Tales of a local based football player invited to Super Eagles

The truth is being a local based player was a bad experience in the camp then, the gap in class was just too wide, you have to be very very confident in yourself to even be able to stand up. 
I mean these guys stroll into camp in their flashy cars , speaking french and even german language. You cannot even sit in their midst ...for crying out loud they were  speaking in french and discussing how they are going to play against Oliver Khan, Vialli or some other widely known stars that you read about or watch on TV. Who born you?
 All we do is bunch up together like a bunch of star struck kids...to eavesdrop on the gist where they are generous enough to speak in English.

The youngest ones in the camp then were the richest and the flashiest. JJ was JJ very flashy and naughty...he was not proud or arrogant but he had this way of staying to himself. He was close with Amo (Amokachi)...you are most likely to see the two together.

Ikpeba was flashy, arrogant, brash and loud...he was a typical Bini boy, he speaks English sparingly..the prince of Monaco thingy i think got into his head.

Amo was flash, strange he was trying to put on this image of an ajebota which i find baffling..he speaks with the typical naija posh ajebota accent..a bit of cockiness. But these three were young then and they acted it.

Amuneke was different, even when he signed that mega deal that took him from Zamalek to Portugal, he was still down to earth. I remember my first time in camp he was the one who came to me to ask me if i remember the last time we played against one another.

Finidi was another one, he would float with the foreign crew when he had to, but he would not hesistate to be seen in the midst of the local lads.

I enjoyed the company of Uche Okafor and Iroha more, these two i know very well back in the league having played each other severally in their days as eyimba stars in the lower divisions.

They appear not to be accepted into the clib of the young and rich boys, so they formed themselves into what i would call the elders. Of course the Aba bond was strong as Uche Okey belongs here too. Now talking of Uche Okey, to be honest he was the biggest star in the 90s even money wise, he was a big star in Turkey, but he was a gentle guy...a cool guy whom you will hardly hear speak. 

Now talk of Mutiu ....the most humble of them all, he is one lad who loves to be with his buddies we the home lads. As for Yeking...he was another down to earth one, in fact you will have to be reminded he is based abroad. He would have the camp in stiches with his jokes, with Mutiu you know where to find him..in the midst of the talakwas.

Baba Keshi was the boss,the aura around him was unbelievable,i doubt if anyone would ever wield such in the national team again. I was reading Ajibade's story how he used to leave the room for Keshi just because he was too intimidated to be in the same room. It was only when Keshi called him and told him to stop behaving like that he could muster the courage.

Eguavoen was a perfect gentleman, forget his hardman image on the field. If Ikpeba cut the image of a bini guy from Akpakpava area,Egu cuts the image of the bini man from the GRA.


NB :  Experience of a locally based Nigeria player  invited to Super Eagles