The wonders of the world are few – but you would be right to list Clement Okwufulueze, the school boy sports super star among them. Yes, he was a veritable wonder of Nigerian school sports in the late 1960s and the early 1970s. Was it when he played for Anglican Grammar School, Ubulu-Uku or Federal Government College, Ughelli, or Bendel Academicals or the much talked-about 1971 Nigerian Academicals? It doesn’t matter; he was usually the man of the match. A witty commentator termed him and Dominic Ezeani the two “ezes”, (Igbo forkings) of Nigerian youth soccer.

Yet, his soccer prowess was just a part of the Clement Okwufulueze story. To see things in proper perspective, we need to pan back to the 1969 Aniocha Division of Mid-West state Amateur Athletics Association (AAA) competition for secondary schools. It was held on the grounds of Pilgrim Baptist Grammar School, Issele-Uku. Okwufueze’s school, Anglican Grammar School, Ubulu-Uku had no representative in the 100 yards (now 110 metres) hurdles. Moved by nothing but the indomitable spirit in him and his superlative and polyvalent sports talents, Okwufulueze opted to compete in the hurdles sprints event. That he never ran a hurdle race before, did not dissuade him from joining the race and he won the race.

The year 1969 could have been Okwufulueze’s in the entire Mid-West state, except that Edo College defeated his school at the quarter final stage of the Giwa-Osagie football cup competition. That 1969, there was commotion among the Mid-West sports authorities, especially among the different sports commissions. Okwufulueze had been invited into the Mid-West Academicals Camp alongside his school teammate, Okoh, alias Iron man. What caused the commotion? Well, Okwufulueze the footballer had also been invited for camping as a sprinter, as a hurdler, for javelin, discuss, shot-put – you name it. It was left for Okwufulueze to decide which invitation to accept – as long as it did not clash with his beloved game of soccer. So, with the four Anthonians who played for the Mid-West Academicals, the two Ubulu-Uku schools contributed six solid members to that team.

In 1971, Okwufulueze was doing his Upper Sixth form at Ughelli, so his final exams were at hand when the invitation to the Nigerian Academicals camp arrived. He was still debating whether to disdain the invitation when General Yakubu Gowon sent a helicopter to Ughelli to airlift Okwufulueze, Piccolo the king of soccer, to camp because the team was incomplete without him.

Okwufulueze, born in Calabar, is from Umeneze quarters, Ogwashi-Uku town in the Aniocha-South Local Government Area of Delta state.  That same town produced Green Eagles and Africa’s 1973 Captain, Victor Odua and Jay Jay Okocha. And all the years Okwufulueze faced the formidable St. Anthony’s College Ubulu-Uku, ICC Benin, Mid-West Line goalkeeper, Raph Uweche, local rivalry was always on display for Uweche (Bastic) is from the same Ogwashi-Uku town.

While still a secondary school student at Ughelli, Okwufulueze was already experienced in the national Challenge Cup competitions as he played for Warri Wolves which transformed into Edewor FC and also for Esselomo Diamonds/Ndoro Islanders FC. With his Higher School Certificate in his pocket, his friend, Adinkwe convinced him to follow him in joining the Nigeria Airways Football Club. Then in 1974 or ’75, Nigeria Airways demolished all the big Lagos Clubs to emerge state champions in the Oba’s Cup. The final match was played on a Saturday.

It was the biggest laurel the team ever won but Okwufulueze didn’t wait for the celebrations. The following Monday he was airborne – to the United States of America.

Why? I interviewed Okwufulueze for about an hour; he was ever the gentleman, never proud and never said a bad word against anyone. But Mr. Nkem Osu, who linked me up with him, and who I will write about very soon because he will soon turn 70 years old, told me that Piccolo played one match with an eye injury. The club authorities didn’t care about his eye injury but were all concerned about winning the cup.

That was it; Okwufulueze knew he had to pursue his education to be able to afford a better life but he left Nigerians wondering what happened to Piccolo “the king of soccer”. Even today, many still in their nostalgic moments sing “Piccolo teach them soccer, aye, teach them soccer eee”. Okwufulueze and Ogbueze electrified the soccer scene as members of the 1971 Nigerian Academicals and earned national fame.

In the U S, Okwufulueze earned a Master’s degree, worked at Boeing aircraft manufacturing behemoth and retired in 2018. He was a quality controller there…just as he was quality controller in the football matches he played in Nigeria. And like a father like son, one of his children is on call from American sports authorities all year round…because he is good at sprints, soccer, American football, etc.

But it would be difficult to see another Okwufulueze; Piccolo started playing for Anglican Grammar School, Ubulu-Uku first team right from class One. Remarkably, he was school captain for almost five years just as he captained Mid-West Academicals.  He is married to Chika and is blessed with children.