*Says a cabal decided players’fate

By Ime Bassey

Nigeria’s second Nations Cup conquest in Tunisia ‘94 had a few home based players who were at their prime but never kicked the ball during the competition. Amongst them is Edema Fuludu who at that time was with Gboko giant, BCC Lions. In this interview with Sunday Vanguard Sports, he recalls his mixed feelings at the tournament, exclusion from Nigeria’s first World Cup in USA ‘94 and emergence into football.

It will please Nigerians if you can playback the Tunisia ’94 experience from your own standpoint?
For those of us who were lucky to be in that team, we are rated as one of the best of the generations of Nigeria’s senior national team, the Super Eagles. That we won covered up a lot of things, there were a lot of controversies in that team; especially, from the outing in Tunisia.

I will say that there were actually, three factions; there was the group who was with skippo (Keshi) even though he was carrying everybody along. There was this thing of desert in which some of us were left in the dark. For somebody like Rasheed Yekini, he was moving alone. Also, there were the neutrals who were neither here nor there, people like Nduka Ugbade, Ike Shorunmu, Emmanuel Amuneke and  myself. The truth is that victory covers up a lot of things.

It was after the World Cup that people now realized that there were some issues in the team.  Westerholf and Yekini were not in good terms but he was the kind of player you can’t just leave out like that. He was the team’s goal machine, so he (Westerhof), had no excuse to say Yekini  was not part of his team.

I observed then that, even the ministers of sport, late Emeka Omerua came to the camp asking us if we want Clemens Westerhof to stay as coach. I was wondering why they had to ask players that kind of question. But we said to them, we owe allegiance to the country as a national team, so if you are changing a coach, so be it and if you are not, then fine. These were the kind of issues that were on ground before we won the cup and came back home.

So you mean issues like this were in the camp and Nigerians were not aware?
He (Westerhof) had to take alcohol for him to be able to take some decisions. These were the challenges he  faced in Tunisia as many of the big players had their agents on ground who were threatening to take their players away. He could not bench a player like Finidi George despite him (Westerhof) not willing to play him in the first game against the Azingo Nationale of Gabon. At a point even Yekini was telling Westerhof to play me as he felt I was doing well in training. On the other hand, Amuneke was also crying but he had his chance in the last game and became African Footballer of the Year.

So many Nigerians thought it was the  technical impute of Wseterhof that Amuneke was a joker reserved for the last game?

Not at all, it was an issue of pleas from other players that he (Amuneke) should play. Then he was playing for Zamalek of Egypt scoring goals week-in week-out but was kept on the bench. After every match and also in training he will cry sore. After we won the semi final, Westerhof had green-light to pick either Amuneke or me but he opted for Amuneke which made him who he is today.

But the team was tight with quality players, so the influence of  your present club and who you know in the various clique had to count. Nothing is perfect but we are a good family. In life, when you win, you are the bride of everybody and they will become your father and mother. When you lose, you will become an orphan.

What was your feelings when you won the trophy?
It was a mixed feeling for me because not to have played in any of the games meant a lot to me. Most especially when you know you are doing well in training, and then there is pressure for the coach to use certain people who were also good. I am not crying that I did not play but it is one of those things. It is just fate but for me to have made the  tournament, meant that I was a good player.

How were you able to cope with the issue of not being selected and the cliques in the team?
For God sake I am an educated man and I had to play my cards well. I was looking at some of those things then as petty. I had my books to read which I enjoyed. I do not get into controversies that are not necessary, in fact, I tried to douse the flame. After training there were complains that were managed because we were wining. We were destined to win so it manifested in the World Cup when we lost, Westerhof went straight to Holland from the US.

I know your exclusion from the World Cup team actually broke you down. Can you share with Nigerians your feelings and everything that happened in Papendal?

Papendal was good for us as it was a good training camp but making the final team was the issue for Westerhof. The cabal that influences things did a lot of work which is why somebody like Mike Emenalo could just work into the team and got a space. He was not in Tunisia and not even playing anywhere then.On the eve of our departure form Holland to the US, Westerhof came to meet me telling me that I had to go, that he’ll create a chance for me go to Europe and also give me some kits. I told him to keep his kits and favour.

