that defeated nigeria 99-0 and on the verge of scoring 100.
But still trying to get the origin of the story and the originator. And the interesting things is the younger generation are still being told that same story and they discuss it among themselves as if it is real.

May the soul rest in peace!

Very saddening how the child that is supposed to be the glory of the family died.

Exactly like a guy in OAU pharmacy 4/5years ago that slumped and died during a marathon race competition.
The guy was very athletic, participated in all sports and just very intelligent and brilliant academically.

Continue to rest in peace bro. He was such a dedicated player and one of the best footballers Nigeria ever had.. I was quite young at that time and I watched that particular match he slumped life on national tv while on active assignment for the Super Eagles... He just slumped and was carried away. Much later we heard he died..
RIP Sam Okwaraji.

Abiyamọ: SAMUEL OKWARAJI

SCHOOLING

-He attended WTC Practicing School, Enugu for his primary education then proceeded to Ezeachi Secondary School, Orlu, Imo State. Later, he went to Federal Government College, Orlu where he was with the very first set admitted and had a brilliant academic performance there. [size=15pt]A serious-minded chap, he bagged both Bachelor's and Master's degrees in International Law, and yes, he could speak five languages -English, German, Italian, Spanish and of course, his native Igbo. Give it to him, he was an intellectual giant -flawlessly combining academic rigours with footballing talents. According to his mother, Sam could be a lawyer and a footballer at the same time but he believed playing was a better career path for him. Sorry, lawyers...lol[/size]

He passed his West African Secondary School Certificate Examinations with flying colours and got admission to the Sapienza University of Rome (Sapienza – Università di Roma) which is the largest European University by enrollment, is regularly ranked the best of universities in Italy and remains among the top 3% of universities in the world. Samuel Okwaraji studied law at this great citadel. Upon getting to Europe, it did not take a long time before he started displaying his soccer skills and was soon sported by football scouts and was promptly signed up in 1984 at the age of 20 by Associazione Sportiva Roma (AS Roma) a professional Italian football club in Rome, Italy. Over time, he would play for the following clubs too:

-NK Dinamo (Građanski Nogometni Klub Dinamo Zagreb), Zagreb, Croatia. Here, he scored a hat trick in one of his matches with NK Budućnost Hodošan (now NK Hodosan) on the 30th of April, 1986. Dinamo actually won the match 12-0!
-VfB Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany.

Continue to Rest in Peace

Wow...I never knew he had two degrees. What a legend!
He died before our eyes defending his fatherland.Why the national stadium Surulere wasnt re-named after him or as little as his statue erected @the same stadium he gave up the ghost until Fashola came in,is frankly beyond me.
RIP sir

Sleep on the true son of the land.

My uncle once told me about how good and energetic he was....


We once had a calendar of him in our setting room and because of him, I told my mum I wanna grow 'dada' hair...lol

Can you also see a slight resemblance between him and Edgar Davis?


RIP.... A Patriot indeed.

RIP Man!
I Wish you could Wake Up..

continue to rest in perfect peace sam okwaraji, brightest footballer of our time

RIP the great hero. But the story about Nigeria and India match, I refuse to believe.

Thanks for opening up about okwaraji, we the youths have been lied to for a long period of time


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Used to hear about how great he was before he died. Who knows he could have been part of our squad in USA 94. May his soul rest in peace and the souls of great good men like him not be cut short by the cold hands of death.

Rest in peace .. Very sad

okwaraji was just an average player, he becomes legend because he died playing for his country. Nigeria vs india is a false story we keep telling ourselves till we forget the reality

R.I.P great samuel okwaraji

So the story is actually true. I thought it was a folklore!

RIP great Igbo son.

RIP great Igbo son. ;(

engrjidex: RIP Man!
I Wish you could Wake Up..

And see what the land you gave up your life for has become...

What story?

Dextra: So the story is actually true. I thought it was a folklore!

I still remember that horrific day watching it live on TV. Everything that occurred that day was pointing to tragedy. First, 80,000 fans were allowed into the National Stadium in Surulere, far beyond the capacity. Fans were being thrown down from terraces as the game progressed. 12 eventually died that day.

Then on to the game itself. The Angolans employed an extremely physical approach, hacking at our players with no mercy. Tackle after tackle after tackle. Then Austin Eguavoen missed a penalty. If not for the single goal scored by Stephen Keshi and the penalty save in the second half from goalkeeper David Ngodigha after Sunday Egboigbe's double error, in giving the ball away, we would have gone home empty-handed.

Then Sam fell. The crowd gasped. Samson Siasia walked over to him and according to him, Sam's last words were "call me a doctor". Siasia lifted up his hands and beckoned frantically to the bench that there was trouble. Okwaraji was taken to an ambulance which could not start because the battery was down. And he died right there in the ambulance.

It was terrible. Just so terrible. But have we learnt?

Other footballers who have died this way are:

- Tunde Charity Ikhidero (part of the Miracle of Damman U-21 team).
- Amir Angwe (part of the BCC Lions who won the 1990 African Cup Winners Cup).

There are others I cannot remember now. Have they been immortalised? Have they been given National Awards? What has happened to their families? When last did a government official ever care to call or visit their people to know how they have fared all these years that their breadwinners have died?

Has the govt fulfilled any of the promised made to Sam Okwaraji's family?

Yet we have thieves and Boko Haram sponsors being given national awards. God help them I do not become president bcause heads will roll.

IMMORTALIZE HIM!!!

Thanks for reminding us of this great legend and patriot. Just yesterday I was listening to kollington's song of him. To his mama I know it's difficult for even time to erase the wound from your heart but the God you serve will always comfort you.

At least i now knw d truth. So pathetic! Tears

9jadelta: okwaraji was just an average player, he becomes legend because he died playing for his country. Nigeria vs india is a false story we keep telling ourselves till we forget the reality

R.I.P great samuel okwaraji

ingrate, jst an average player abi, that his club is demanding $15000, jst 2 play 4 his country. He played 4 AS ROMA of old, a club legends like maradonna nd d likes wantd 2 play 4. My friend u no dy respect d dead .

9jadelta: okwaraji was just an average player, he becomes legend because he died playing for his country. Nigeria vs india is a false story we keep telling ourselves till we forget the reality

R.I.P great samuel okwaraji

U dnt knw him. Go and watch a clip of Nigeria\Cameruon african nation's cup final, u might knw him better. Sam okwaraji is not Mikel obi or taye taiwo.

RIP bruv

the story is false we didnt play india and i our football historty both on fifa.com and wikpedia the hisghest goal we concede ever in a football match was a 7-1 defeat to gold coast

I do remember SAm Okwaraji, chai!!! Late 80's he was the talk of the town.


Nwanne, continue to rest.

9jadelta: okwaraji was just an average player, he becomes legend because he died playing for his country. Nigeria vs india is a false story we keep telling ourselves till we forget the reality

R.I.P great samuel okwaraji

Attention seeker why don't you keep quiet if you don't have anything to say with your cheap phone.