naptu2:


That's not true. You've mentioned government schools, so I'll skip those.

1) Missionary schools originally had the biggest grounds of all schools in Lagos. Remember that the philosophy of the missionaries was "A sound mind in a sound body", so sports was very important to them. Some of the missionary schools lost their large grounds to the "Jakande policy", while others were able to retain them.

I knew Father Dennis Slattery, who started St Finbarr's College, personally and I know how crazy he was about football (he was once a nigerian football referee and chairman of the NFA, despite the fact that he was irish). So, of course, St Finbarr's College had a large football field. Thankfully they did not lose it to the "Jakande policy". The field was badly maintained though (it became a sand pit) and part of the land became part of what I call the "Akoka Forest".

St Gregory's College has a football field, a rugby field, an athletics track, a basketball court, a tennis court and a handball court. Thankfully they did not lose these facilities to the "Jakande policy", but they were badly maintained during the government era. They did lose their swimming pool though. I hear that the missionaries are renovating all the sports facilities at the school.

Igbobi College had huge grounds that included a football field, a cricket pitch and a basketball court. Unfortunately they lost a large chunk of their land to the "Jakande policy". He built several schools on their football field (one of them is called Morocco School).

Holy Child College has a netball and basketball court.

Most of the missionary schools (especially the ones that were able to retain their land during the Jakande policy) have sports facilities.


2) The newer private schools (non-missionary) are even more impressive.

Atlantic Hall, Epe has a football field, two tennis courts and a swimming pool.

Greensprings Lekki has a football field, athletics track, two basketball courts, 3 or 4 tennis courts and a swimming pool. They have a very impressive sports programme. Kanu Nwankwo runs a football clinic there, they have a british football coach and they take part in a youth football tournament in britain every year (they've won it a few times). They also recently won the GTBank Masters Cup.


American International School Lekki has a football field, indoor basketball court, swimming pool and baseball diamond.

In fact, it's the state government schools that usually do not have space for sports facilities and the state government has the greatest number of schools in Lagos.

johnie:


And Finbarr's produced Stephen Keshi.


How Keshi became a star – St. Finbarr’s College

June 11, 2016

Headteacher, St. Finbarr’s College, Akoka Lagos, Daniel Ikediobi, says the late Stephen Keshi was admitted to the college because of his football prowess, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.

The former Super Eagles coach died in Benin in the early hours of Wednesday at 54.

“Stephen Keshi was admitted to the school on scholarship due to his football skills. He was admitted to form three during the 1977/1978 academic session by the founding Principal of the college, Rev. Fr. Dennis Slatery,” Ikediobi told NAN in Lagos on Friday.

He said the principal, the first Chairman, Nigeria Football Association, and first Chairman, Nigerian Referees Association, attracted students who exhibited good skills in football to the school.



Ikediobi added, “Fr. Slatery attracted students who were potential footballers by offering scholarships or a soft landing to them because St. Finbarr’s College is a football-playing school.

“Any issue that concerned Keshi was considered if his parents could not meet up.”

According to him, the school poached the late former Nigeria captain while playing for his former school during the Lagos State Principal’s Cup.

He said Keshi played for the school in the competition the year he was admitted and won it which was the last he played before he left in 1979/1980 session.

The headteacher, who was the physics teacher then, said he could not say much about the deceased’s academic performance because Keshi was an arts student.

He said, “I cannot say much about his brilliance in academics but being prominent in football with Henry Nwosu, he was known to be relatively cool headed. He was not involved in any activity that warranted being suspended or expelled from the school throughout his days.”

Ikediobi added, “He did not do much for the school. When he won the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations for the country, we made several efforts to bring him to address the students but did not succeed. I am unaware of any financial assistance made to the Old Boys Association or to the school, nothing of such, not even a trophy.”

He also said it was a privilege for one to be given a scholarship in the school on account of football and much was expected from him.

Ikediobi said, “I think that people should learn from little mistakes, if Keshi had made it a point of duty to visit the school, he could have. This cannot be said of his other colleagues who are in his position.”

