the death of the midfielder affected the country's football as well as
sadness at unfulfilled promises made....
Twenty six years after he collapsed on the pitch of the National
Stadium, Lagos, and breathed his last, encomiums have not stopped
pouring in for former Nigeria midfielder Samuel Okwaraji.
The 25-year-old fell down in the middle of a World Cup qualifier
against Angola on August 12, 1989, only to be declared dead later in
hospital as his team mates played on, oblivious to the fact that
someone so full of life moments before had expired in full public
glare in service to his fatherland.
In new interviews withGoal, former Nigeria star Etim Esin and former
national team coach Paul Hamilton have spoken about the implications
to Nigerian football development of the former midfielder's death.
Esin even disclosed that Okwaraji's death prevented the country from
qualifying for the 1990 edition of the Fifa World Cup as other players
became afraid that it could happen to them.
Almost three decades after the unfortunate incident, his former
teammate recounts the effect of his death while insisting that the
country has not done enough to immortalize him.
"He was a great footballer and very intelligent one. I think he was in
the first set of footballers to wear dreadlocks, which was very
strange in Nigerian football at that time," Esin recounts to Goal.
"We were on the pitch together and it was after the game that we found
out that he had passed away. During the game [against Angola], he
slumped, was rushed to the hospital and that was it.
"His death cost us the Italia '90 Fifa World Cup [ticket] because we
were all scared as no one wanted to fall and die. When we were at the
airport to board a flight to Cameroon, the likes of Peter Rufai,
[Richard] Owubokiri and a couple of players dropped."
Fifteen days later on August 27, the Green Eagles were defeated 1-0
courtesy of a Francois Omam-Biyik strike at the Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium
in Yaounde to end hopes of reaching the final African play offs for
the World Cup ticket.
Okwaraji had played for Nigeria at the 1988 Africa Cup of Nations
where he scored an early goal in the 1-1 draw with Cameroon in the
group stage. His second minute goal was considered one of the fastest
in the history of the competition at that time.
He also scored from the spot as the Green Eagles defeated Algeria 9-8
by penalties after regulation time ended 1-1 in the semi finals. He
played in the final as Nigeria lost 1-0 to Cameroon in Casablanca.
Esin expressed displeasure that promises made after his death has not
been fulfilled.
"No foundation on the ground, no benefits for the family, so pathetic.
Even we the living ones are still going through the same thing
fighting for a union that we can form into an umbrella and see what we
can do.
"Foundations should have been set up so that his family can also
benefit from the sacrifice he made for this country," Esin said....
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