Until you’re a die-hard soccer fan, a critical documenter of Nigerian soccer historical past and over the age of fifty, it’s extremely unlikely that a lot a couple of title identified in Ibadan soccer circles as Etu (Yoruba for a hare). due to his unbelievable velocity on the soccer area.
Let me begin with the dangerous information. Two days in the past, final Thursday morning, Philip Boamah died in Ibadan. He had made that metropolis his dwelling for the previous fifty years since arriving on the coast of Nigeria in 1971 from Accra, Ghana.
He was good friend and soccer companion. I pay him this little tribute as yet one more level of reference for the military of nice soccer heroes who served the game and Nigeria very nicely however within the latter a part of their lives languished after illustrious careers within the silence of neglect and forgotten historical past.
Philip was definitely a really uncommon Eagle. He was a Ghanaian, a full-blooded Ghanaian, born and raised in Ghana, and honed within the soccer custom of Ghana from the early Nineteen Seventies.
His transfer to Nigeria was a results of the political disaster engulfing Ghana on the time, and the ensuing financial downturn within the nation.
On the similar time, Nigeria was flooded with petrodollars and the nation turned the vacation spot of alternative for a lot of African financial migrants. Ghanaian soccer was superior to Nigeria's till the early Nineteen Seventies, and Ghanaian gamers have been costly commodities in African soccer.
Among the finest gamers on the continent got here from Ghana – Baba Yara, Sunday Ibrahim, Mohammed Polo, Abdul Razak, Opoku Afriye, Adolf Armah, Opoku Nti, Osei Kofi, and so forth.
So Nigeria, the place the petrodollars flowed like operating faucet water, attracted a whole galaxy. Phillip Boamah was amongst those that joined the 'migration prepare' to Lagos.
Ghanaian gamers and a few Nigerians who have been both born in Ghana or grew up there and in addition returned 'dwelling' introduced a brand new dimension to Nigerian soccer, enriching it with their Brazilian aptitude and show-boating, elevating the usual, competitiveness and the soccer membership's followership have been considerably elevated. home recreation. The gamers have been unfold throughout the nation in numerous golf equipment – Stationary Shops in Lagos, Raccah Rovers in Kano, Sharks in Port Harcourt, Asabatex in Asaba, Mighty Jets in Jos and naturally IICC Capturing Stars in Ibadan the place Sam Asante, Nathaniel Adewole, Sam Abossey, Kafaru Alabi, Amusa Adisa, Joseph Appiah and Philip Boamah have been all moored.
Different Ghanaians/Nigerians in different golf equipment embody Raymond Quacopoon, Annas Ahmed, Sanni Mohammed, Baba Alli, Husseini Suleiman, Yakubu Mambo, Muhammad Lawal, Baba Otu Mohammed, Shefiu Mohammed, John Benson, John Orlando and so forth.
A number of Ghanaian gamers went on to play for Nigeria's nationwide workforce, the Inexperienced Eagles, solely due to their names that sounded very Nigerian, or have been disguised by their Arab origins. Such names embody all Muhammads.
However there have been two gamers whose names have been fully Ghanaian, but they performed for Nigeria purely on the power of their distinctive expertise and talents, qualities that overshadowed their nationality.
Earlier than Leotis Boateng performed for the Inexperienced Eagles as a full-blooded Ghanaian from 1977 to 1980, there was Philip Kweku Boamah.
He was invited to the Nigeria nationwide workforce in 1974/1975 and was given a Nigerian title (Kolawole) and a Nigerian passport by the soccer federation. He then performed for Nigeria for 2 years.
After his 'adoption' by Nigeria, he strengthened his relationship with the nation by marrying a younger, stunning Egba woman from a famend household in Abeokuta.
Aside from the funeral ceremonies of his mother and father and siblings, Philip by no means returned to his authentic roots till he died two days in the past.
Philip Boamah was one of many brightest stars within the Capturing Stars workforce of the mid-Nineteen Seventies which emerged as a regional problem to Enugu-based Rangers Worldwide as a consequence of dominance of Nigerian soccer.
Of all of the Ghanaian gamers who performed in Capturing Stars, he was the one one who went on to play for the Inexperienced Eagles. That speaks volumes.
Philip was an important winger. Working from the appropriate facet of the assault, he flew down the flank, with or with out the ball, outwitting defenders and floating fantastically, pinpoint crosses to ready heads, together with mine.
Philip was the everyday quick winger of the Nineteen Seventies, a significant menace to the protection. He represents a military of former soccer heroes who’ve spent most of their lives after their soccer careers within the agony of ignorance, neglect, the shortage of historical past and documentation, and the invasion of the soccer house by individuals with restricted data. about Nigerian soccer historical past.
Philip Kweku Kolawole Boamah handed away two days in the past. He was one in every of my finest associates throughout our soccer years with whom I shared many experiences and moments in soccer at membership stage.
His passage was a devastating blow to me, as I didn’t know that the previous month had been a nightmare for him and his household.
He was a real gentleman, in his normal means of retaining issues to himself and never desirous to be blamed for 'disturbing' different individuals's peace, however he stored his well being problem to himself.
Sadly, it has deteriorated in a short time over the previous month. By the point he was taken to College Instructing Hospital final Wednesday night, little may very well be finished to assist him.
Philip was an everyday member of the nice Capturing Stars workforce that received Nigeria's first continental trophy in 1976. Earlier than that, he performed for the Inexperienced Eagles, the nationwide workforce, for nearly two years.
He then married a Nigerian woman, constructed his home and a home in Ibadan the place he lived for the remainder of his life after soccer along with his household of grown adults.
He coached a number of golf equipment after his taking part in profession and solely retired on account of a freak motorbike accident he suffered throughout one in every of his many journeys for soccer matches. He injured his eyes and his shoulder, each of which lowered his capacity to operate correctly in that space once more.
I’ll actually miss my expensive good friend, Philip Kweku Kolawole Boamah, Etu, was 73.
