Doubtful if any Nigerian born in the 1990s till date could ever know Ernest Okonkwo, one of Africa’s best in football pundit.
This is due to no fault of theirs but because they were not born at the height of Okonkwo’s reign and more importantly because the authorities had cancelled history from the nation’s academic curriculum in their education formative years.
The Gen Zs and the Millennials are missing a lot of historical facts about Nigeria, Africa and the black race in general because of distortions in our educational system.
Ernest Okonkwo was a great Nigerian football commentator. His commentary that made him extremely famous in the late seventies through the eighties and early nineties always gave a graphic picture of a football match for listening fans, even from the comfort of their homes.
No fan needs to be physically present in the stadium to see and feel the game he runs commentary on. Even those physically present in the stadium usually held their small transistor radios to listen to Ernest Okonkwo’s beautiful commentary rendition. This shows how high football buffs held him, even in death.
No wonder, many considered him to be one of the best if not the best football commentator of all time in the country and Africa.
Okonkwo was gifted with words. He conjure words and bringing the game of football right in front of fans as if they were in the stadium. Even when they were not, his commentary rendition gave graphical satisfaction. Ernest Okonkwo was indeed so brilliant with words!!
Some of his profound commentary lines are:
“Iron Gate Emmanuel Okala throws the ball to ‘Chairman’ Christian Chukwu. Chukwu taps the ball to the ‘Dean of Defence’ Yisa Sofoluwe; Sofoluwe sends a telegraphic pass to ‘Midfield Maestro’ Mudashiru Lawal. Muda Lawal dribbles two defenders and sends the ball to ‘Mathematical’ Segun Odegbami.”
“Odegbami dilly-dallies, shilly-shallies, and locates ‘Elastic’ Humphrey Edobor. The storm is gathering near the opponent’s goal area and it would soon rain a goal. Edobor turns quickly to the right and returns the ball to Odegbami. Odegbami kicks the ball towards ‘Quick Silver’ Sylvanus Okpala who shoots an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile from outside the penalty box. It is a goal, it is a goal, Nigeria has scored.”
“He beats Christian Chukwu, he beats Christian Madu, he beats Christian Nwokocha. He beats three Christians in a row! Who is this man? He must be a Muslim. Oh! It’s Shefiu Mohammed sending a diagonal pass to Baba Otu Mohammed.”
“Okey Isima, with a short pass to Sylvanus Okpala. They both play in Portugal. The can communicate in Igbo, they can communicate in English, they can communicate in Portuguese and they just communicated with the ball.”
“Nigeria has scored Nigeria” (after Godwin Odiye’s sad own goal in the last qualifying match on home turf against Tunisia in 1977).
He passed away on 7 August 1990 at the age of 54. May his gentle soul continue to rest in peace.
