I’m Still Waiting for the Scholarship Government Promised Me 31 Years Ago -Dahiru Sadi

Dahiru Sadi

Dahiru Sadi is one name Nigerian football followers in the early 80’s would not forget in a hurry. He is a member of the 1983 Under-20 team that is demanding from the Federal Government the scholarship promised the team 31 years ago. His ability to dribble effortlessly and whizzed past opponents was unrivaled in his time in the national team. He spoke to Kunle Adewale on a number of issues, including that all-important goal that qualified Nigeria to her first FIFA World Cup, why he failed to play for the Super Eagles in the World Cup, his impression of Clemence Westerhof, his colleague Wilfred Agbonavbare, who is in the USA battling for his life in the hospital, the Eagles and management of football in Nigeria …

From a humble beginning in Kaduna, Dahiru Sadi rose to become one of the best midfielders of his generation. Like most kids, he started kicking balls around the streets of Kaduna with fellow children.
“I started playing football like any other child, kicking the ball around the streets of Kaduna and from there, some local coaches saw me and I started playing for local clubs within Kaduna and its environs. That was before I rose to play for DIC Bees of Kaduna, which was one of the biggest clubs in Nigeria then. My parents really encouraged me, especially my father. He would always tell me to believe in what I was doing and face it squarely and his advice really helped me in my football career,” he said.

Interestingly, Sadi is also encouraging his son, Ibrahim, who has taken after him. “He has the talent and if he continues with the way he is going, and with luck on his side, he would go places. Football is mostly about luck. One of the greatest strikers Nigeria has ever produced is Segun Olukanmi, but he didn’t have the required luck to back his talent. He sustained an injury in his prime and that put paid to his football career. Football is more of luck than anything else. A lot of potential footballers never got to their prime before injury cut short their career,” he said.

The defunct Abiola Babes of Abeokuta player takes pride in scoring the goal that qualified Nigeria for her first-ever World Cup. And Sadi recalls that moment with glee.
“My goal against Cote d’ Ivoire during the U-20 World Cup final qualifier would linger in my memory till I die and it remains my best moment in my football career. Nigeria had forced Cote d’ Ivoire to a 2-2 draw in Abidjan and in the return leg at the National Stadium in Surulere, in the presence of the then President of Nigeria, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, I scored the winning goal, which qualified Nigeria to her first-ever World Cup-Mexico ‘83. It was one great moment in my football career.

“But because it was the first World Cup experience by any Nigerian side and probably because we were relatively young and a bit naïve, we failed to go beyond the group stage. But on returning to Nigeria from Mexico, about six members of the team including myself, Chibuzor Ehilegbu, Augustine Igbinobaro, Paul Okoku and the Olukanmi Brothers-Segun and Femi, were drafted to the Green Eagles and we joined the team in Dakar for the WAFU Cup competition hosted in Senegal.

“After qualifying for Mexico '83, the federal government promised all of us in the team scholarships and up till today the promise is yet to be redeemed. It is unfortunate however that the scholarship promised us was not redeemed 31 years after. And one of our colleagues in the team, Wilfred Agbonavbare is battling for his life in a United States hospital.

The former goalkeeper is in a hospital in Tampa Florida, US after he was diagnosed with cancer. According to reports, an email was received from another ex-Nigerian international, Augustine Igbinobaro, who is based in the US, stating that the ailing Agbonavbare urgently needs financial support from all his friends to help him survive the ailment.

Agbonavbare has since been flown to Spain for further treatment. He is very weak to the point that one could scarcely hear his voice sitting next to him.
“I was relieved of my job after I was diagnosed with cancer. My wife died of breast cancer three years ago and when she was diagnosed with breast cancer I spent all the money I made playing professional football on her medical bills to keep her treatment uninterrupted. Consequently, I had to send my three children to Nigeria because my lethal health condition," Agbovnabare said on his hospital bed.

To execute his wishes, he has been relocated to Spain after spending five months in a Tampa, Florida, hospital, to continue with his treatment. Wilfred was a member of the following teams: U21 Mexico 1983 Flying Eagles, 1984 AFCON silver medalist, 1994 AFCON gold medalist.

Speaking from his base in the US, a member of the 1983 team,  Dehinde Akinlotan, said: "We are using this medium to appeal to Mr. President to look back into our plea for the scholarship awards promised to the 1983 Flying Eagles as the first ever Nigerian national team to qualify for FIFA tournament and registered the country's name on their map.

"Also, this will go a long way in helping one of our colleagues (Agbonavbare) that is plagued with serious sickness and at a hospital bed as we speak seeking financial support and also fighting for his life, we are hoping that our plea to Mr. President in redeeming the pledge bestowed on the team as we've been pleading with the President, and it would be of great help at this juncture of his life. We had already lost three of our teammates to illness during our plea and we pray that almighty God will be with and give Agbonavbare good and sound health."