What pained me most was he telling me before the selection was made that I was one of the best in training and my techniques were good. There were a lot of pressure and people had to help their brothers, this was why I asked Keshi then, ‘skippo, is that how it is?’ he answered, ‘my brother, I am surprised too, but there is nothing I can do.’

What’s your take on Nduka Ugbade’s exclusion from the team?
We do not know how to protect our own. He captained the Golden Eaglets to the U-17 World Cup in China ’85 and was part of the Saudi ’89 U-20 silver winning squad. Yet, we could not make him a part of the World Cup to make history as the first player to play in all FIFA World Cups. I want to ask those that care to listen, what stopped Ugbade from being in that team? Not that he was not in form.

I think Westerholf did not want that history to come to Africa, most especially, Nigeria. Because I know if it were a Dutch team or any other European team, they would do everything to make sure it came to reality.

BCC Lions won the Mandela Cup, what was the experience like?
We were a star studded side with players who were ready to work and a coach who wants to break into the ranks of the best in the country. We had players like Louis Igwilo, Oshoff Shogbene, Toyin Ayinla, Moses and Terfa Kpakor,  all who were playing in Flying and Green Eagles then. It was hell of a time to break into the team but with hard work, I broke into the team.

Winning the Mandela Cup was very nice having played in that level and getting into the final against Club Africaine and we won the game by 0-1 (4-0 agg). On arrival, the whole of Nigeria and Gboko were waiting. We had this trailer that was decorated which carried us from Makurdi to Gboko and people were running along side us till we got to Gboko which was almost two hours drive.

Let’s take it back a little, how did you start your footballing career?

I started playing football from my primary school days before I graduated to the College of Commerce, Warri. I proceeded to the University of Benin in 1983 were I studied Business Administration. I was fortunate enough to play in the school team and attended NUGA ’84 as a player and ’86 and captain, same year that I was voted sport man of the year.

I graduated in ’87, did my NYSC in’88 with NNB and became the captain of the side. I moved to NNB because Coach  (Godwin) Izilein moved from Union Bank to NNB and needed my services. At the state level, I was the highest goal scorer and we won the state league in the then Bendel State. But before I joined NNB, I had a spell at Union Bank FC in 84/85 academic session when I was in Part 2.

I left NNB for NNPC Warri but it was a roller coaster ride for us and BCC was already courting me. So, I had to move to Benue State to join BCC Lions with Shaibu Amodu, this was 1989/90 season.

After this, I left for Julius Berger as result of the team not being able meet my demands in terms of wages. Julius Berger paid N45, 000 for my transfer while I got a sign-on fee of about N100, 000. With two seasons in Julius Berger, I returned to BCC Lions of Gboko and  Amodu was also returning back from El Kanemi Warriors of Maidugri but BCC was not what it used to be again when I returned.

I did not stay long as I was already in the National team playing well, so I had this offer to move to Turkey just after spending only one season with them.

This was in October 1994 just after missing out of the World Cup.

We understand that you were the only black player in the team, was it easy for you to cope with?
I arrived at Altay Sports Club as the first black player to play in the team. My three seasons was lovely, only that the club was fighting relegation all the time and the day Fuludu is not playing well, the team is not playing well. As a player, it is impossible for you to be in the best form all through the year.

Each time we played against (Austin) Okocha’s former club, Fenerbahçe, it was like away for us because they had more supporters in our city than us. This, we always faced then and the club management will tell us to get a draw and go home with $200,000 bonus, same also if Galatasaray came too. The league was organized with good sponsorship, media hype and publicity.

When did you actually quit the game and what followed after?

After Izmirss, I came back to Nigerian in 1997. I was already planning that the running about is enough, so I signed for Julius Berger for one season while I enrolled for a post graduate diploma in computer science at the Delta State University, Lagos Satellite Campus and later went back to the University of Benin for my MBA.

I got I recall to the national team by Coach Amodu who was the coach then, but I sustained a serious injury in training on my knee and felt it was time to quit. I tried to run a consultancy and also worked with the Delta state government but there was too much politics so I decided to get a job being that I went to school and I got one with the private sector.

I decided to go for my full coaching course in Holland; this was in 2008-2009. I came back to the country still doing my work in the private sector but coaching an amateur side Sagbo FC of Alaja. Towards the end of that season, that was when I was invited to become the director of football in Warri Wolves which I am still with.