*๐ง๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ก ๐ช๐๐ข ๐๐๐ฉ๐ ๐ง๐๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฆ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ง๐๐ก๐ ๐ฆ๐ข๐ก๐ ๐ง๐๐๐ง ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ก ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฆ
Some footballers are remembered for the goals they scored, the tackles they made or the trophies they won.
Others leave behind something that cannot be measured in match statistics.
๐ข๐๐๐ถ ๐๐บ๐ฎ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ต๐ถ, affectionately known to us as ๐ข๐๐ถ๐๐ฎ, gave our historic 1983 Flying Eagles team something extraordinary: a fighting song that became our signature anthem and eventually found its way into the senior national team, the Green Eagles.
More than four decades later, I can still hear it.
๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐๐ก๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ง๐ข ๐ก๐๐๐๐ฅ๐๐โ๐ฆ ๐๐๐ฆ๐ง๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฆ
I remember Otti coming into our national youth team environment from Anambra State, alongside Chibuzor Ehilegbu and Jeffrey Madueke.
We were young footballers from different backgrounds, united by an ambition greater than ourselves: to take Nigeria to its first FIFA World Youth Championship.
Otti attended Nike Grammar School in Enugu and developed into a capable defender.
Under our late coach, Christopher Udemezue, we trained, competed, endured difficult moments and ultimately qualified for the 1983 tournament in Mexico.
But Otti brought something beyond his footballing ability.
๐๐แปค แป๐๐จ: ๐ง๐๐ ๐ช๐๐ฅ ๐ฆ๐ข๐ก๐ ๐ช๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ฅ ๐ง๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ง๐๐๐๐จ๐
On our way to matches, we would sing different songs, entertaining ourselves and lifting our spirits. But one particular song was reserved for the moment our team bus approached the stadium.
๐๐แปค แป๐๐จ โ an Igbo war song introduced by Otisa.
As we drew closer to the stadium, we knew what was coming.
Otisa would lead the call:
๐กโ ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ผ๐น๐ฒ ๐ถ๐๐ฒ!
And the rest of us would answer in a thunderous chorus.
That was when the atmosphere changed.
The excitement of the journey became the determination of young men preparing to represent their country.
It was our psychological preparation, our expression of unity and our declaration of readiness.
The song went:
๐๐แปค แป๐๐จ (๐๐๐๐ข ๐ช๐๐ฅ ๐ฆ๐ข๐ก๐)
Nโ mere ole iwe!
Nโ mere ole iwe!!
Nโ mere ole, mere ole iwe!!!
Nโmere ole gboo, ogu iwe!
Ogbogu nwokeocha iwe!
แปkแปฅkแป eji gba ajah iwe!
Anyแป anaghแป eri ya, iwe!
Nfoche odu iwe!
Nfoche, nfoche odu iwe!!
Nโ mere ole iwe!
Nโ mere ole iwe!!
Nโ mere ole, mere ole iwe!!!
For players drawn from different ethnic and linguistic backgrounds, the words became a shared expression of courage and brotherhood.
Yet what makes this memory particularly special is that the songโs journey did not end with the Flying Eagles.
๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ง, ๐๐จ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ง ๐ฎ๐ด, ๐ญ๐ต๐ด๐ฏ: ๐ช๐๐๐ก ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐จ๐๐๐ง ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฆ๐โ๐ฆ ๐ฆ๐ข๐ก๐ ๐ง๐ข ๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ก ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฆ
Sunday, August 28, 1983.
A date forever engraved in my memory.
Nigeria faced Morocco in a decisive African Cup of Nations qualifying match. The first leg, played in Benin City on August 14, had ended goalless.
Three of us from the Flying EaglesโChibuzor Ehilegbu, Isa Shofoluwe and Iโwere brought into the senior national team by Chief Adegboye Onigbinde for the return encounter.
We had not been part of the starting eleven in Benin City. Now we were preparing for one of the most important matches of our young football careers.
During our pre-match meal, the legendary Radio Nigeria commentator Ernest Okonkwo moved around the dining room, matching playersโ faces with the team list provided by Chief Onigbinde.
