yokiti:

It was actually chief Kollington Ayinla.

Yeah, won lo pe e nilu belgium wale
ko wa ran lu father re lowo ni. .......
...Ti won go ri papa
okun die kon pari ere yen
saamu ba subu lule oda gbere ooo
o okwaraji, o okwaraji, o okwaraji
iwo nikan lowo baba
iwo nikan lowo Iya
ton ba gba bolu lorun
ko ge won lege are

kingkoboko:

D India vs Nigeria match

Tales

stagger:


My brother,
This match was played at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium in Enugu and featured Nigeria against Algeria. We won it 2-0 with goals from Ademola Adeshina and Henry Nwosu. Nigerians celebrated well because the Algerian goalkeeper, Drid Nasseridine was regarded at the time as the best in Africa after his heroics against Brazil in the 1986 World Cup (a match Algeria lost 1-0 but totally outplayed the Brazilians).

Bro, you got your facts mixed up. Algeria was not at Mexico '86 and they have never met Brazil at senior level ever. You may have meant Morocco who were at the '86 WC but they lost to Germany in round 2 and not Brazil

naptu2:
I had heard of that mythical match between Nigeria and India long before Samuel Okwaraji died.

Teslim "Thunder" Balogun scored Nigeria's only goal in the version that I heard. There was also another myth that Thunder Balogun killed his brother by playing a shot (with his left leg) that went through his brother's stomach.

I didn't believe the myths because they sounded too fantastic.

My uncle (the one that told me that Okwaraji was dead) played with Thunder Balogun and I thought of asking him if the stories were true, but I never summoned the courage too ask him (I didn't want to ask him a ridiculous question).

Edit. kingkoboko, no such match took place.

Of course, the famous Nigeria vs India match is an evergreen urban legend. Perhaps, the most widely told in Nigeria! Interestingly, most Indians have never heard this story before and are always bemused when told for the 1st time.

yokiti:
You have put it succinctly. Thanks!

Happy to share .

MartinCorridon:


Thanks naptu2. I really like your threads. You are the resident Chief Historian

Thank you.

Shebi una see wetin Buhari cause

alfredilly:
Yeah, won lo pe e nilu belgium wale ko wa ran lu father re lowo ni. ....... ...Ti won go ri papa okun die kon pari ere yen saamu ba subu lule oda gbere ooo o okwaraji, o okwaraji, o okwaraji iwo nikan lowo baba iwo nikan lowo Iya ton ba gba bolu lorun ko ge won lege are

A nice tribute to a Nigerian football icon. A ku oro eni ire to lo.

kjhova:


Of course, the famous Nigeria vs India match is an evergreen urban legend. Perhaps, the most widely told in Nigeria! Interestingly, most Indians have never heard this story before and are always bemused when told for the 1st time.

You are right about it been the most widely told legend.
Imagine, this legend was passed to us and we never disappointed in passing it to those we were their seniors.

kjhova:


Of course, the famous Nigeria vs India match is an evergreen urban legend. Perhaps, the most widely told in Nigeria! Interestingly, most Indians have never heard this story before and are always bemused when told for the 1st time.

pol23:
Samuel Okparaji and Orisabunmi on my 2A exercise book...
I was in pry 1 then.
Only ONWARD exercise book no put him picture for their book.
RIP to a legend.

Chai! See my age mate.

abiodunalasa:

Is that you at ur dp

.Yes please

theoldpretender:


Nigeria squads in the 1980-90 period were 'good', but they usually found it hard to qualify for the World Cup....and they missed the 1986 Nations Cup.

But record wise...

Nations Cup 80 CHAMPIONS!
Nations Cup 82: Out in first round (and lost to Algeria in the World Cup Qualifiers.).
Nations Cup 84 : Lost 3-1 to Cameroon in the final at Abidjan (Yuck).
Nations Cup 86: DNQ
Nations Cup 88: Lost 1-0 to Cameroon in Maroc. in the final.
Nations Cup 90: Lost 1-0 to Algeria in the final in Algeria.

Kind of mixed..in a way.

Nigeria (the then Green Eagles squad of Lawal, Odegbami, Chukwu and co) needed only a draw from the match against Tunisia in Lagos to qualify for 1978 world cup but an own goal from Odiye crashed them out.

think he wanted to give the keeper Okala a back pass or something. after that he ran to America for his life

yokiti:
May your soul continue to rest in peace.
.
There was a song by Queen Salawa Abeni ( I guess)
o okwaraji o okwaraji
iwo ni kan lowo baba
iwo ni kan lowo mama ......
.

The song was by Kollington Ayinla

Ambber:

The song was by Kollington Ayinla

Thanks for the correction.

RIP Sam Okwaraji.
Your state built a stadium and dedicated it to your name in your Orlu hometown.

The stadium was built by a special construction firm and hosted international football competition in 2008.

But a governor Rochas Okorocha emerged in 2011 and destroyed the stadium. No replacement till today.

Samuel okwaraji continue to RIP

As little kids then, mahn the myth we grew up to hear about this guy after his dead was something else....