₦airaland Forum

naptu2:
I watched this interview in 1989, 1990 or 1991, so forgive me if I make any errors, but I'll write as much as I can remember of the interview.


Abiola Babes was one of the most exciting teams of the 1980s. It was one of the two millionaire teams (the other being Leventis United) that appeared on the scene to challenge the already established teams like Rangers International, IICC Shooting Stars and Stationery Stores.

Then there was a rumour (in the late 1980s) that Chief Abiola was going to disband the team. I didn't believe it. Then I watched this interview. The interviewer asked a lot of questions, covering several topics including business, history, philanthropy, etc. Then he asked Abiola why he wanted to disband Abiola Babes.

The chief said that people would not believe the amount of trouble he goes through just because of Abiola Babes. He said that he's been wondering if it was worth it, then a particular incident happened that led to his decision to disband the club. This was not the worst event, but it was the one that finally made him take the decision.

Abiola Babes was playing in the African Cup Winners Cup in 1987 or '88. They had a match in Zaire (or was it Congo) and they also had an important match in the Nigerian league the next day or a few days later. Chief Abiola appealed to the NFA to postpone the league game, but the NFA refused.

So they went to Zaire.

The Abiola Babes team got to Kinshasha and discovered that there was nobody from the Zairean FA at the airport to receive them. The match was in a smaller town, so Chief Abiola hired a bus to take them to the town. They were waylaid by armed robbers along the way and Chief Abiola had to give the robbers a huge amount of money just so that they would leave them alone. The driver was either badly injured or badly shaken after the incident, so Chief Abiola took the wheel and drove to the town. Abiola Babes played the match in Zaire and returned to Nigeria. Chief Abiola again appealed to the NFA to postpone the match, but they refused. Chief Abiola said that he thought to himself, this was a team that went to represent Nigeria and went to hell in order to represent Nigeria well. You would expect that the NFA would do what they can to help them, considering the situation they were in. That's when he decided that he's had enough and decided to disband the team.

I know very well that Chief Iwuanyanwu also had similar experience and that's why he decided to abandon Iwuanyaanwu National (previously Spartans of Owerri) before the Imo State Government took over the club and renamed it Heartland.

That's why I'm not surprised that Aliko Dangote is not getting deeply involved in BCC Lions of Gboko, despite the fact that he owns the club.

The Benue Cement Company was owned by the Federal Government of Nigeria (majority shareholder), the Benue State Government (minority shareholder) and some other individuals (minority shareholders). The Federal Government sold its shares in the company in the early 2000s and Alhaji Dangote won the bid.

BCC Lions of Gboko is the football team of the Benue Cement Company. It was very popular in the 1990s. They won the nigerian FA Cup in 1989 and won the Mandela Cup (African Cup Winners Cup) in 1990. They also won the FA cup back to back in 1992 and 1993. Amodu Shuaibu was their coach at that time.

Aliko Dangote is the chairman of BCC Lions of Gboko by virtue of the fact that he owns the Benue Cement Company.

Odewaleadesoye:
https://punchng.com/arinze-to-dangote-invest-in-nigerian-clubs/

naptu2:
In the early 1990s I watched an interview that Chief MKO Abiola gave. It was shown on Lagos Television. In that interview he explained why he disbanded Abiola Babes. Abiola Babes was one of the two millionaire teams in Nigerian club football in the 1980s.

I have often used that interview to explain to Nairalanders who often complain that wealthy Nigerians like Dangote do not own/run football clubs that it is not easy to own a Nigerian football club. People like Chief Abiola, John Mastourodes (Leventis United), Chief Iwuanyanwu (Iwuanyanwu Nationale), Chief Oscar Udoji (Udoji United), Chief Adewale Teluwo (VIP, Obanta), etc. have tried it and gotten bad experiences.


I still can’t find a video of the interview I watched, but Chief Abiola relayed the same story when he was interviewed by former Nigerian captain, Chief Segun Odegbami (MON). Here is a video of the interview.

Chief Abiola mentioned some people and places in the interview and some might not know what he was referring to, so I’ve explained what they are.

Minister P.C. Achebe = Chief Philip Onuora Chikaodili (P.O.C.) Achebe, a two-time secretary general of the NFA and I think he also served as minister of sports.

Havelange = Joao Havelange who was the president of FIFA at the time.

Dakar = The Confederation of African Football (CAF) awarded Chief Abiola its gold merit award in recognition of his contributions to African football. The award was presented at the CAF General Assembly in Dakar in 1992 (during the 1992 African Nations Cup).

Challenge Cup = The Nigerian FA cup was previously known as the Challenge Cup.

Group Captain Obakpolor = Group Captain John Obakpolor was the NFA chairman in 1987/1988.

It is important that one should be very serious with what one wants to do. Nobody can clap with one hand. To clap you need two hands. I can provide the money. I provide even the time. You remember, I followed the team to play their match against Nchanga Rangers.

We got to Lusaka. We were told by the NFA that the match would be played in Lusaka. We travelled there on the eve of the match to be told that we would be playing in Nchanga. I had to beg for a flight, to charter an F27 to fly us to Ndola at 10:30 at night, hired a bus from Ndola to take us through Kitwe to Nchanga, only to find that the driver was drunk! So I drove the bus myself for three and a half hours. We were stopped by armed robbers three times on the road. I had to bribe our way through into Kitwe.

