Nigeria Premier League is worthless – Oyekanmi
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- Category: Sports
- Written by Orkula Shaagee
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Ex-international Tajudeen Oyekanmi was a member of the Super Eagles team that won silver at the Algiers 1990 Africa Cup of Nations under Dutchman Clemence Westerhof. The left winger was also in the Flying Eagles camp preparing for the Saudi 89 World Youth Championship before he dropped out for academic pursuit. In this interview with SHOT!, Oyekanmi, who starred for the dreaded Ranchers Bees of Kaduna and BCC Lions of Gboko before travelling to Belgium, Israel and Saudi Arabia for professional career, says the Nigerian apex league is as good as street football.
He also speaks on while Westerhof succeeded as Super Eagles Technical Adviser. What is your name, sir?My name is Tajudeen Oyekanmi. I am married with three kids, two male, one female.
Can you recall when and how you started playing football?
I started playing football right from my youth, when I was in Primary School here in Kakuri, Kaduna State.
It was not common for children to take football at that age then, did your parents approved of it?
Not really, it has to be school first.
So, how were you able to convince them to allow you take to football?
I devised a way of doing it, sometimes I tell lies, I would say I want to go to my brother’s place and from there I would go to the field and play and come back.; and that was how I continued till I became a full time player.
Aside Ranchers Bees, which are the other clubs that you played for?
Yes, I played for BCC Lions, and from there I travelled to Belgium where I played for three seasons and moved to Israel where I also played two seasons, and then Saudi Arabia.
Can you mention some of the clubs that you played for outside the country?
I played for Kotrik, the same club with Austin Eguavoen; from there I played in Israel for Beta Tel Aviv and Apoel Tel Aviv, and then I went to play in the Saudi Arabian League.
Can you tell us about your international football career?
Yes, I was a member of the Damaan Miracle in 1989, though I did not travel with the team to the tournament proper in Saudi Arabia because I was in school; then from there Paul Hamilton called me to the Super Eagles team in 1989. I also played for the Super Eagles at the Algiers 1990 Africa Cup of Nations under Coach Clemence Wersterholf where Nigeria finished second. I also played for the senior national team in the WAFU Cup and won some medals for the country.
So, in all how many medals did you win during your playing days, both at club and national team level?
I have many of them. First is the a silver medal in the Nations Cup, three gold medals in the WAFU Cup, then silver in the Challenge Cup for Ranchers Bees. There was no medal at BCC Lions because I spent only a year there.
Talking about the national team, the Super Eagles were among the top teams in Africa, if not the best, and even placed 5 in FIFA ranking under Clemence Westerholf, what do you think was Westerholf’s secret that other are yet to discover?
The secret is that Westerhof gave every player the opportunity to play in the national team and those who excel were given shirts to play. He did that my watching local league matches where he discovered and nurtured players to become national team materials, but today’s national team is strictly for the foreign-based professionals.
Who was your best friend in the national team?
Everybody was my friend in the national team but Amokachi was closer to me because we came from the same club (Ranchers Bees), Rashidi Yekini and Stephen Keshi were my friends also.
Which match will rate it as the most memorable one in your career?
I think is the most memorable match in my playing career is at club level, the 1988 Challenge Cup final against Abiola Babes; I still remember it as a good game and very tough. We gave our best but unfortunately we did not carry the day, even though everybody wanted us to do so. That match was a bit controversial, and I think the referee Mr. Linus Mba was a little bit confused to cancel our goals, both the first and the second match.
So, which one is saddest in your career?
My saddest moment in my career was at the Algiers 1990 Africa Cup of Nations, where we lost in the final 0-1 to host Algeria; it was painful.
Do you have any coaching certificate?
No, no, I did not go for coaching course.
So, what are you doing at the moment?
I am doing business, I also have an academy where I train boys and send them to interested clubs.
What is the name of your academy?
It is called Liberty Academy, and it is based here in Kaduna.
Is there any of your players who is playing or has played for any of the national teams or is currently playing professional football outside the country?
Yes, three of my former players are playing in three different Nigerian Premier League clubs. One is in Plateau United of Jos and another one Chukwudi is in Enyimba International of Aba, and one is in Zamfara United.
Do you still remember the first match you played in the national team?
My first national team match was a WAFU Cup match against Ghana here in Nigeria, I can’t remember the score line but that was my first match as a senior national team player in 1988, followed by a World Cup qualifying match against Cameroon in Yaounde.
I am sure you still watch Nigerian league.
Yes, I do watch some.
How will you rate the present league, compare to what it used to be during our days?
It is zero.
Zero in which area? It is administration, standard of play or quality of facilities?
In all aspect, except in the area of facilities that have been improved, every other thing is zero compare to when we played in the league.
Why you were playing in the Nigerian league, who will you say was your toughest opposing player that any time Ranchers Bees were to play, you look up to?
In can’t say exactly, but for the clubs, it used to be IICC, Kaduna United and Enyimba; these are the clubs that use to give us tough time any time we met.
I am sure there was something that made you to take to football, is there any player then that made you take a decision to also play the game, both local and international?
Yes, then we did know much about foreign leagues, but on the local scene Segun Odegbami, Felix Owolabi and co.
Why these players?
These were the reigning players in the country, like I said earlier, then there was nothing much about European football, all was local; so these are the people that attracted some of us to take to football.
Any advise to Nigerian football administrators, coaches and even players as to how to improve the standard of the game in the country?
First, I want to say that the administrators in this country are the ones killing the game in Nigeria, and that is the issue of we must win. This has corrupted the league so much that the referees, match commissioners and the rest are paid to win matches at all cost.
