On this Sunday evening , he was spotting an immaculate white apparels and as he reflected on the past, he brought home the truism in the declaration that ‘there’s so much grey to every story and nothing is so black and white’.
Welcome to the soccer world of Olumide Banjo, former glamour boy of Stationery Stores of Lagos and Green Eagles of Nigeria who earned the nickname ‘The Schemer’ with an unrivalled panache in his glorious days.
For older followers of Nigerian football, Banjo evokes some of football’s best memories but in a remarkable recollection of events, he highlighted how he passed off the chance of playing for the storied Spanish side, FC Barcelona; how he displaced late foremost midfielder Mudashiru Lawal in Green Eagles as well as circumstances that led to Shooting Stars’ lost to Zamalek in the 1984 Champions Cup finals amongst others.
Though tempered with age having celebrated his Golden age last year, Banjo still maintains his gait and wide-eyed smiles but with a tinge of what probably could have been.
“ My only greatest regret is that I missed the opportunity of playing professional football; and I’m always sad each time I see these young ones going abroad to play,” Banjo who scored a brace in the 4-2 win for Stationery Stores against Niger Tornadoes in the 1982 Challenge Cup (now Aiteo Cup) told our correspondent. “I actually had an opportunity of going abroad to play for FC Barcelona but our money was so good at that time and not many of us believed we should turn professional.
“In fact, a scout from New York Cosmos came after Tarila Okorowanta, I and Abdul Razak from Ghana but the scout was thoroughly beaten after Stores’ supporters saw him discussing with me.
“ One man called Sule Jackpot was the one who brought the scout to Lagos but the supporters drove them away; and I also felt there was no reason to go abroad because things were okay for me.
“ One of the pains is that the government no longer cares when you are no longer playing for the country; it was poverty that killed Raymond King because there was no help when he needed it most,” he stated.
The pains of missing out of professional football notwithstanding, The Schemer said he was happy to have made name for himself locally through football: “I’m very happy that I played football; that alone gives me joy because it gave me so much popularity. I’m happy to have met people like late Ayo Ositelu, late Joe Audu and Egbon (elder) Segun Adenuga who gave me so much encouragement as keen supporters of Stationery Stores.
“People, mostly Stationery Stores’ supporters, showered me with monetary and material gifts; and also had some good moment with Shooting Stars, I was giving good money and car along with Wakilu Oyenuga when we went to Shooting,” Banjo revealed as he shares his soccer world with MORAKINYO ABODUNRIN. Excerpts…
From cradle to Green Eagles
I was born in 1957 in Lagos; I attended St. Finbarr’s College along with people like Wakilu Oyenuga, Henry Nwosu, late Stephen Keshi and several others. I started playing organised football with LUTH (Lagos University Teaching Hospital) under coach Mike Malagwu and after a season, I went to WEMA Bank along with almost all my colleagues from St. Finbarr’s along with late Raymond King . It was from WEMA Bank I joined Stationery Stores in 1981. That was the year Stores were in the then Cup Winners’ Cup and it was like a dream come true for me because all along, I had been saying I would one day play for Stores . We went all the way to the final but we eventually lost to Union Douala of Cameroon in the final and it was one of my most painful experience. But the next year, we won both the Lagos and national Challenge Cup in 1982; and in the final Wakilu Oyenuga and myself scored two goals each in the 4-1 win over Niger Tornadoes . We played in the continental cup again in 1983 but we were stopped by CAF after a sanction on Yomi Peters for undisciplined conduct in our match against an Ivorian club(). In 1984, I moved to Shooting Stars of Ibadan along with Oyenuga unfortunately I couldn’t play in the Champions Cup (now CAF Champions League) due to injury until in the semi-final stage.
At the national team level, I was part of the Flying Eagles under Father Tiko in 1979 and 1980 and by 1981, we were graduated to the Green Eagles in 1981 under coach Otto Gloria who won the African Cup of Nations in 1980. Then, we travelled to so many countries including Brazil ; before my arrival to the Super Eagles, late Mudashiru Lawal was the one playing the No.4 position for the Green Eagles but thereafter, the coach dropped him for me. So, I was the person that actually displaced Muda Lawal from that position and without exaggeration, I became the best player in the No.4 position in the national team . But I didn’t played two long for the Green Eagles due to the bad knee injury I sustained in 1984 playing for Shooting Stars against Rangers International during a match organised for the Performing Musician Association of Nigeria (PMAN). Shooting Stars was disbanded by the then Oyo State Governor Oladapo Popoola after we lost to Zamalek in the final of the Champions Cup ; and I returned to Stationery Stores in 1985 along with Wakilu Oyenuga and Muda Lawal and I actually retired from active football at Stationery Stores in 1990.
Glorious moments with Stationery Stores
As I said earlier, it was a dream come true for me playing for Stationery Stores; I don’t think we have such a club with cult followership again in Nigeria. We played with passion for Stores and the fans supported us with greater passion .Though the money we were paid was not much, I played for Stationery Stores with all my heart and it was one of the best period of my career. As at the time I played for Stores, the founder of the club, Chief Israel Adebajo was late but the supporters were firmly behind the club; then the bulk of the people supporting Stores were mostly traders from Ilorin who sells in Lagos and they usually showered us with all kinds of gifts including shoes and watches anytime we went shopping; then we don’t even pay for tax fare because when we get to our destination you’ll just hear the driver saying ‘up Super, don’t pay!’ Likewise when we go to some restaurants, we don’t pay for food served. Without any doubt, playing for Stationery Stores was one of my happiest moments in life.
