FEATURE ARTICLE

Monday, January 18, 2021
[email protected]
Belgium
AN ODE TO CHRISTIAN CHUKWU, THE SOCCER "CHAIRMAN", ON THE ATTAINMENT OF THE BIBLICALLY SIGNIFICANT YEAR OF SEVENTY!

Christian Chukwu

"Hard work is no guarantee for success, but it's usually the absolute minimum needed for success" Cyril C. Nwokeji

"God gives success, we can only make an effort as humans." Cyril C. Nwokeji

ours sincerely will use this medium to congratulate "Chairman" Christian Chukwu, on the attainment of seventy years on this planet! Seventy years is indeed biblically significant! We shall talk about it in the concluding part of this piece.

"Chairman" Christian Chukwu, in the annals of Nigerian, nay African soccer history, has profiled himself to be a soccer character that cannot be ignored. He was not only a highly talented soccer player, but also a born-leader and an affable gentleman; whose conduct on and off the field of play was exemplary. It is on record he got one of the least numbers of "yellow card" warnings of any player; particularly a defender, who had the unenviable task of stopping sometimes very deadly strikers!

He was a player who inspired confidence not only to his team mates but to the spectators. The knowledge of "Chairman" Chukwu's presence in a team, made fans of his team have that extra hope their team had a good chance of winning a particular game!

At the time yours sincerely started following soccer, he was the captain/skipper of both the "Rangers International Football club" of Enugu and the Nigerian senior men's soccer team, then known as the "Green Eagles of Nigeria"; now known as the "Super Eagles of Nigeria".

He led both teams in an exemplary manner to various successes. For the Rangers, the high points of their successes under his leadership were: winning the FA cup three consecutive times; winning a number of national league titles and winning the 1977 edition of the "African Cup Winners' cup" competition!

His uncanny leadership style was never in doubt during his captaincy of the Rangers. One remembers the match between the Rangers and the "Green Buffaloes " Football club of Zambia, in Lusakka, Zambia, in 1975, during the " African Cup of champions' cup " competition. The first leg match in Nigeria, ended scoreless. As a consequence, the home team, the Zambians, were favourites to eliminate Rangers, in the return fixture.

During the course of the return match, in the first half, Rangers conceded a first goal to the Zambians, who appeared to be winning the game. Before the end of the first half, Rangers conceded a penalty to the Zambians. This penalty call by the Referee was disputable, since some of the Rangers players disagreed with the Referee. A seemingly huge dispute was brewing, as play was held up, and some of the Rangers players threatened to abandon the game in protest!

Abandoning the game by Rangers, would have earned them from the African soccer ruling body, an immediate disqualification from the competition, to the benefit of the home team! At this juncture, apparently, sensing the possible consequences of a premature abandonment of the match, Skipper Christian Chukwu, rose up to the occasion, and exhibited uncanny leadership, by 'adjudicating' in the matter; he directed the then Rangers' goalkeeper: Emmanuel Oguejiofor Okala, to go to the goal post for the Zambians to take the penalty kick. Emmanuel Okala, maturely obeyed his Skipper. The Zambians, subsequently, took the penalty kick and scored their second goal; and appeared 'destined' for qualification for the next round of the competition, with a 2-0 lead at half time!

In the second half, "Chairman " Christian Chukwu, engineered and inspired the fight back by the Rangers, which saw them cancel the two goals scored by the Zambians. At full time, the match stood : 2-2!

Rangers, thus, qualified for the next round of the competition, on the "away goals rule"!

The point to be made here, is that, Skipper Christian Chukwu's uncanny leadership, saved the day for Rangers! They not only escaped a possible disqualification by CAF, the African soccer ruling body, but qualified for the next round of the 1975 edition of the "African cup of Champions' cup competition" now known as the "African Champions' league"!

At the national team level, he was no less a leader! During the 1980, "Nations' cup competition", in Nigeria, as the Super Eagles 'floundered' against then Ivory Coast in the first half of their encounter, the very able Skipper Christian Chukwu, once again took up the mantle of leadership, by personally orchestrating moves from his defensive position into the opponents' territory, in a bid to shore up his team! The details of that match and the Super Eagles' stories are chronicled in my book, which reference is given at the end of this piece.

In conclusion, here is wishing "Chairman" Christian Chukwu, many more years on this planet; and, more especially, in good health! He has please God attained the "Biblically significant" age of seventy! The age of seventy years is significant, because the Bible tells us a man lives for seventy years! Nowadays, people live longer than seventy years. It is our fervent hope and prayers that the "Soccer Chairman" lives much longer than seventy years!

UP CHRSITIAN CHUKWU ! UP NIGERIA !!!!!!!!

Also at the link below, one can come into contact with a number of items, needed to support the Super Eagles at "Cameroun 2021" !!!!!

https://teespring.com/stores/super-eagles-of-nigeria

The book "Super Eagles of Nigeria : Pride of Africa", can also be gotten through the author. One can contact the author through : [email protected] Please note in this case, payment of postage costs will be necessary

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