Nigeria Premier League is worthless – Oyekanmi
Category: Sports Written by Orkula Shaagee Hits: 2239
Ex-international Tajudeen Oyekanmi was a member of the Super Eagles team that won silver at the Algiers 1990 Africa Cup of Nations under Dutchman Clemence Westerhof. The left winger was also in the Flying Eagles camp preparing for the Saudi 89 World Youth Championship before he dropped out for academic pursuit. In this interview with SHOT!, Oyekanmi, who starred for the dreaded Ranchers Bees of Kaduna and BCC Lions of Gboko before travelling to Belgium, Israel and Saudi Arabia for professional career, says the Nigerian apex league is as good as street football.
He also speaks on while Westerhof succeeded as Super Eagles Technical Adviser. What is your name, sir?My name is Tajudeen Oyekanmi. I am married with three kids, two male, one female.
Can you recall when and how you started playing football?
I started playing football right from my youth, when I was in Primary School here in Kakuri, Kaduna State.
It was not common for children to take football at that age then, did your parents approved of it?
Not really, it has to be school first.
So, how were you able to convince them to allow you take to football?
I devised a way of doing it, sometimes I tell lies, I would say I want to go to my brother’s place and from there I would go to the field and play and come back.; and that was how I continued till I became a full time player.
Aside Ranchers Bees, which are the other clubs that you played for?
Yes, I played for BCC Lions, and from there I travelled to Belgium where I played for three seasons and moved to Israel where I also played two seasons, and then Saudi Arabia.
Can you mention some of the clubs that you played for outside the country?
I played for Kotrik, the same club with Austin Eguavoen; from there I played in Israel for Beta Tel Aviv and Apoel Tel Aviv, and then I went to play in the Saudi Arabian League.
Can you tell us about your international football career?
Yes, I was a member of the Damaan Miracle in 1989, though I did not travel with the team to the tournament proper in Saudi Arabia because I was in school; then from there Paul Hamilton called me to the Super Eagles team in 1989. I also played for the Super Eagles at the Algiers 1990 Africa Cup of Nations under Coach Clemence Wersterholf where Nigeria finished second. I also played for the senior national team in the WAFU Cup and won some medals for the country.
So, in all how many medals did you win during your playing days, both at club and national team level?
I have many of them. First is the a silver medal in the Nations Cup, three gold medals in the WAFU Cup, then silver in the Challenge Cup for Ranchers Bees. There was no medal at BCC Lions because I spent only a year there.
Talking about the national team, the Super Eagles were among the top teams in Africa, if not the best, and even placed 5 in FIFA ranking under Clemence Westerholf, what do you think was Westerholf’s secret that other are yet to discover?
The secret is that Westerhof gave every player the opportunity to play in the national team and those who excel were given shirts to play. He did that my watching local league matches where he discovered and nurtured players to become national team materials, but today’s national team is strictly for the foreign-based professionals.
Who was your best friend in the national team?
Everybody was my friend in the national team but Amokachi was closer to me because we came from the same club (Ranchers Bees), Rashidi Yekini and Stephen Keshi were my friends also.
Which match will rate it as the most memorable one in your career?
I think is the most memorable match in my playing career is at club level, the 1988 Challenge Cup final against Abiola Babes; I still remember it as a good game and very tough. We gave our best but unfortunately we did not carry the day, even though everybody wanted us to do so. That match was a bit controversial, and I think the referee Mr. Linus Mba was a little bit confused to cancel our goals, both the first and the second match.
So, which one is saddest in your career?
My saddest moment in my career was at the Algiers 1990 Africa Cup of Nations, where we lost in the final 0-1 to host Algeria; it was painful.
Do you have any coaching certificate?
No, no, I did not go for coaching course.
So, what are you doing at the moment?
I am doing business, I also have an academy where I train boys and send them to interested clubs.
What is the name of your academy?
It is called Liberty Academy, and it is based here in Kaduna.
Is there any of your players who is playing or has played for any of the national teams or is currently playing professional football outside the country?
Yes, three of my former players are playing in three different Nigerian Premier League clubs. One is in Plateau United of Jos and another one Chukwudi is in Enyimba International of Aba, and one is in Zamfara United.
Do you still remember the first match you played in the national team?
My first national team match was a WAFU Cup match against Ghana here in Nigeria, I can’t remember the score line but that was my first match as a senior national team player in 1988, followed by a World Cup qualifying match against Cameroon in Yaounde.
I am sure you still watch Nigerian league.
Yes, I do watch some.
How will you rate the present league, compare to what it used to be during our days?
It is zero.
Zero in which area? It is administration, standard of play or quality of facilities?
In all aspect, except in the area of facilities that have been improved, every other thing is zero compare to when we played in the league.
Why you were playing in the Nigerian league, who will you say was your toughest opposing player that any time Ranchers Bees were to play, you look up to?
In can’t say exactly, but for the clubs, it used to be IICC, Kaduna United and Enyimba; these are the clubs that use to give us tough time any time we met.
I am sure there was something that made you to take to football, is there any player then that made you take a decision to also play the game, both local and international?
Yes, then we did know much about foreign leagues, but on the local scene Segun Odegbami, Felix Owolabi and co.
Why these players?
These were the reigning players in the country, like I said earlier, then there was nothing much about European football, all was local; so these are the people that attracted some of us to take to football.
Any advise to Nigerian football administrators, coaches and even players as to how to improve the standard of the game in the country?
First, I want to say that the administrators in this country are the ones killing the game in Nigeria, and that is the issue of we must win. This has corrupted the league so much that the referees, match commissioners and the rest are paid to win matches at all cost.