Players VS Home Fans After Losing An Away Game
Nigerian football and the fun of losing games and having to drive the distance from Kano back to Lagos as far back as 95/96 season.
The securities at our main gate and the anxious fans waiting for the results was was what we had to always deal with at Snake Island Apapa Lagos.
While a young player with Nigerdock FC Lagos. We knew we could hardly win any away match against teams from the far north. The fans could whip you with a cane while you dribble on the sidelines towards their goal area. You could be directly threatened and the game stopped and sometimes referees would tell us the players to know we all might not get out of here safe if we continued pressing to get a draw save win.
It was always a nightmare except the fun and the good bonuses that we had to enjoy on those trips. We had a very exceptional club Chairman Chief Dr. Nnamdi Ozobia. He never owed you a dime and if you pretended to fall sick, instead of him sending you to the hospital he knew how to make you happy. We had a swimming pool that we could gain access to and enjoy on certain days.
Now, you guys know in those days communication from a distance was almost impossible. After numerous insults and harassment from our fans at the main gate on return, we discovered a trick to get back to our fans politely.
On one of such occasion, we were all so stressed up from both the frustration and fight. On arrival at the gate, we saw the gatemen rushing forward and the fans. They asked the pilot, since he was closest to them about the results. He said he didn’t play they should ask us the players. Now, the coaches weren’t with us in the vehicles, so we decided to set them up.
The gatemen rushed to the other side of the bus with some fans and asked in a chorus; “wetin be the scores, una no go answer”? We walk past them and said “the result dey with coach. Him dey come with am. Him refuse to give us the scores after the match.
Some ‘mumu’ fans stood for a while and one bold one told the others “make we wait, shebi coach go soon reach, as na him hold the result.”
Naturally, while giving such a reply we were either seen walking so quick or running away from those players.
Indeed, football in Naija was fun to remember!
Austin Akpehe
Chairman /CEO
Galaxy Sports Development China and Galaxy Sports Academy Nigeria
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