Another member of the team, Femi Olukanmi said: "We are using this opportunity to make our collective appeal to the president, Goodluck Jonathan, to convert the scholarship awarded to us to financial reward. We have been told that the scholarship is not transferable and so we can't even use it to foot the bills of our children in various universities across United States of America. The current health condition of Wilfred Agbonavbare, on the sick bed deeply concerns us greatly because of the request from good-hearted friends to ask for prayers and financial support on his behalf. We do believe that if this scholarship is converted to financial rewards, Wilfred's treatment will not be interrupted, and this is our collective hope we come to you with. This entitlement of his, was a reward for his personal, academic and family sacrifices to bringing honor to our great country, Nigeria, a nation's pride, should count when it is needed the most and this is the time.

"Therefore, Mr. President, with humility, we ask that you kindly make our record count just as it did and was as important to our generation thirty-two years ago. It was a record deserving a national honor. This is a hopeful moment for us when history was made for the very first time since the existence of this country of ours, Nigeria," Olukanmi concluded.

Paul Okuku, who was the vice captain of the team, reacting to the situation said: "When I read that our former teammate, Wilfred Agbonavbare is terminally ill, it saddened my heart because the last time I saw him, he was a vibrant young man, full of life. And his look on the sick bed sent a chill through my spine which resonated on my deep emotion. Then I saw a text making rounds from one of our teammates where people who were at his sick bed were asking for prayers and financial support to help pay for his medical bills and to keep his treatment uninterrupted due to lack of funds. This brings to mind the campaign we started in 2013, 30 years after the scholarship was awarded to us as a promise after qualifying Nigeria for her first ever FIFA competition, when we appealed to the conscience of the Federal Government to convert the scholarship to financial rewards.

"We, the 1983 set of Flying Eagles players, are calling on the president, Goodluck Jonathan, as the promise keeper, to honor the promised scholarship the then president of Nigeria, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, made to us in 1983 after qualifying Nigeria for her first ever FIFA-organised tournament. In doing so, Wilfred, who is terminally ill, will not be in want financially and he can focus on his treatment with peace of mind. And equally, many of our teammates in despair, struggling to make ends meet financially and suffering from deplorable health condition with no medical assistance will have hope. We have lost three of our teammates, Captain Ali Jeje, Chris Anigala and Tarfa Kpako. And losing Wilfred Agbonavbare, due to lack of funds, would be tragic. Our two coaches are not left out too as both Chris Udemezue and Isiaka Yakubu are of blessed memory. How many more will have to die from our set without enjoying the fruit of their labour? They all left children behind and what a way to reward them for the labour of their national heroes, deceased parents.

"Dahiru Sadi and I, on behalf of our teammates, have made our request, through direct action, to the minister of sports, Hon. Tammy Danagogo and the Director General of National Sports Commission, Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye respectively. We have gone through the chain of command properly and purposely and have been assured that a recommendation has been made to your offices, Sir. It is appropriate for me to point out here that both gentlemen have been very helpful and supportive in our campaign," Okoku concluded.

On why he never made it to the senior World Cup in spite of his skills, Sadi who had his professional career with the Belgian side, EEklo, said former Eagles Technical Adviser, Clemence Westerhof, shut him out of the national team, which ultimately denied him of a World Cup place.

“I was on break in Nigeria after the off-season in Belgium when I got an invitation to the national team which was then camped in Ota. I then went there and met with Westerhof and explained to him that I was not fit for now after about a month’s holiday in the country without any form of training. But he took it against me thinking I snubbed him and he never invited me again,” the Kaduna United Technical Adviser said.

In spite of the Dutchman shutting the national team door on him, Sadi, who is the President of the Association of Professional Footballers of Nigeria, said he had nothing against the Westerhof.

“After all, I have played for the Eagles before the coming of Westerhof, so why should I hold any grudge against him?, he queried.

Rather, he says he holds him in high esteem. “He is the best coach Nigeria has ever had based on what he achieved during his spell with the Super Eagles. A coach is measured by his achievement rather than his clout. Jose Mourinho is getting away with a lot of things with the football authorities because he had achieved a lot and he’s now a great coach. So, Westerhof is no doubt the best coach to ever train the national team.”

Sadi, who was the Technical Director of the Nigeria’s U-17 team, which won the 2007 World Cup in Spain, has, however, called on the Nigerian Football Federation board to concentrate on grassroots football development in the country.

What happened at the last World Cup was unfortunate and a disgrace to the nation. It was not the first time we had found ourselves in such mess because of the refusal of those in authority to go back to the basics. The NFF should be looking at ways to develop football from the grassroots and make Nigerian football become attractive and comparable with the best in the world,” Sadi said.


SEAN RAINFALL @Ezie101