We got to Kitwe at 2:30 in the morning on the day of the match, to find that the officials had left for Kitwe. So I dropped the bus, made sure they rested quickly, drove the sane bus back to Kitwe to look for the officials to bring them back at 7 in the morning to officiate. I was prepared to do that.

You see, it’s not just the money. You need to know what problems these boys faced. The boys on their way back had problems connecting in Addis. They were delayed in Addis for four days. I had to wire money for them to eat and so on. Only to find out that they were being scratched by Group Captain Obakpolor, who said that the boys did not show up for their quarter final match against. . . against. . . er. . . the Maiduguri side

(Segun Odegbami says, “El-Kanemi)


El-Kanrmi at their quarter final match in Bauchi. I had to fight to get them to be allowed to play that match. They eventually qualified.

With all that, when you look at it, it just occurred to me, what happens if these armed robbers (they opened fire on us near Kitwe) if I had been killed? What will I tell my children? You see, one must. . . There has to be moderation in everything that one does. But if I hadn’t been in that bus that day, the bus wouldn’t have gone through. They probably would have been waylaid, people would have been severely injured, if not killed. What for?

Some of these things that we are trying to do, we must try and dose it with some element of realism.

Maybe we need to zone some of these things, as I was suggesting to CAF.

You see, the cost of transportation too. How much it costs me in foreign exchange.

We played Esperance in Tunisia. We had evidence that some of my boys took bribe to concede that match. Only to find. . .we got to the airport, Alitalia flight was cancelled because of strike. I had to pay in foreign exchange. In those days, the whole team and the supporters to London to connect back to Lagos in hard currency.

Minister P.C. Achebe was there. He was the one who said that I should disband the whole team! Only to find that I could hardly find a good team to play in the final of the Challenge Cup. It was a miracle that we won that Challenge Cup. I dismissed 12 of my players.

You see, these things were too much for me and I’m not getting younger. By the time of Abiola Babes I was in my early 40s. I’m 54½ now.

See, these are the things that one must bear in mind. It’s not just enough to put money. . . and my name connected with something, I want to see that it is very well done. If they are Abiola Babes, then Abiola has to be there.

You see, I had to leave Nchanga that afternoon. . . they played the match at 2 o’clock because they didn’t want our boys to rest. 2 o’clock in the sun! Our boys managed to draw. I drove straight to Lusaka to take the Zambian Airline 11 hour flight into London for an important meeting. So I couldn’t see to the boys being evacuated. They were stranded in Addis.

You see, there’s so much hassles in all these things and one is only one man!

My father told me, when a cousin was made a foreman. He didn’t know that it was F-O-R-E. He thought it was F-O-U-R. He said, “How can a man call himself four-man. Every man is one man”. “Asiere eniyan lo’n pe eniyan four-man. Enikan ni enikan je”. I am only one man.

Abiola Babes has virtually returned in Concord Football Club, a Professional League Division 2 club. They will carry on. Abiola name will not be there.


I think the name is already well known, thank God. You were in Dakar. What other thing could anybody have wanted in his life. Only Nigeria refused to honour me and I’m sure they will do that one day, but the whole of Africa has done so. What else do I want?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktsLFv7XsZs

toprealman:
Segun what is wrong in you investing in Nigerian football clubs? The money you make from Nollywood if I may ask, is it counterfeit?
Baba is already battling two runz girls, the last thing he wants is an unsolicited adviser telling him how to spend his money.

Jazzafizzy:


Segun should just relax oo before northern people will call for his head .

None will admit to his assertion , that dangote made his billions here being a sole importer and production if essential good Nigerians consume

naptu2:
Dangote already owns a Nigerian football club, but it has done terribly since he became chairman.

(It's one of the most famous Nigerian clubs and historically they were very good at winning the FA Cup, but the club has almost vanished since Dangote took over).

Agboriotejoye:
Which one

Ajibel:
Hmm you decided to leave so many clues without revealing the club's identity

IgboWarlord:
Which club for naija be dat?

naptu2:
Dangote already owns a Nigerian football club, but it has done terribly since he became chairman.

(It's one of the most famous Nigerian clubs and historically they were very good at winning the FA Cup, but the club has almost vanished since Dangote took over).

Claudiusdeux:
Okay, so Dangote should invest in a Nigerian club...

1.How will he get return on investment? Ticket prices in Nigerian clubs are very very low. There isn't much money from TV rights, and not enough cash from qualifying for continental competitions either.

2.Okay so he buys a Nigerian club. The next thing, he increases match ticket prices, and starts selling club branded items...at high prices, to make back his money....and fans start complaining?

Investing in a Nigerian club is like sinking money into a bottomless pit. He will lose money. Better he sticks with buying shares in a foreign club where he can make actual profits

Jazzafizzy:


Segun should just relax oo before northern people will call for his head .

None will admit to his assertion , that dangote made his billions here being a sole importer and production if essential good Nigerians consume