Mrs. Wasiat Ayanbajo, Headteacher, St Peters Catholic Primary School, Ebute Meta, where Keshi finished his primary education in 1972/73 session, said records had shown that as an old pupil, he contributed to the school’s development.

“He was a benefactor to the school; he jointly with Paul Okoku, another footballer, equipped it with modern communications gadgets. All these people were old students of the school,” she said.

According to her, the late coach came to the school on May 27 and May 28 2012, to celebrate Children’s Day and World Hungers Day with the children.

http://punchng.com/keshi-became-star-st-finbarrs-college/

naptu2:


Yeah. So also did Samson Siasia, Thompson Oliha and Henry Nwosu.

johnie:


I remember when "school boy" Nwosu was the youngest player in the Green Eagles. The days of Coach Chris Udumezue (couldn't find his picture online) and Radio Commentator Ernest Okonkwo (pic below). The sideburns and "short" afro were in vogue in those days.


An interesting thread is here: https://www.nairaland.com/7532/forgotten-players-nigerian-soccer

johnie:


I remember when "school boy" Nwosu was the youngest player in the Green Eagles. The days of Coach Chris Udumezue (couldn't find his picture online) and Radio Commentator Ernest Okonkwo (pic below). The sideburns and "short" afro were in vogue in those days.


An interesting thread is here: https://www.nairaland.com/7532/forgotten-players-nigerian-soccer

naptu2:


"He beats Christian Chukwu. He beats Christian Madu. He has beaten two christians, he must be a muslim".

(I've forgotten the name of the player) "It's a goal! **** and his intercontinental ballistic missile!"

-Ernest Okonkwo.

johnie:


What we did whenever any of the national teams was playing in those days was to watch the match on TV with the volume off and listen to commentaries on radio.

naptu2:


I remember the drama of the Miracle of Dammam (I believe it was Ernest Okonkwo that actually gave it that name). Remember that NTA did not broadcast the match live, so the whole country was hooked on Ernest Okonkwo's commentary. The drama was unbelievable. I saw an old man (a football coach) crying. People had given up. A crowd had congregated outside, because people didn't want to listen to the commentaries anymore. USSR 4-0 Nigeria. Then we heard people scream "Goal!" And we were like, "At least they've got one". Then we heard another scream, "Goal". Then everybody ran back into their houses.

naptu2:


Ernest Okonkwo actually told the story of Prophet Elijah and the prophets of Bal as Samuel Elijah walked up to take his penalty kick. It was like the whole country erupted when he screamed "Goal". That was just a few months before he fell ill.

Ernest Okonkwo named everything in Nigeria football. He coined so many names.

Mathematical Segun Odegbami.

Chairman Christian Chukwu

Blockbuster Alloysius Atuegbu.

Gangling Rashidi Yekini

Chief Justice Adokiye Amiesimaka

Dean Of Defence Yisa Sofoluwe

What was so amazing was that he said all these things in the heat of the moment. He couldn't possibly have known that Samuel Elijah would take that penalty kick, but he immediately recounted the story of Elijah. He couldn't have known that Mehalla would see "wahala" or that the player would beat two christians. He was just amazing.

naptu2:


"He beats Christian Chukwu. He beats Christian Madu. He has beaten two christians, he must be a muslim".

(I've forgotten the name of the player) "It's a goal! **** and his intercontinental ballistic missile!"

-Ernest Okonkwo.

johnie:
Look what I found:

MEMORIAL TRIBUTE TO LEGENDARY FOOTBALL COMMENTATOR, ERNEST OKONKWO

26/08/2015

This month marks the 25th year of the passing away of a great sporting legend and arguably, one of Nigeria’s finest ace radio and sports commentators, the inimitable Ernest Okonkwo. Having been privileged to listen to his countless commentaries during the late 70’s and 80’s, I am constrained to write a glowing and fitting tribute in honour of the memory of the great man – Ernest Okonkwo.