Yes, it’s true we used to wave white handkerchiefs when we get to the field before matches but there was nothing like juju (black magic) about it rather it was just a psychological gimmick to instil fear in the hearts of the opposing team. The team manager of the club then was Sikiru Anjorin Shittu (Baba Ijo), he was from Ikorodu and love football so much and he was virtually in charge of the team; he was the one who usually give us these handkerchiefs and I tell you, there was nothing to it than psychology against our opponents.
Stationery Stores and Juju
From my experience, juju doesn’t play football; fitness is the only juju in football; Ronaldo and Messi can’t play well if they are not fit. As a player, you can only play better if you are physically, mentally and psychologically fit and the result will show when you get to the field. As I said, I had great moments with Stores and I played so many matches but the beauty of it was that I played my heart out in almost all the matches; but I can’t forget the 1982 Challenge Cup final when we beat Niger Tornadoes 4-1 and I scored the first two goals while Wakilu Oyenuga scored the other two goals. I can’t also forget the friendly match we had against a team from Yugoslavia and I was in the Flying Eagles then; we played under floodlight and that was where coach Otto Gloria saw me and drafted me to the Super Eagles because I had a very good game. I can also remember the Challenge Cup quarter final match against Rangers in Sokoto; we beat them through a goal by Godwin Obiyan but I was like four players in the midfield. Because of my versatility and work rate, people called me either ‘World 4’ or ‘The Schemer’; playing for Stationery Stores would forever remain in my memory.
Stepping into the shoes of Muda Lawal
I used to admire Muda Lawal a lot because he was one of the best midfielders ever produced in Nigeria. He was so talented and another player I used to watch then was Sani Muhammed who also played for Stationery Stores; but Muda was such a fantastic player. But I told myself, I have to go and struggle with him for the N0.4 jersey when I was invited to the national team though I was so young. Under the guidance of coach Otto Gloria and Calisto , I became the best shooter within a relatively short time with the national team; and won the award as the best shooter more than anybody else during my time in the national team. I was also good at taking free kicks because I had the bullet shots in my both legs. The two Brazilian coaches gave e encouragements and gradually, they started dropping Muda Lawal because he was getting old already in the national team. Muda Lawal also gave me encouragement and he used to tell me ‘you are a fine player’ and I think he was not jealous that I came to took over his position. I can’t also forget the support I got from Leotis Boateng, the Ghanaian who played in the central defensive position for the Green Eagles. I was to make my debut in a World Cup qualifier against Guinea in 1981 but I actually forgot my passport at home in Ojota and I didn’t even know until the day of the match when our captain Segun Odegbami requested for my passport .We were camped at the Trade Fair Hotel but coach Otto Gloria asked his driver to take me to Ojota where I was leaving to go and pick my passport while he went on the same bus with the players to the National Stadium. I used to wear jersey N0. I4 for both Stationery Stores and Green Eagles and I was replaced by Tunji Banjo who was plain for Orient in London at that time. The only goal of that match was scored by Henry Nwosu but I was not used at all in that match; we didn’t eventually qualified for the 1982 World Cup and I think it was one of my saddest moments. Playing at the World Cup could have helped our careers but we missed the 1982 World Cup hosted in Spain.
Anti-climax with Shooting Stars
Losing to Zamalek in Lagos in the Champions Cup was another difficult moment for me in my playing days. We missed so much losing to Zamalek because Volkswagen of Nigeria was to gift us Satana cars if we had won. We were beaten 1-0 in Cairo and everybody felt we would easily reversed the result in the second leg but so many things happened which eventually robbed us of victory. We were not allowed to play at the Liberty Stadium which was our home ground and the match was taken to Lagos; and I also think if Odegbami was fully fit and he only managed his knee injury, we would have won and we were also weakened because Felix Owolabi was issued a red card in the first leg and he also was not available for the final. Odegbami was a great player, I used to bow to him as a player and even till today because he’s fantastic human being. He’s older than me but very humble; as captain he fought for the welfare of the team. He remains my mentor and even now, I do go to his academy in Wasimi to do few things for him. Similarly, I’m also in good touch with Chief Taiwo Ogunjobi who was my captain at Shooting Stars; the two of them are very nice guys to me
Life after football
I moved into so many other things after my retirement from football but I’m a manager, scout and coach. In fact, I have a soccer academy I’m running now in Sango-Ota Ogun State. The academy is sponsored by a wonderful person in my community here in Sango in person of chief Amos Fasanya . He has supported me in so many both in cash and kind and I will forever remain grateful to him for his unwavering support to the academy as well as my life. Since I met him, he has not looked back in offering assistance to me and only God can bless him for his good deeds.
I also enjoy so much support from some other notable people like retired AIG (Assistant Inspector General) of police, Mr. Aderenle Shinaba; Engineer Feyi Ogunnubi and Mr. Tajudeen Ajide, the current chairman of Surulere Local Government. Apart from this, I also do few things with my boss at the Obasanjo Presidential Library in Abeokuta, Mr. Ayo Aderinwale-the owner of Justrite Supermarkets. My two good friends in London, Femi Cole and Wakilu Oyenuga that we all played together at Stores are equally supportive. These are people who have been supporting me and I’m really indebted to them.
My family
I’m happily married and I have three children-two boys and a girl. My first boy used to play but he is presently working with Zenith Bank; we have a girl in the middle and my last born is in the university and he’s also a good player. People used to say that he’s as skilful as I was in my playing days. I have a happy family and I really thank God I have a roof over my head. I’m a loyal supporter of FC Barcelona because that was the club I could have played for and I was so happy when Emmanuel Amuneke and later Gbenga Okunnowo joined them. I love FC Barcelona passionately as I love my family.