For about two decades now, Lagos soccer fans have not witnessed continental club actions in the city, but the Centre of Excellence is set to witness a new era in football from next year.
Thanks to the exploits of the Mountain of Fire and Miracles, MFM FC, who finished second at the just-ended Nigeria Professional Football League season.
The Olukoya Boys, who survived relegation on the last day in their debut season, became the envy of other 19 teams at the just-ended season, as they occupied among the top eight right from Match Day one until they finished second on the final table with 62 points, four adrift of the winners, Plateau United.
The feat also earned the Fidelis Ilechukwu-piloted side a CAF Champions League ticket next year.
Checks revealed that MFM prefer to play their continental home games right before their teeming fans at the Agege Stadium known as Soccer Temple by their admirers as the Teslim Balogun Stadium also serves as an alternative venue.
The National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos, otherwise known as the Sports City was the mecca of continental football actions in Nigeria in the 70s through the early 90s but the stadium has become an eyesore, which is not even fit for a top-flight game let alone a continental game.
Darling team of Lagosians, Stationery Stores, established in 1958, were playing their continental matches at the once reverred Onikan Stadium until in 1993. On a Sunday afternoon, October 31, 1993 to be precise, the ‘Onikan Waterfront’ was jampacked as Lagosians bombarded the arena to boost the ‘Flaming Flamingoes’ which had Arthur Moses, Steve Botchway, Julius Akpele, Ganiyu Ajide, Ike Shorunmu, Abdul Sule, Lati Alanamu, Hassan Santos, Teslim Fatusi, on parade against the Emmanuel Amuneke-inspired Zamalek of Egypt in the second leg semi-final of the Champions League after the 1-3 first leg defeat. Stores won the match 1-0 to bow out 2-3 on aggregate. That was the last time the Onikan Waterfront hosted a continental game.
However, Lagos fans also enjoyed club continental actions in their domain during the days of Julius Berger FC until the team relocated to the MKO Abiola Stadium, Abeokuta in the 2000 season where they also played their CAF Champions League games in 2001 after winning the league title the following year under Chief Taiwo Ogunjobi as General Manager.
Some of the continental matches in Lagos which fans won’t forget in a hurry include when Stores lost 1-2 on aggregate in the final of the 1981 African Winners Cup, as well as in 1984 when the then IICC Shooting Stars lost 0-1 to Zamalek of Egypt in the second leg final of the then Champions Cup, now CAF Champions League.
Also, the IICC Shooting Stars/Rangers 1977 Winners Cup semi-final clash and the surprise 4-2 victory of the defunct Water Ibadan FC over Hafia of Guinea in the first leg, quarter-final of the 1977 Champions Cup.
Until in 2003 when the National Stadium, Abuja was built, most club’s continental crucial stage and finals had always taken place in Lagos, and this further lends credence to why Lagos is addressed as Nigeria’s home of football.
As a result of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) conditions, some clubs have had cause to shift their continental matches, especially finals to Lagos and they include the defunct Abiola Babes, Leventis United, NNB of Benin, Bendel Insurance, Water Corporation FC, Ibadan and BCC Lions of Gboko.
Many soccer fans are now full of praise for MFM FC, formed in 2007 for ensuring the return of continental football to Lagos after years of absence.
“Whether MFM will play at Agege or Teslim Balogun Stadium, it is a thing of joy that we are going to watch continental actions again at our backyard without travelling outside Lagos,” Victor, a CD dealer at Ikosi-Ketu told Tribunesport.
Another football fan, Bamidele said, it is indeed a new era for football in Lagos.
“What baffles us mostly in Lagos is the fact we don’t have the kind of opportunity we had in the past where there were up to five teams in Lagos alone playing in top domestic leagues. I am talking of the era Stores, ACB, NEPA, First Bank, Julius Berger, Nigerdock and so on. Now that foreign league seems to have even reduced the glamour of local football, especially in Nigeria, having a Lagos team in the continental race will also help improve the economy in the state if only on match days,” he noted.
To Mr Segun Dosunmu, it will take time to reignite the level of glamour continental football enjoyed among fans in Lagos about three decades ago.
“Onikan Stadium used to be another tourist centre, especially during the time of Stationery Stores in continental campaign. Hawkers of food, drinks, souvenirs always went home smiling regardless of the outcome of a match because of the turnout of spectators. As early as 10am the stadium would be full. In 1993 when Amuneke led Zamalek to face Stores in the semi-final, there was no seat again by noon.
“MFM have turned Agege Soccer Temple to another ‘Onikan’ and fans, I believe, are happy at the return of continental actions in the state. However, there are certain factors then that are no longer in place such as the crowd-pulling players.
“In those days, there were a lot of star players to watch in the line up of Stores like Peter Rufai, Audu Jubril, Haruna Ilerika, Isa Alabi, Yomi Peters, and so on, and the presence of big names also, always motivated fans to come out en masse to watch Rangers, NNB, Leventis, Bendel Insurance, Shooting Stars when Lagos served as their home ground, especially in continental or sub-regional matches.
“Everybody loved to watch Christian Chukwu, Emma Okala, Segun Odegbami, Henry Nwosu, Felix Owolabi, John Benson, Edward Ansah, Henry Ogboe, Kadiri Ikhana, David Adiele, as well as Stephen Keshi and Best Ogedegbe of blessed memory, among others during even domestic games let alone continental matches. Also, the presence of star players from the visiting teams used to serve as a driving force for fans to come to the stadium. One of the matches I won’t forget was in 1981 when Union Douala of Cameroon came to the National Stadium to beat Stores 2-1 in the Winners Cup final. Some of the African stars were in Union Douala then and the match was a sell-out. They scored two quick goals and Bayo Waheed Warebia had to come in for Peter Rufai to complete the match and before we knew what was happening, we could only score one back through Anobi Iso [Isa Alabi]. I wonder if such spectacular game and massive crowd could make up a game again in Lagos?
“But one good thing about MFM is that they always enjoy massive support from escpecially, their teeming fans around Agege during domestic games and I believe this would even increase when they play in continental championship next season,” Dosunmu, a former footballer too in his heyday told Tribunesport.
Given the exploits of the 10-year-old MFM FC so far on the domestic scene, there is no doubt the Olukoya Boys have become the new bride of Lagos football faithful for not only reviving top-flight actions in Lagos, but reliving the past colourful memory of continental football in the Centre of Excellence.
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