I have just read the Guardian newspaper on sunday, with the interview with Emmanuel Okala making some interesting reading. I think there are some factual errors, albeit I stand corrected.

The Gold medal winning team in the 1972 All Africa Games was captained by Victor Oduah then of Vipers of Benin,( Later Bendel Insurance) which earned him the sobriquet, ´World 5´. Of course in goal at the finals was Eyo Essien, who also played for Vipers of Benin. Okala was the reserve goalee. Inua Rigogo was not in that team whose stint ended probably before the Games. As for Peter Fregene then of the flaming Flamingoes or Super Stores of Lagos, he drifted in and out of the team until he was part of Nigeria´s disgraceful outing in the African Nations Cup team of 1982, in Libya, whereupon he subsequently hung his boots. I cant remember him in the team of 1972-73, when Essien and Okala held sway!

By the way, where is Eyo Essien today? I can only recall him being in the Nigerian Army team that conquered the world in 1975( I believe). Since then, nothing!

As for the nickname Chairman, I think it was indisputable that Christian Chukwu upon his captaincy post 1972 All Africa Games exerted such a dominant force in the team up until,1981, that the late Ernest Okonkwo rightly referred to him as such. I do not think it had anything whatsoever to do with nicknames in camp.It was more of your influence and perhaps academic background.

I do stand to be corrected, though.