My Best and Worst Year in Football: 1984 with Shooting Stars FC

In 1984, IICC Shooting Stars FC of Ibadan stormed the African Club Championship final after a series of convincing wins. We lost the first leg 1–0 in Cairo but returned home determined to make history in Lagos. I played the best football of my career that season. Rashidi Yekini finished as top scorer while I netted my personal favourite goal in Fez. But a knee ligament injury from three years earlier resurfaced in the semi–final, ending my fitness just when it mattered most. Our squad was further weakened by suspensions. In desperation, the club turned to spiritual rituals and juju—incantations on the airwaves and sacrifices at the stadium. None of it could replace discipline, strategy, or match fitness. We lost the final and, with it, the chance to clinch Nigeria’s first continental title. That defeat taught me that hard work, planning, focus, and teamwork are the real keys to success. After December 8, 1984, I never played another match.

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