Ajegunle has produced countless superstar footballers like Tarila Okoronwanta, Samson Siasia, Sam Nwobum, Odion Ighalo, Henry Nwosu, Emmanuel Amunike, but who is the Most Iconic Footballer among them?
Golden Eaglets players like Jonathan Akpoborie, Albert Ekeh, Bobolayefa Edon, Taiwo Enegwa and Tonwonrimi Duere among scores of others made their marks.
In the Flying Eagles there were names likeTarila Okoronwanta, Samson Siasia, Timi James, Diepreye Teibowei, Peter Neketein, Emmanuel Amunike, Mike Onyemachara, Taiwo, Enegwa and Christopher Edem who distinguished themselves among others.
And in the Super Eagles Siasia, Sam Nwobum, Benjamin James, Amunike, Onyemachara, Akpoborie, Odion Ighalo and Ikpe Ekong among others are remembered.
It is difficult to pick among these players the most iconic given that they all had memorable national team careers.
But there are few of them whose unique features, outstanding contributions and achievements stand them out. From among these few we may find the most iconic player from Ajegunle…
•TARILA OKORONWANTA
The first player to score a World Cup goal for Nigeria. He scored Flying Eagles first goal in Mexico ’83 FIFA U-20 World Youth Championship.
Tarek as he is fondly called was a key player of that squad. His wizardry in the right flank brought out the beauty of the Nigerian game at the global level.
•SAMSON SIASIA
Aside featuring at the FIFA U-20 World Youth Championship in Moscow ’85, he also featured for Super Eagles at the USA 94 World Cup.
He was coach of the Flying Eagles that were runners up at the Netherlands 2005 U-20 World Cup. He led the U-23 Eagles to a silver medal feat at Beijing 2008 Olympics and a bronze medal at the Rio 2016 Olympics.
Siasia is arguably the most successful Nigerian coach at the youth level.
•SAM NWOBUM
He was one of the first set of players from Ajegunle to be invited to the Super (then Green) Eagles….alongside Tarila Okoronwanta. But Henry Nwosu was the very first player from Ajegunle to play for Green Eagles.
Ayor as he is fondly called was a towering central defender who played for ACB and later First Bank.
He was part of the Super Eagles squad that played Palancras Negras of Angola in 1989 in an Italia ’90 World Cup qualifier where Sam Okwaraji slumped and died moments later inside the mainbowl of the National Stadium Surulere.
•ODION IGHALO
The first and only Super Eagles player to feature for Manchester United. Ighalo captained the Flying Eagles to Egypt 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup. He played the Russia 2018 FIFA World Cup.
•HENRY NWOSU
He was the first player from Ajegunle to win AFCON. He was the first player from Ajegunle to play for the national team. He was the golden boy of AFCON ’80 triumphant Green Eagles. He was the youngest player of the squad and fresh from secondary school St. Finbarr’s College, Akoka
•EMMANUEL AMUNIKE
The only player from Ajegunle to have won the African Footballer of the Year crown in 1994.
He was a key squad member of Cairo ’91 junior team. It was his sterling performance that earned him a move from Julius Berger FC to Zamalek of Egypt….from there to Sporting Lisbon and onwards to FC Barcelona.
Amunike was also a key squad member of the Super Eagles to Tunisia ’94 AFCON conquest and USA ’94 World Cup.
He led Golden Eaglets to triumph at the Chile 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup.
Who do you think among these footballers with roots in Ajegunle is most outstanding?
