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Re: The Truth About The Early 1900s Nigeria Vs India Match (1 - 99)!!! (photo) by jpphilips(m): 11:33am On Jan 16, 2015 |
So no be today Nigerians begin mumu? thought salt water bath was an accident. 2 Likes 1 Share |
Re: The Truth About The Early 1900s Nigeria Vs India Match (1 - 99)!!! (photo) by vkon2(m): 9:18am On Oct 09, 2015 |
Ruffychuks: Many have heard about this match. Some
think it’s an urban legend. Some think it’s
only a joke. But only few know the truth.
A long time ago, few months after the end
of the Nigeria-Biafra war, the Military
Governor of Lagos decided to stage an
exhibition match at the then glorious
National Stadium Lagos. He thought it
would be a special way of celebrating
Nigeria’s victory in the war, a way of
helping Lagosians to forget the sad bloody
years that had just passed. He wanted to
stage the match between Nigeria & Ghana
but was advised against it. His advisers
reminded him how Ghana trashed Nigeria
3-Nil at the 1960 Independence Match,
that another loss to Ghana might defeat
the purpose of the exhibition match. His
advisers suggested that they choose a
team that would be very easy to beat.
Brig Gen Mobolaji Johnson agreed.
Ethiopia was considered. Zimbabwe was
considered. India was considered. USA was
considered. And India was chosen. He &
his advisers believed that India would be a
walkover. But had he known what would
happen he might have chosen Brazil. Yes,
Brazil were the reigning world champions
at the time but… Oh, had he known.
India agreed to play the exhibition match
with Nigeria. In fact, they were overjoyed.
Nigeria was one of the best teams in
Africa. And they had never played with an
African team before. What more! They were
most overjoyed that Nigeria had agreed to
their three special conditions. What were
these conditions?
Well, on that fateful day, a bright Saturday
afternoon on August 15th, 1970, the
National Stadium Lagos was filled with
excited spectators. That was Condition No.
1, that the match be played on India’s
Independence Day. As the players of
Nigeria & India came into the pitch,
spectators screamed with more excitement
as they saw that all the twenty-two
players were barefooted. That was
Condition No. 2. (Remember that India
had withdrawn from the 1950 World Cup
because they weren’t allowed to play
barefooted.)
Priiii… Referee Mohamed Touati blew his
whistle to begin the game. (The Tunisian
referee had been suspended by FIFA earlier
that year but had accepted to officiate this
special match.) Indian forward Amer Al-
Amer made the first pass. And before
anyone could say “Bosnia-Herzegovina”,
one Majed Suleman fired the ball high into
the air towards the Nigerian post. The
gaint of a Nigerian keeper, Emmanuel
Okala, dived to the right while the ball
dropped into the left side of the net.
Gooooaaal!!! 3-0. That was Condition No.
3, that each goal scored by India would be
counted as 3points while each by Nigeria
would be 1 as usual. (Nigeria agreed
because they believed that India could
never score. Or at least couldn’t score
more than one goal.) Emmanuel was
looking confused. He was very sure he had
dived towards the ball. Every other person
thought he’d deliberately let the Indians
score just to spice up the game.
Meanwhile, India’s fan club was going wild
with jubilation.
Priii… The Nigerian forwards Sunday
Atuma & Thompson Usiyen passed. As
Thompson passed to Paul Hamilton, he
was surprised when he saw India’s Faisal
Al-Dakheel with the ball. Faisal quickly
shot the ball into the air towards Nigeria’s
post. Goooal! 6-0. Thompson was so
confused. He could have sworn it was Paul
his teammate he had passed to.
Priii… Sunday Atuma passed into the
Nigerian half. Alloysius Atuegbu passed to
Haruna Ilerika. Haruna made a long pass
into the Indian half to Samuel Okoye. He
was shocked when he saw the ball in the
legs of Abdullah Al-Shemmari. Haruna
wiped his eyes in disbelief. Too late!
Abdullah shot the ball into the air. Goal!
9-0. Three goals in barely six minutes?
Nigerian spectators were wondering what
was happening.
Priii… Goal! 12-0. Yusuf Al-Suwayed.
15-0. Amer Al-Amer. 18-0. Majed
Suleman’s second goal. 21-0. Abdulaziz
Al-Buloushi. 24-0. Majed’s hat-trick.
27-0. Faisal Al-Dakheel’s second goal.
30-0. Waleed Al-Mubarak. At the twentieth
minute, Nigeria’s Paul Hamilton ran with
the ball all the way to India’s box-18. But
as he raised his leg to shoot, he slipped &
fell. India’s defender Mahboub Jumaa
easily took the ball as Paul lay on the
ground moaning like a baby. That was the
nearest Nigeria had gotten to the Indian
post so far.
Twenty-five minutes later & eight goals
more, the score stood at 54-0. Some
spectators angrily left the stadium even
before the half-time whistle. Others waited
patiently, hoping that Nigeria would
revenge in the 2nd half.
“Boys, what the hell is happening out
there?!” Coach Jorge Penna was furious.
“You’re the damn captain, answer me!!” he
was shouting at Emmanuel Okala.
Emmanuel was speechless. He didn’t know
what to say.
“Co-co-coach…” Godwin Achebe began “I
think I know what’s happening sir”
The coach was glaring at him now.
“Those Indians dey use juju. They’re using
ma-magic.”
“Yes! Yes!” his teammates echoed &
nodded & murmured amongst themselves.
“Shut up you fools!! Magic my foot!!! There
is no magic in football!” |