Undoubtedly, Ernest Okonkwo and another radio commentator legend, the irrepressible Ishola Folorunsho, were one of the rare breed of first class radio commentators in the 1970’s-1980’s that had the knack of bringing to life the event they were covering to their listening audience as if they were there physically. In Ernest Okonkwo, he was as animated as he was adept at holding his audience captive. There was never a dull moment with him.

Due to the inescapable fact that he was a word smith, he was never lost for words. With impeccable wit, he was blessed with excellent oratory skills and an abundance of apt metaphors, euphemisms and adjectives he usually employed with monotonous regularity in describing his subjects. It was no surprise that listeners would prefer to listen to his radio commentaries while placing the volume of the TV on mute to drown out the voice of the TV commentator, as they watched the action on TV. Such was his endearing eloquence, fluidity, flexibility, creativity as well as his depth of knowledge about football, all of which he brought to bear when he held the microphone to his mouth.

In addition, he had a formidable voice which he used to convey different contrasting moments of a football match. It was high pitch at the right time and low pitch at other times. He was quite simply, a quintessential and consummate professional that commanded respect, not only from his army of listeners but from his peers as well.

Footballers’ nicknames:
He coined nicknames for most of the footballers, which stuck to them nicely. He referred to

Emmanuel Okala as ‘Man Mountain’ given his tall lanky figure;
Aloysius Atuegbu was nicknamed ‘Blockbuster’.

Then you had Christian ‘Chairman’ Chukwu,
Segun ‘Mathematical’ Odegbami,
Mudashiru ‘Midfield Maestro’ Lawal,
Adokiye ‘Chief Justice’ Amasiemeka,
Uwem ‘Harmattan’ Ekarika,
Sylvanus ‘Quicksilver‘Okpala,
Louis ‘Commander’ Igwilo,
Idowu ‘Slow Poison’ Otubusin,
Christian ‘Penalty Specialist’ Madu,
and Emmanuel ‘The Man with Bullet Shot’ Osigwe.

Below are some of his most memorable commentary quotes during his illustrious career spanning 33 years:

”Okey Isima, with a short pass to Sylvanus Okpala. They both play in Portugal. They can communicate in Igbo; they can communicate in English; they can communicate in Portuguese and they just communicated with the ball”.

“Etim Esin, he shilly-shallies, he dilly-dallies, he tries to beat one man but only succeeds in beating himself!”

“He beats Christian Chukwu; he beats Christian Madu; he beats Christian Nwokocha, he beats three Christians in a row. Who is this man? He must be a Muslim. Oh, it is Shefiu Mohammed sending a diagonal pass to Baba Otu Mohammed.”

In the 1975 African Club of champions club match between Rangers and Ghazi El Mehalla of Egypt, Rangers lost 1-3 in the first leg in Egypt, but won the second leg in Enugu 3-0 and Ernest Okonkwo dubbed the match – “Mehalla see wahala”.

“After 90 minutes of play and extra time, the match has ended one goal apiece but a winner must emerge. Five players have on each side been selected to take the penalty kick. The players are praying to God to give them this day, but it is not who prays more but who plays better.”


Nigeria vs Tunisia, 1978 WC Qualifying match:
He starts off slowly: “As the game peters out to the dying minutes of this rather engrossing match, a long ball is floated into the Eagles 18 yard box. It seems like an eternity for it to land … (then as the action intensifies, his voice becomes racy) … Godwin Odiye, under pressure from the advancing Tunisian attacker is there to deal with it.

Without looking back, he expertly heads the ball backwards toward Okala…(his voice is now loud). ..Okala is rushing out to retrieve the loose ball (his voice becomes louder) …Oh noooo…it’s an own goal! Nigeria has scored Nigeriaaaaaa!!! It was a misjudged header by Odiye, as Okala goes the wrong way and the ball the other way. The ball rolls effortlessly into an empty net…(he tones down his voice into a sombre one)… “A sad spectacle to watch…What a calamity!” (His voice is now slow)… “The Tunisians are joyous and celebrating victory. And the Nigerian camp is understandably subdued. Odiye bends down in shock as he watches the long towering figure of Emmanuel Okala walk slowly towards goal to retrieve the ball from the net.

