They did everything they could to lift the Nigerian flag high among sporting nations. In their time, they thought first of what they could do for Nigeria, and in some cases, they went the extra mile even at personal cost to ensure that the nation ranked among the best in international competitions. Though they got little or no material gains from serving the country, these past heroes of Nigerian football did not relent in their quest to be the best they could. But today, all these players, who made Nigeria proud in the past, including Dejo Fayemi, Olu Onagoruwa and Idowu Otubusen, are now left to their own devices after years of meritorious service to the country. OLALEKAN OKUSAN, who visited these former players in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, writes on the state of the forgotten heroes.DEJO Fayemi was a household name in Nigerian football in the 1950s. In fact, chroniclers of Nigerian football regard him as one of the greatest footballers to ever wear a football boot in Nigerian football. Those who followed Nigerian football in the 1950s would always remember him for his brilliant performances in the colours of Nigeria when he played for the national team, then known as the Red Devils.Olu Onagoruwa also stood out in his position as Nigeria's goalkeeper in the 1950s. He has been described as one of the country's best showmen between the posts in the years following Nigeria's independence in 1960. Another former star in this category is Idowu Otubusen, who featured for the national team for five years. Otubusen was a member of the IICC Shooting Stars team that won the Cup Winners Cup, which was the country's first continental trophy in 1976.Today, these former stars of Nigerian football are in their late 60s and early 70s, but they have nothing to show for their meritorious service to the nation.Looking at 76-year-old Fayemi, who scored in his debut for the country 1959, one would find it difficult to believe that the septuagenarian was once the idol of a dotting nation.Although Fayemi has no regrets for defending Nigeria's honour in the international arena, he told The Guardian in a chat in Ibadan that he is saddened by the official neglect for those who made the country proud during their youth.He revealed that he has nothing to show for playing for his fatherland, except a small plaque presented to him by Coca Cola during the 2000 FA Cup, when he was honoured as a veteran of the yearly Challenge Cup.Fayemi started playing football in 1950 with the Boys Club in Okefoko, Ibadan before he joined forces with the Ibadan Lions of Western Nigeria in 1957. It was with the Ibadan Lions that he won the Challenge Cup in 1959. The late Ayo Adeniji captained the team, the same year he got a call up to the national team.'In those days, playing for the national team was indeed a pride for you and you would always want to give your best on the pitch. I could remember that I scored in my debut for Nigeria. I was proud to be part of the national team because I was so young and I played with my heart.'Apart from this, we had very good officials in the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) at that time with Dabby Allen as chairman of the federation. We were not given anything for playing for the national team because most of us were not after the money; we only wanted to make names for ourselves. This most times propelled us to always give our best for the team. The only money I made from playing then was the 25 pounds given to me by the then Minister of Finance, Okotie-Eboh when I played very well against Ghana in my debut game,' he said.In 1961, Fayemi was part of the victorious WNDC team that won the Challenge Cup, a feat that made it possible for him to travel to UK, and become one of the first set of Nigerians to travel abroad to play football. While playing football, Fayemi enrolled at Cambridge College of Arts and Technology to study Carpentry and Joinery as well as playing for Oxford United in 1961.He also played for Cambridge City FC until he returned to Nigeria to join WNDC. At WNDC, he worked with the maintenance department of the corporation as a carpenter. He rose to become building manager with Odua Investment Corporation, formerly WNDC. It was the little he was able to save that helped him to build a bungalow where he currently resides in Odo-Ona Elewe in Oluyole Local Council of Oyo State.On returning to Nigeria in 1967, Fayemi teamed up with his former club, WNDC, played for the team for six years until he retired in 1972.Fayemi's wife of 51 years, Funke told The Guardian that it was not easy being the wife of a soccer star.'I want to say it was not easy as a wife of a football star because you have to be patient with them. In those days, girls used to flock around them and this most times did not augur well with me. But thank God that some of his friends and relatives were there for me. Most times when he travelled, he would go for months and whenever he got back, I must get pregnant before he left and I was left to take care of the children thereafter until he came back again. I have five children.' I have never regretted marrying him but it is a shame that a nation that he served so much and so well has never even recognised him up till now. None of our children took to football because we wanted them to have education considering what their father faced in life,' she said.Despite their age, the Fayemis up to now do not hide their love for each other.Fayemi might look cheerful to the casual observer, but he is very bitter with the treatment his generation has received from country.'Early this year, I had to undergo an operation to resolve a bladder problem; and also one of my eyes was operated on, which made it difficult for me to see with one of my eyes. If not for my children who bankrolled the bill, maybe I would have died by now. I could remember one of my friends in the national team, Clement Andrea, was sick at a time and when help did not come from anywhere, he died untimely at University College Hospital (UCH) in Ibadan some years back.''There should be a change of heart by the government such that people that served this country in the past, especially past football heroes, who brought glory to this nation, are recognised and assisted