Chinazor Okeke, a former junior international in this interview with Tribunesport’s NURUDEEN ALIMI, explains why he dumped football for professional driving. The former Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) of Ibadan player, who won the FA Cup three times with Dolphins FC says he is still fit to play active football. Excerpts:
How did you start football career?
Let me say it started while I was playing for an Ibadan-based amateur side, Young Stars FC around 1999/2000. We played a friendly match against the Shooting Stars, so when the coach of Shooting Stars at that time, Kafaru Alabi saw me, he asked whether I would love to play for Shooting Stars and I said why not? He told me he loved the way I played and that was how I joined the team. So I will say my professional football career started at Shooting Stars Sports Club of Ibadan.
After I joined the team, we played a friendly match against the national U-17 team and coach Musa Abdulahi invited me to the camp of the Golden Eaglets with some of my team-mates then. I was part of the Golden Eaglets squad which won the African U-17 Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Seychelles in 2001, so after the tournament, We returned to Nigeria and started preparations for the World Cup in Trinidad and Tobago at the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, Ibadan.
On that fateful day, Shooting Stars hosted Calabar Rovers in a league match and we were called upon to come and play, Femi Opabunmi, Segun Atere and I. It was only five minutes into the game that I got injured which at that time required a longer period to heal and that was how I could not make it to the U-17 World Cup in Trinidad and Tobago.
I returned to the Shooting Stars but unfortunately for me the injury did not heal in time and this prompted the management of the club to inform me to try another club. I was at home for quite some time nursing the injury and when I felt I was okay to kick the ball on the pitch, I went back to Young Stars. Shooting Stars again had a friendly match against Young Stars and I was part of the team that featured for Young Stars. Officials of Shooting Stars saw the way I played, that was when they said I should come back to the team. I was a bit reluctant. Meanwhile, one football agent who saw me play for Young Stars was also asking me whether I would love to play for Enyimba FC of Aba and I told him yes. So I went to Enyimba in 2003. When I got to Aba, I met the chairman of the club, Chief Felix Anyansi-Agwu, who appreciated my style of play and told me to go and bring my belongings and join the team immediately.
He even gave me some money as transport fare that will enable me to return to Aba with my belongings. At that time too, Shooting Stars were urging me to sign a contract with them again, but I made it clear that it was the club which asked me to leave in the first instance and that I had got another offer which I thought was better. I was highest goalscorer in Enyimba in my first season. After that, I travelled to Switzerland in order to improve my game and I had a trial with one club and passed. It was the issue of transfer fee that foiled the process of joining the team in Switzerland. Enyimba was demanding $100,000 before they would release my clearance but the club in Switzerland said they could not afford that much. I felt so bad when I returned to Nigeria. I was bitter and decided not to go to Enyimba again because I was angry. I believed their decision jeopardised my dream of playing in Europe. Thereafter I joined Kwara United and played for quite sometime before I decided to try my luck again in Europe, this time round in Russia. I played for one year and returned to Kwara United.
Shorly after my return from Europe, I got an invitation from coach Samson Siasia who was the coach of Flying Eagles then. He assured me I was going to be part of his team because he saw the potential in me. But due to some circumstances beyond my control, I could not make the team to the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2005. Siasia gave me a link to a club in France, Rennes FC, I had a trial with the club, but my agent told me I could not cope with the weather over there. That was when he took me to a second division club and after spending some time there, I came back to Nigeria and joined Dolphins FC of Port Harcourt, I spent three seasons with Dolphins and I won the FA Cup three times with them. We were given a brand new car each for our efforts that time. Thereafter, I returned to Ibadan and approached Shooting Stars to see if I could continue my career with the team, but it did not work out and since then, I have not been playing professional football.
Why did you opt for professional driving and not football business like coaching or working as a football agent?
I opted for driving because I owe it a duty to provide basic needs for my family. I cannot sit down and watch my wife and kids live in hunger. I feel I should look for an alternative to make life a little bit worthwhile for them. It does not speak well of any man who fails to provide the basic needs of his family. I went to a former board member of Shooting Stars who is now a member of the state House of Assembly, Honourable Fatai Adesina, at that time, he worked with one of the new generation banks in Ibadan. He asked whether I could play for the bank’s football team and I said yes. He said I would be playing for the bank’s team and also be working as a driver. That was how I started working as a driver at the bank. It is a means of survival, I felt it is not dignifying to start begging people around for money. If I work hard, I will see something to take home, though it may not be enough yet at least it will be on record that whatever I got is from my sweat. A lot of people who know me feel bad when they see me on duty as a driver but I do tell them that tough times never last but tough people do. I let them realise that my present situation will not last till eternity.
It is obvious that you are not comfortable with the driving job…
If I get the encouragement, why not? My mates, the likes of Obinna Nsofor, Dele Adeleye, John Obi Mikel, Bassey Akpan, to mention a few, are still playing active football. I can still play if the help comes from the appropriate quarters.
Yes, I have not retired from active football. I just need someone who will tell me ‘Let’s go’ and I will be ready to put in my best wherever I find myself. I have less fear now, because my wife has just graduated from school, she is only looking for a job, if she gets one now, that will be a relief so I can focus on my football career again.
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