Reminiscing on his early days in Jimeta, the America-based retail store expert says, “I started sports just like every other kid who engaged in it. We were fond of playing within the neighbourhood in Jimeta, a town in Yola, Adamawa State. I started my primary education at St Theresa Catholic School in 1959 where I became a member of the school first eleven in football.
“Aside this, my father owned the first photograph studio as well as the first hotel known as Benue Hotel in Jimeta. I was popular among my contemporaries in football despite being the smallest member of my school team. I featured for the school in several inter- primary schools competitions,” he said.
Moniedafe proceeded to Villanova Secondary School in Numan for his post primary education in 1965 and it was easy for the school authority to identify his prowess in football. This made it possible for him to join the school junior team.
“When I left St Theresa for secondary school, my new school quickly invited me to join the junior team, which I played for in several matches until the Civil War of 1966 broke out and the Southerners in the north went back to the south.
“At that time, my school principal mistakenly put me - a 13 year-old boy - into a boat taking people to the East because he thought I was Ibo and it would be better for me to return to my state. Some people in the boat were dropped in Onitsha, while I followed it to Warri where I alighted.
“When I got to Warri, my parents were informed about this and they came to see me in Warri. It was then I started staying with my grandmother,” he explained.
Eager to further his education, Moniedafe was enrolled at Urhobo College in 1966, where he took part in such sports asa table tennis and lawn tennis, although he still had a burning passion for football.
“When I got to Urhobo College, I had to take part in other sports because the school was very popular in the region and for me to make the team in football I needed to be better than those already in the team. So I was active in table tennis and tennis but I still played football. While I did not have opportunity to play in the school team, I had started playing on the streets of Warri and youth teams,” he said.
When Moniedafe finally made the school team in 1970, his final year at Urhobo College, there was keen rivalry between his school and Hussey College.
“I made the school team in 1970 which was my final year at Urhobo College and Hussey College was our keen rival, and most times they beat us during inter-schools tournament among schools in the Midwest region, known as Giwa Osagie Cup.
“Hussey College could boast top players like Okufulize and Agbonifo, who captained Bendel Insurance. In my team, we had the Obire brothers – Daniel and Paul, as well as Joseph Oshomuwve known as ‘Garuba’ and Martins Ogbala.
“In one of the matches we played against Federal Government College, Warri, there was a player known as Express, who was a serious threat to defenders but when we played against them, I was able to checkmate him for us to beat them 2-0. Unfortunately, we lost in the semifinal to exit the tournament.”
Moniedafe said inter sports competition was a great moment every student looked forward to as the school system incorporated sports into the curriculum.
“In those days, it was well organized with all the students willing to be part of certain activity during the games. There was this rivalry among the houses and everything was well planned. Most times, the climax of inter-house sports was the school invitational relay, with every student eager to catch a glimpse of the action.
“In those days, the sports programmes were well planned that the first term was for athletics, second term was for football, while academics was for the third term because promotional examinations were held this term. But one thing that I enjoyed doing during athletics event was to be the cheerleader of my team because I did not take part in athletics,” he said.
The Bendel Insurance’s former defence stalwart said marrying sports with academics depended largely on the individual’spriority, adding, “For you to do sports, you must maintain good grades in school. So as an athlete cum student, you must always get your priority right.
“Because my parents were skeptical about my romance with football as they just wanted me to face my studies, I never allowed my involvement in the game to distract my attention from my studies,” he said.
Looking back on his life after Urhobo College in 1970, Moniedafe said: “I went back to Jimeta after I graduated from Urhobo College and my dad wanted me to continue my education, but at this time the football bug had bitten me and all I wanted was to play football.
“I had just come back from Warri, where Warri Wolves had just had a great run against all to reach the final of the Challenge Cup and I happened to be close to some of the players, like Ajasa Owunaru, Joseph Oshomuwve alias Garuba and Ebiyon Dediare. So we agreed that at sometime I would join them.
