Four years before the 1989 Miracle of Dammam, there was Resurrection in Lagos as Flying Eagles battered the Junior Indomitable Lions 5-1 on their way to the USSR 1985 FIFA Under 20 Youth Championships.
The Nigerian captain, Andrew George Uwe, was devasted after the first leg in Yaounde ended in a heart breaking 3-0 drubbing. The Cameroonians had the Biyik Brothers, Kana and Omam. The tormentor in chief turned out to be Emile Mbouh Mbouh.
NFF Chairman, Tony Ikazoboh, an Air Force officer who played for Jos and Stationery Stores respectively, found a way out. He drafted Green Eagles coach Christopher ‘Ajillo’ Udemezue, another Jos Boy, to the Flying Eagles to support Paul Hamilton.
Udemezue worked on the wings. Ndubuisi Okosieme gave way to Michael Dominic on the right while Friday Elaho was dropped for Mark Anunobi. And the game plan worked. Monday Odiaka got a hat – trick, Austin Igbinobaro and Dominic completed the 5-1 annihilation.
Uwe was over the moon. ” That remains my best game ever. To come back from the dead and stop Cameroon seemed impossible but we did it,” he said.
The Cameroonians had instilled fear all over the atmosphere. In 1981, they stopped Nigeria from advancing further in the same World Youth Championships. They came to Sportscity and traveled back with a 3-2 victory. Henry Nwosu was recalled from the Green Eagles camp, he scored the Flying Eagles goals.
If Cameroon was a thriller, Yugoslavia was the killer. Uwe sees the 3-1 loss to the East Europeans, at the Seoul 1988 Olympic Games, as his lowest point. After a 4-0 battering by Brazil in the first game, it was one fight the Eagles needed victory to stay afloat.
Manager, Manfred Honer, dropped goalkeeper, David Ngodigha, for Christian Obi. The other players were Uwe, Chidi Nwañu, Bright Omokaro, Austin Eguavoen, Ademola Adesina, skipper Sylvanus Okpala, Dahiru Sadi, Sam Okwaraji, Samson Siasia and Rashidi Yekini.
The Yugoslavs struck in the 35th minute. Five minutes after resumption of the second stanza, they got another goal. Then a third in the 67th. The introduction of Mike Obiku for Omokaro and Wole Odegbami for Okwaraji did not help. Yekini found the net in the 88th.
It was like Davor Suker’s countrymen came for the kill. There were scary names like Barbaric (Ivica) and Milosevic (Crijan). The sweet tasting Brazil squad of Bebeto, Romario and Claudio Taffarel served Nigeria a bitter experience. Yugoslavia enslaved Nigeria.
” I was so bitter after that defeat, nothing worse than that match,” Uwe told me from his home in Germany. In the last duel, Australia defeated Nigeria 1-0. That was the Olympic debut of many, including Dominic Iorfa, Emeka Ezeugo and Jude Agada.
The towering central defender led the Flying Eagles to bronze in the Soviet Union. It was an exciting outing that saw them defeat the hosts in the Third Place match after losing to Brazil in the semi finals. Nigeria lost 2-1 to USSR in one of the group matches.
All that changed in the fight for bronze. After a goalless outcome in regulation and over time, the Flying Eagles won 3-1 on penalties. The hero was substitute goalie, Christian Obi, who took over from Aloy Agu.
The 1985 Flying Eagles spread to the Green Eagles squad and continued to fly. Titus Mba, Godwin Eke, Kingsley Onye, Osaro Obobaifo, Waidi Akanni, Wasiu Ipaye, Niyi Adeleye, Mike Odu, Samson Siasia, Uche Ikeogu, they advanced to play for clubs and country.
Uwe moved into coaching after a professional stint in Belgium, Germany and the United States. He holds the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Advanced National and Premier Diploma. The UEFA Level B Licence is part of his credentials.
The former Nigerian star has been coaching since he left Houston Dynamos. He is also a referee. Emmanuel Merenini, winner of the African Winners Cup with Enugu Rangers, in 1977, believes Uwe is good enough to coach one of the national teams.
Merenini said: “Eagles don’t need a foreign coach. Uwe is a good one. He was in Houston before moving back to Germany and also a United States Soccer Federation (USSF ) referee with me.”
At the Ramat Cup in 1981, Uwe represented Lagos State, alongside players like Bremner Alladah, MacMillan Ogbomo and Muyiwa Motajo. Then, he was popular as Uwe Seeler. Close friends like Tajudeen Disu, call him Bros Double, because he was one man who had the strength and appetite of two.
Born in Ebute Metta, Lagos, Uwe is a Cross Riverian. From primary education at St. Paul’s Catholic School Ebute Metta (same school produced Ade Coker, Godwin Odiye, Stephen Keshi and Paul Okoku ), he left for Nigerian Peoples High School. Uwe also passed through Lagos City College, Igbobi College and the University of Ibadan.
A man who won African Nations Cup silver, twice consecutively, 1988 and 1990, played in the finals of the Champions League with Iwuanyanwu Nationale, the African Winners Cup with Leventis United and won the Challenge Cup and Premier League severally, demands attention as national team coach.