Chief Adokiye Amiesimaka…got a nickname from the Master commentator
The stadium is agonisingly silent. You can hear a pin drop. The Green Eagles are rooted to the spot. They can’t believe their eyes. Even Father Tiko is motionless. It was as if someone had just died…to everyone listening, it is with sorrow in my heart that I return you to the studios. Bye-bye Nigeria!”.

Nigeria Vs Egypt 1980 African Nations Cup:
“…and the ball is ballooned skywards out of the Eagles defence by Chairman Christian Chukwu, but Muda Lawal runs towards the ball and controls it superbly with the deft touch of his right boot as if it was glued to it. The midfield maestro strolls majestically with the ball. He then sprays the ball towards Chief Justice Adokie on the left of midfield, who darts to the left and cleverly cuts the ball back in one fast swift motion, losing his marker in the process…he crosses the ball and it reaches Mathematical Segun Odegbami. He exchanges a one two with Muda. Odegbami collects the ball back, sells a dummy and beats another player with a leg over…the crowd roar in delight… he’s running to the right flank…

He calculates one and two, maybe he will find Muda Lawal again at the perimeter circle, but he decides to send a 50 metre cross close to the 18 yard box of the opponent. Blockbuster Aloysius Atuegbu intercepts the ball. He bamboozles his way past two players using his physical strength. He dribbles one, dribbles two and releases a cannon shot! It’s a goaaaallll!!! Oh no! The Egyptian goalkeeper, Ikrami Ahmed, tips the ball over the bar…just when the ball was flying into the top corner of the goal post! What an intercontinental ballistic missile…! What a brilliant world class save by Ahmed! And what a great flowing move by the Green Eagles! Even Father Tiko is standing in admiration”!

Rangers FC vs Water Corporation of Ibadan:
“The lanky ebony black goal hungry Ranger ranging alone in the goal area of the Water Corporation Football Club of Ibadan. Can the one-man riot squad make it four for Rangers? A hat trick, that is one, two, three goals are already in the kitty. Ifeanyi Chukwu means nothing is insurmountable to God. Four goals are also not beyond the ability of Ifeanyi Chukwu Onyedika. It is a goaaaaal! … goal number four for the indomitable Rangers International Football Club of Enugu!! all scored by Ifeanyi Chukwu Onyedika!”

Nigeria Vs Soviet Union U-20 WC 1989:
In the 1989 U-20 World Quarter-final match between the Soviet Union and Nigeria in Saudi Arabia dubbed the ‘Damaan Miracle’, Okonkwo was at his inimitable best. Russia was leading 4-2, with fifteen minutes left to end the match. Undaunted and with sheer determination to at least reduce the embarrassing score line, the Flying Eagles equalised to make the final score 4-4. All the while, Okonkwo had managed to induce the hearts of many Nigerians to beat frantically in anticipation of what was to happen next!

After extra time, with the score line still the same, then came the dreaded penalty shootout and the last spot kick to decide the eventual winner to meet the USA in the semifinal was to be taken by Samuel Elijah. In a brief but succinct moment, Okonkwo gave a vivid illustration of the confrontation that took place in the Bible involving Prophet Elijah and the prophets of Baal. After his narration, Okonkwo then switched back to the action at hand and said “…and now we have Elijah of Nigeria. Give us this day. The whole country is on your shoulders; you cannot afford to fail your country…And he moves, 1 ,2 , 3, 4 it’s a goooooooooooaaaaal!!!! This is a miracle. The God of soccer is a Nigerian!”

Since the demise of Ernest Okonkwo, radio commentary in Nigeria has never been the same again. One wonders what appropriate nicknames he would have given world class players like Messi, Ronaldo or Suarez. His apt description of any football match will be remembered by all, particularly the older generation. He brought joy and delighted ardent football fans with his unique brand of commentary and his affable personality. He was quite simply irreplaceable. May his soul continue to rest eternally.

‘Tunde Adeleye, MBA, Author

http://www.gongnews.net/memorial-tribute-to-legendary-football-commentator-ernest-okonkwo/