When he encountered the three of us, he recognized our shared football background and called us:
๐ง๐๐ ๐จ๐๐๐ ๐๐ญ๐จ๐ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ฆ.
It was a tribute to the coach who had prepared us for international football.
But another memory from that historic day has remained with me.
As we approached the stadium, I remembered the fighting song Otisa had taught us.
I decided to introduce it to my new Green Eagles teammates.
And so I began:
๐กโ ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ผ๐น๐ฒ ๐ถ๐๐ฒ!
Chibuzor and Isa immediately recognized it. They joined in the chorus.
Then the others followed.
There we were, preparing to face Morocco, and the sound of our old Flying Eagles fighting song was rising among the senior internationals.
For me, it was a bridge between two generations of Nigerian football.
The match ended goalless after extra time. Nigeria prevailed 4โ3 on penalties and qualified for the 1984 Africa Cup of Nations in Cรดte dโIvoire, where we eventually finished as silver medalists.
Forty-three years later, I still remember the significance of that occasion.
๐๐๐ก๐ฅ๐ฌ ๐ก๐ช๐ข๐ฆ๐จ ๐๐ก๐ ๐ง๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ข๐ก๐โ๐ฆ ๐ก๐๐ช ๐๐ข๐ ๐
What began that day did not end with the Morocco encounter.
Once I started the song, ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ฟ๐ ๐ก๐๐ผ๐๐ would take over, leading our teammates with the energy and enthusiasm that made the anthem our own.
The Green Eagles adopted it as our signature fighting song.
Just as we had done in the Flying Eagles, we would sing other songs during the journey. But as we approached the stadium, that familiar battle cry would emerge.
The voices were different. The team was different. The responsibility was greater.
But the spirit was the same.
And whenever I heard it, I remembered where it began.
๐ช๐ถ๐๐ต ๐ข๐๐ถ๐๐ฎ.
๐ง๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ฅ ๐ช๐๐ข ๐ง๐ข๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ฆ ๐ง๐๐๐๐ก๐ง ๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ฆ๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฆ
Ottiโs football achievements extended well beyond Mexico 1983.
He won the 1983 FA Cup and 1984 Nigerian league championship with Rangers International, followed by another FA Cup with Abiola Babes in 1985.
His career subsequently took him to the Republic of Benin, El-Kanemi Warriors and professional football in Belgium, Germany and Switzerland.
After retirement, Otti remained involved in football development.
Based in Belgium, he became engaged in identifying opportunities for Nigerian players abroad and established OTTAN Football Club in Enugu.
His journey illustrates how football opened doors for members of our generationโsometimes far beyond anything we imagined as young boys representing Nigeria.
๐ง๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฌ ๐ข๐ ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฆ๐
Whenever I reflect on our 1983 Flying Eagles family, I remember that every teammate contributed something unique.
Some brought leadership. Others brought laughter, courage or reassurance during difficult moments.
Otisa brought a song.
A song that accompanied us toward stadiums, united us before matches and eventually became part of the Green Eaglesโ own traditions.
Our playing careers have ended. We have built lives on different continents. Some beloved teammates, including Henry Nwosu and Isa Shofoluwe, are no longer with us.
But memories have their own remarkable endurance.
I can still hear that chorus.
๐๐ช๐! ๐๐ช๐!
And whenever I do, I remember the young men we were, the country we represented and the brotherhood we built.
Otisa, your football achievements deserve recognition.
But so does the music you gave us.
๐ฆ๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ถ๐ฟ ๐ป๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ๐ ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ต๐ถ๐ฒ๐.
๐ข๐๐ถ๐๐ฎ ๐น๐ฒ๐ณ๐ ๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐บ๐ฒ๐บ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฒ๐.
๐ฃ๐ฎ๐๐น ๐๐๐ฐ๐ธ๐ ๐ข๐ธ๐ผ๐ธ๐
FIFA Legend | Former Nigeria Flying Eagles Vice-Captain | Former Super Eagles International | AFCON Silver Medalist | Football Historian | Football Analyst | Investigative Football Writer | Journalist-at-Large | Founder & CEO, Greater Tomorrow Childrenโs Fund (GTCF)
๐๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐:
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