in their hours of need. When we were playing, there was no money and we were only playing to make names for ourselves. Now, we have all come to know that name alone will not put food on your table.'To that extent, I will say it was not worth it playing for Nigeria. But I am happy that I played to make name and the name is still there for me. I have nothing from playing for my country; no national honour has been given to some of us. If not for what The Guardian did last week on the plight of Samuel Ojebode, I don't think anybody would have come to his aid.'This is what is making most of the present players in the national team not to give their best; they only looking forward to what they will get from playing for their fatherland. It is disheartening and pathetic that those who made the game what it is today are not remembered at all even by the NFF.'Another legend of the game, Octogenarian Onagoruwa, has his own tale to tell because since retiring from the Ogun State Sports Council as a director life has been so cruel to him.Onagoruwa was a teammate of Fayemi in the 1959 Ibadan Lions team that won the Challenge Cup, as well as the WNDC team that won the same diadem in 1961.For more than four years, the 77-year-old former goalkeeper kept the goal for the national soccer team, but now he has nothing to show for the meritorious service to his fatherland.'My life revolves round football and up till now I am still involved in the game. One thing that football gave me that I cherish is good health, which cannot be bought. But I got nothing from playing for Nigeria. I am proud that I represented my country, but it is sad that with what we did in those days, nobody, not even the NFF, recognises us. This is indeed bad and I believe this is what has made the present crop of players in the national team to always demand for their money before wearing the national colours. Our generation gave everything to the team but got nothing in return because we were only playing for pride,' he said.Apart from playing the game, Onagoruwa joined his former club, WNDC, helped in raising the team that metamorphosed into IICC Shooting Stars. For 13 years, he was part of the coaching crew that won several laurels for Oyo State after getting his coaching certificate from UK in 1974.At his age, the former goalie is struggling to make ends meet.'I regret playing for Nigeria and IICC Shooting Stars because at a time when I needed their help, all my plea fell on deaf hears. It was in 2006 that IICC, now 3SC, presented me with a plaque in recognition of my service to the club. That was the only thing I have received since my sojourn in the national team and the club,' he lamented.He added: 'The NFF and NSC have never appreciated the nation's heroes and I do not quarrel with them. In 2010, I wrote to the sports minister to support me but he did not even acknowledge the letter let alone respond to my need.'People like late Lekan Salami and MKO Abiola really had passion for sports and did everything to support it unlike the people we have now that are only after how they will milk sports.'It is high time our past heroes were honoured and recognised, they don't have to wait for them to die before acknowledging them. Recognise them when they are still alive, which is what obtains in UK, where people like Bobby Charlton are still being idolised by England.'Like Onagoruwa, Otubusen, a member of the bronze winning Green Eagles team to the 1975 Nations Cup in Ethiopia, has his own story of neglect to tell. The ex-player, who now resides in Ibadan, is particularly disturbed that even their former employers don't care what happens to them.'In those days, we wanted to play for our fatherland because it was an honour because representing the country at that time was indeed a privilege not a right. You needed to work hard to make the team, which some of us did. But it is regrettable that those in charge of the game have discarded the former players, especially in the area of welfare, which I think is not too much for them to do. For us in those days, Chief Lekan Salami was a father-figure, who was much concerned about our welfare at IICC.'Though we do not regret playing for our country, our concern is that they don't have to wait for some of us to fall sick before they come to our aid. We were used and dumped without any recognition from the country we served. People that did nothing are given national awards every year without anything to show that they really deserve it,' Otubusen said.The former Eagles defender, who was also known as 'Slow Poison,' added: 'Many of us are still nursing the injuries we suffered while playing for the country and nobody bothers about this. The only time we are remembered is when history is being written about the game. What we achieved in our time, have not been surpassed by anybody and nobody is looking toward our direction.'For the years I played for Nigeria, I had nothing to show for it and I am sure if the media has not raised alarm over the plight of Ojebode, he will just be left to suffer like that. It is bad and this is indeed a bad precedent for the coming generations. Also most states do not even recognise their sporting heroes because I could remember that when Peter Fregene and Sunday Eboigbe were sick, it was Governor Babatunde Fashola that came to their aid, while their state of origin did nothing to them.'Even when Best Ogedegbe died, the promises made after his death are yet to be redeemed. This is not too good for us; that is why most of our footballers always see the national team as an avenue to enrich themselves as they most times do not play with commitment.'Otubusen, whose last job was coaching the 3SC Feeders' team two years ago, says he is planning to start an academy.Speaking on the plights of the retired heroes, Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Ademola Olajire, admits that the federation has no records of the past players that featured for the country. 'When I got to the office, there was no record of past players, so we are just trying to put that together. But for this administration, the welfare of former players is priority as they are planning to assist the family of ailing IICC legend, Ojebode.
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