“I was invited to the North Eastern State camp in Maiduguri as a pioneer member of Yankari Bulls, which was then the State team. In that team, we had Benjamin Duamlong, and we both represented the state at the first National Sports Festival held in Lagos in 1973. This was the start of my career as a footballer,” he added.
Another window to follow his passion opened for Moniedafe when Coach Anthony Egbokodo was seconded to the North to groom talents for the region and he was selected to be part of the team.
His words: “Mr. Anthony Egbokodo was seconded to us from Midwest then by Governor Samuel Ogbemudia on a state tour to discover more talents. Egbokodo met my dad in Jimeta and they decided between themselves that he wanted me for his team – New Nigeria Bank (NNB) in Sapele. But after an initial protest from me, I later accepted to go with him.
“I ended up in Sapele with NNB after the festival. In 1974, I moved to Asabatex and we participated in the 1974 Nigeria National League. In Asabatex, we had great potentials but it lasted for a short span, which forced me to eventually end up in Bendel Insurance.”
In 1974, Moniedafe was part of the Asabatex team that finished second behind Rangers in the National League. But Stationery Stores of Lagos, which felt that Asabatex fielded ineligible players to prosecute the league, protested their second spot. This eventually forced the league organisers to withdraw some points from Asabatex for the team to go down the league table.
“After the protest by Stores, the management of Asabatex was not too happy and they decided to withdraw Duamlong and myself that had already been invited to the national camp,” he said.
From 1974, Moniedafe started making the national team, and stayed there up till 1979.
Moniedafe narrates: “At a time, there was an exodus of players to the United States for further studies and with the help of Coach Godwin Etemike, the then Chief Coach of Bendel State Sports council, I got admitted to North Carolina State University. I was scheduled to go in the fall semester of 1979, but my team, Bendel Insurance was prosecuting the African Cup Winners Cup and I didn’t feel it was right to leave them at that time. So I pushed my trip to spring semester.
“At this time again, another problem emerged because as a member of the Green Eagles invited to camp in preparation for the 1980 Nations Cup and the team was already in Brazil.
“The Bendel players had joined the team in Rio de Janeiro and I was also part of the team. Now the big question that confronted me then was whether to stay back with the team in Brazil or go to school in U. S.? I had sleepless nights but I decided to go to school then even though I was one of the best centre backs in Nigeria. I knew my place in the team was secured but I felt it was time for me to go. I had to call on Coach Etemike, who luckily was on the coaching crew with us in Brazil to help my case, which he did and I was eventually released to go.”
Continuing he said: “I made that decision because I noticed that in the national team players like Adokie Amasiamaka and Segun Odegbami were somehow treated differently from some of us that had not furthered our education. This alone prompted my decision to leave the team and move to U.S. to continue my studies.
“On returning from Brazil, I went to Jimeta to inform my dad that I was fulfilling my part of the deal, which was to further my education and, he was happy. I left for school and the Eagles eventually won the trophy in 1980. So we were all happy, and for me, if I had the same scenario, I will take the same decision,” he said.
In the North Carolina State University, Moniedafe got admission to study Business Management and Economics. But he also captained the school team, known as Wolfpack, for three years and led it to qualify for the first time in the national playoffs.
In 1981, he was named the best soccer player in the school as well as the most outstanding defensive player and for four years he made the All Conference Teams.
He was at North Carolina alongside his teammates in Eagles including Prince Afejuku, Sam Okpodu, Sam Owoh and Chris Ogu.
Moniedafe, who credits sports for most of the things he has achieved in life because he made good use of the opportunities it provides, advises administrators pay equal attention to games and education because that would give the students better opportunities in life.
“School sports played a great part in shaping our country’s sports in those days. So I want to call on the people in charge of sports to go back to the schools to bring Nigeria back to its glory days.”
By Olalekan Okusan.
Culled from The Nigerian Guardian.
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