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African Games

50 years of African Games gold medal: Nigerian musician-turned evangelist almost go crazy over football

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BY KUNLE SOLAJA

Idowu Animashaun who was a popular Nigerian musician in the old Western State has narrated how obsession for football nearly made him go crazy. He was fondly called the ‘Apola King’ in the 1970s.

The former musician of juju genre in a telephone chat was reacting to the 50th anniversary of Nigeria winning the gold medal of the football event of the All Africa Games in Lagos in 1973.

“Of course, I was at the National Stadium that day and I enjoyed every moment of that final match against Guinea”, said the musician who is now an evangelist, working in the Lord’s vineyard.

He narrated how obsessed he was with football. He waxed a record in memory of Tesilimi ‘Thunder’ Balogun when he died in July 1972. He did another one for the IICC Shooting Stars when the Ibadan-based club became Nigeria’s first team to win a continental trophy in 1976.

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He was also at the then King George V Stadium, now Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Onikan, in 1954 when the first recorded tragedy on Nigerian field happened.

David Omofeye, popularly called ‘Idi’ collapsed and died on the field while playing for Railway against Marine in a Lagos Amateur Football Association league match.

He said the details of such will be released in his autobiography which he is writing.  

Evangelist Animashaun recalled the 1972 Challenge Cup final match, the first to be replayed outside Lagos. The final match contested by Bendel Insurance and Mighty Jets at the then Lagos City Stadium, Onikan had controversially ended 2-2  and a replay was fixed for Liberty Stadium in Ibadan.

The match marked the last time the cup final was played at Onikan, the competition’s birth place. It was also the first time, it had to be played outside Lagos and at Ibadan.

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Bendel Insurance triumphed 3-2. “I watched the match at Liberty Stadium. Mighty Jets almost equalized at 3-3 but for Bendel Insurance’s captain, Victor Oduah who used his palm to stop a goal-bound shot outside the penalty box”, said Animashaun.

He recalled that he was rooting for Mighty Jets as he was billed to entertain guest at  a victory party that had been planned at Lafia Hotel had the Jos team won.

“I was so sad when I left the stadium as the proposed entertainment had been ruined. I left the Liberty Stadium hoping to go to my house at Ayankoya Street in Oke Ado area of Ibadan.

“In a confused state of mind, I missed my way as I had wandered far away from home.”

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Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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African Games

BREAKING! Accra 2023 African Games Chieftain is dead

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Dr. Emmanuel Owusu-Ansah, who superintended the 13th African Games held in Accra Ghana in February has died.

He was the Chief Operating Officer of the Accra 2023  Local Organising Committee (LOC).

According to sources in Ghana, Dr. Owusu-Ansah was a sports administrator and coach, and thus left behind, a significant legacy in the world of sports.

Dr Owusu-Ansah, a former Chief Executive of the National Sports Authority (NSA), was widely regarded as an encyclopaedia of sports knowledge.

Among his many accomplishments, Dr. Owusu-Ansah, a former national chief athletics coach, authored the best-selling book “Principles of Abundant Living.”

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He played a pivotal role in establishing the Department of Sports Studies at the College of Education at the University of Ghana. Additionally, he served as the Director of the Sports Directorate at the University of Ghana, Legon.

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African Games

ASFU mourns African Games 2023 chief executive, Owusu-Ansah  

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The Africa Students Football Union (ASFU) has expressed condolences over the passing of a  patron of the union, Dr Emmanuel Owusu-Ansah, who served as the COO of the just concluded 13th Africa Games held in Ghana.

Dr. Owusu-Ansah’s death was announced on Tuesday, April 23, 2024.

According to a release by the executive secretary of the union, Femi Abioye, Owusu-Ansah until his death contributed immensely to sports development on the continent and the world at large.

He left an indelible impact on the lives of students-athletes coupled with sports administration across Africa countries.

The ASFU’s President, Prof. Oluwaseun Omotayo, who was shocked at the news of the demise of Dr. Owusu-Ansah described the deceased as a pillar, saying his departure has left a great vacuum in sports management.

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He relished the deceased contribution and unwavering dedication to ASFU, saying the Union would miss the deceased.

“We will miss Dr. Owusu-Ansah, whose contribution to sports, knew no bounds. He was always ready to serve. He helped build the Union and was pivotal to the Union programmes. We will surely miss him,” he said.

He extended the Union condolences to all those affected by this loss, praying God grant them the fortitude to bear the loss.

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African Games

A milestone as Egypt becomes the first country to get 100 gold medals in African Games

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A milestone as Egypt becomes the first country to get 100 gold medals in African Games

As the curtain is drawn on the 13th African Games in Egypt, the traditional overall winners, have this time hit a milestone.

They have become the first to hit a 100 gold medal mark in the 59 year history of the games.

As at Saturday morning, they have amassed 101 gold medals, 54 more than that of the second placed Nigeria

The biggest star of the Egyptian team  is swimmer Marwan Elkamash, who won five gold medals in the men’s 200m, 400m, 800m, 1,500m and 4x200m relays, all in freestyle.

But medal haul is still short that that of his compatriot, Faten Afifi who fished out seven gold medals from the pool.

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