Andrew Uwe led the Flying Eagles to bronze at the USSR 1985 FIFA Under 20 World Championships. Later in the year, he was part of the Leventis United squad that played in the finals of the African Winners Cup. The towering defender featured for Iwuanyanwu Nationale in the finals of the1988 CAF Champions League.
Now, Uwe is a qualified coach, with German and American licences. He is also a certified referee. Yet, this same man has been dribbled thrice by the Nigerian Football Federation for offering himself to coach any of the nation’s youth teams.
Paul Okoku did not just play soccer, he has continued to contribute to the game through philanthropy and intellectual interventions. A member of the first Nigerian team to take part in a FIFA tournament, the Flying Eagles 1983 set, he was honoured by the world body as a FIFA Legend, in East Point, Atlanta during the 2026 World Cup.
Okoku won African Nations Cup silver with the Green Eagles in 1984. Uwe earned silver twice, 1988 and 1990, respectively. These men began as boys playing for Lagos at the Ramat Cup, organised by the Youths Sports Federation of Nigeria (YSFON). No sane mind will dismiss the duo as non starters.
Worried by the dwindling fortunes of the Flying Eagles, Okoku has come out boldly to flaunt Uwe’s credentials which make him deserving of a place on the Flying Eagles technical crew. And he is not asking for a huge favour, merit is the key word.
Okoku said : “I have known Uwe from our playing days and precisely because of that relationship, the distinction must be clear. I am not asking anyone to give him a job. I am asking something simple. Let his credentials compete.”
And this is not asking for too much. Thrice the NFF advertised coaching jobs. All three times, Uwe rushed back to Nigeria from Germany, waiting endlessly for interviews that never came. He would only read the appointment of Flying Eagles and Golden Eagles coaches on social media.
“Uwe’s interest in the Flying Eagles also connects directly with the kind of coaching job he has done. Much of his experience has involved young players. That matters because the Flying Eagles and Golden Eaglets should not exist mainly to qualify for tournaments or win trophies,” Okoku added.
In the past, Flying Eagles players graduated from the grassroots to the junior national teams team before climbing the ladder. All those who won bronze in the Soviet Union 41 years ago, eventually got invitations to the Green Eagles. Keepers Aloy Agu and Christian Obi ended up winning African Nations Cup gold and silver respectively.
Samson Siasia also won continental gold and like Agu, was part of the USA 1994 World Cup team. Mike Odu, Wasiu Ipaye, and Ndubuisi Okosieme grabbed African Nations Cup silver medals. Waidi Akanni, Godwin Eke, Augustine Igbinobaro, Osaro Obobaifo, Mark Anunobi, Monday Odiaka and Kingsley Onye, took part in World Cup qualifiers.
Siasia rose beyond playing, to lead the Flying Eagles to their second global silver medal in 2005. He also won Olympic bronze with the Dream Team in 2016. His time as Super Eagles coach also counts. Agu was part of the technical crew of the senior national team.
Some of Okoku’s 1983 mates were not senior team outsiders. Chibuzo Ehilegbu, Tarila Okoronwata, Tajudden Disu, Wilfred Agonavbare, Patrick Udoh, Yisa Sofoluwe, Deinde Akinlotan, Dahiru Sadi and Christopher Anigala showed their stuff.
Most of those Academicals and Flying Eagles were discovered from secondary schools. And the foundation was laid early, from primary school. Godwin Odiye, Stephen Keshi, Okoku and Akinlotan were popular at St. Paul’s Ebute – Metta before moving up to St. Finbarr’s Secondary School, Lagos.
St. Finbarr’s was a breeding ground for school boy internationals. Emilio John, Martin’s Eyo, Nath Ogedegbe, Wakilu Oyenuga, Henry Nwosu, Chris Oyobio,, Peter Egbin, Nduka Ugbade, Okoku, Keshi, Siasia, Odiye were produced by the Roman Catholic school.
And many pursued further studies. Okoku continues to encourage education, from his United States base. Recently, he purchased and sent 10 copies of my short play, ‘From Chains to Fame’, to his old school. President of the St. Finbarr’s College Old Boys Association (SFCOBA) Chief Patrick Doyle received them.
As the Founder of Greater Tomorrow Children’s Foundation, Okoku knows how to catch them young. And he has seen in Uwe that drive to return glory to youth football. What is left is for the NFF to turn a new leaf and do due diligence.
Uwe has not given up. He follows happenings at home. When some so called stakeholders used inexperience in local coaching to block some quality coaches based overseas, he returned to manage the Vandresser Academy team.
The Senate President’s Cup enters its 10th edition this year. Uwe has been appointed Ambassador. The competition opens at the Ikoyi Ekpene Township Stadium on October 25 and ends at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo.
Okoku is also not very far away from home through his regular interventions.
On a daily basis he turns in perfect write – ups on world football, with emphasis on the best way to make Nigerian and African football more attractive.
This is the kind of authority that should be inside the Glass House as a stakeholder. Uwe also deserves a place in one of the national teams. In their playing days, merit mattered. Coaches were not taxing players, to earn invitation.
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