It was the eve of the game, and as usual, there will be nothing much to do except go to the Stadium at 3pm.
We would first pick up our accreditation tags, then stay back for the pre match presser. But today would be different as I had a date with Tokoni and the Football Fans Trybe crew.
I always have breakfast at the hotel, which I did. I typed my day one diary and the next thing Ufuoma Egbamuno had put up a message that he had landed at the airport in Uyo and would stop at a Market Square outlet.
He wanted the rest of us to place orders of what we wanted, like bread, drinks, etc.
Ufuoma came into the hotel looking like a man from outer space. He had six bags, fully packed, plus three shopping bags with loaves of bread, biscuits and a ground nuts. Plus a carton of drinks, ranging from vodka, red wine and soft drinks. God, when?
The Port Harcourt team arrives
The rest of the crew notified us of their arrival from Port Harcourt and I went down to sort their rooms.Carl Orakwue, Victor Kwame Sampong, Kingsley Ogar, Eval Edu, and a doctor called Small Pin.
At this point I had to leave for the stadium for my date with Football Fans Trybe.
Date with Football Fans Trybe
Tokoni had sent a message to me that we meet at the stadium at 1pm. I rushed out with Okey Onwugbonu and got to the stadiim at about three minutes past 1pm.
There was this crazy dude at the gate, probably in his 70s. He looked into our car and says, “The match is tomorrow. Go and come back tomorrow.”
I explained to him that we had business in the stadium and even the Super Eagles were going to train, but he insisted that he was not aware of any activity at the stadium. Kai!
His colleague called out to ask him what was wrong and his response was, “Don’t worry, i’m equal to the task.”He then looked back inside our car and went, “I’m a retired soldier. If you try me, I can call the barracks and a troupe will come here,”
At this point no one said a word to him. There was no need. He continued to speak. “How can you say the Super Eagles will train here today or there will be a press conference. Nobody informed me, so as far as I’m concerned it is not happening. Go and come back tomorrow for the match.
Okey and I just started laughing. There was nothing else we could do. About 2 minutes later, the same man pushed the gates open and let us in. Guess what? The Football Fans Trybe crew were not there yet. It took them another hour to arrive and another 20 minutes to set up for the shoot. Next up was accreditation and the pre match presser.
Accreditation and the presser
As we walked towards the press room, I saw Akin, also known as Viper and I told him I needed 15 tags for the Port Harcourt delegation. He promised to sort it out. He did.Then the NFF’s Director of Communications arrived and urged us to get started with issuing the tags so we’d round up in time for the presser, which we did. Eguavoen was asked why he let Ola Aina and Ademola Lookman go back to their clubs and his response was simple- I got a call from their clubs and a request was made in light of the fact we had already qualified.
He stressed on the fact that he did it for relationship sake and that the players would not have left if he did not want them to.
The presser settled, I had to eat. I was already hungry.
Carl Orakwue asked if I wouldn’t stay to watch the last training session of the Eagles. I explained to him that it was a choice between life or death. Dead men don’t watch training sessions, so I chose to go back to eat.
The small party and Small Pin
At the Discovery Park, we met Tunde Bello, rounding up a sumptuous plate of Eba and Afang soup. My other friends from Port Harcourt had also arrived- Cris and his wife, Oluchi and her husband too. Next was a small party at Ufuoma Egbamuno’s room. We joked a lot and shouted at each other.
I noticed Small Pin was just watching Ufuoma and I. He was also smiling as we made jokes. He had earlier said he’s been a fan of us for a long time and was elated he was not just in the same hotel with us, but sharing a table with us.
So, I asked him, “I believe you’re shocked at the way we are throwing banter here, and you’re comparing it to the voices you hear on radio?”
He readily admitted that the thought had been in his mind since we were at Discovery Park. We all laughed over it and continued with our drinks.
Next thing Small Pin followed me into my room for a 45 minute physical therapy session for the excruciating pain in my lumbar region, which he thinks may be Lumbar Spondylitis. It’s already almost confirmed that i wont be playing the SWAN Selected game against at Uyo All Stars tomorrow, but it is what it is.
