Kpakor
Thompson Oliha’s death sent shockwaves sweeping across Nigeria on Sunday and tributes poured in for the Tunisia ’94 Africa Cup of Nations winner.
The 44-year-old reportedly died from malaria complications in Ilorin where he worked with the Kwara State Football Academy.
His passing means another member of the Golden Generation has been lost after Uche Okafor and Rashidi Yekini.
Oliha’s Super Eagles teammates, including Stephen Keshi, Etim Esin, Sunday Oliseh and Moses Kpakor, as well as his coaches at club and national team levels, including Christian Chukwu and Joseph Erico saluted his courage and determination.
But for Kpakor, who was the deceased’s closest colleague and best friend in their days in the national team, the pain of Oliha’s death will never go away.
Kpakor wrote on his Facebook page, “Death, you have indeed given a ‘DEATH BLOW’ to a harmless and armed-less generation! Yes, you did. ‘Tommy Young’, yes, that’s how I called him all his life, and I will ever remember you for your commitment and seriousness while on the football pitch, both for the nation and the clubs you played for. A legend who would give his all, both in training and on matchday. Rest in Peace.”
That Kpakor and Oliha were roommates at various times in the national team was no surprise. They shared many things in common and were the only domestic league players that were starters in the national team.
Dutch coach Clemens Westerhof believed in them and exploited their physicality, work rate and passion for the game to the advantage of the team.
Both were instrumental in Nigeria’s second-place effort at the Algiers ’90 Africa Cup of Nations. Even when Kpakor broke his leg in a league match against Iwuanyanwu Nationale at the Dan Anyiam Stadium, Owerri – two weeks to his journey to Holland to put pen to paper for Dutch club Feyenoord and could not return to top form to regain his place in the team – Westerhof kept faith with Oliha.
Kpakor recalls his first meeting with Oliha and some of their most memorable moments at the national team and said “I feel proud to have played alongside him in the Eagles and against him at club level”.
“Although we had played against each other in the league and FA Cup, I became close to Oliha when Westerhof invited us to camp in Bauchi in November 1989,” the 1990 African Winners’ Cup winner told our correspondent during the week.
“Oliha was playing for Iwuanyanwu Nationale while I was playing for BCC Lions. We were top players in the domestic league.
“Before I met Oliha in camp, we (BCC Lions) had just beaten Iwuanyanwu Nationale to lift the FA Cup in Bauchi in 1989. Of course, we had played against each when he played for Bendel Insurance and we had great respect for each other.
“Because we were very good players the coach (Westerhof) had nothing much to tell us because we knew exactly what we were expected to do on the field.
“And because we were we such adaptable players the coach was always happy with us.
“We communicated with each other with body language than our mouth on the field and we understood each other.
“It was very difficult to know if any of the players was religious. Because we were always in camp and we only had Sundays to go out. But we were expected to come back not later than 6pm.
“Of course some of us were Christians and others Muslims.
“What really attracted me to Oliha was his quality. He was aggressive, had great command of the ball and had the ability to launch attacks and shoot with both legs.
“Oliha had the ability to return quickly to midfield. Of course it takes a workaholic to combine all these attributes, you know. He was so commanding in the midfield.Perhaps, this was the reason why he was nicknamed ‘General’. Westerhof loved him a lot him.”
Kpakor said Oliha was such an unassuming and polite player despite his immense talent.
“He was a gentleman and respected his colleagues and coaches,” the former Abiola Babes player said.
“Oliha was not the arrogant or the boastful type either. I think that was what attracted us to each other.”
He said the late former Antalyaspor star was not short on confidence and trusted his abilities.
Kpakor said, “Every player in the national team in our days never lacked self-confidence. Like me, Oliha never felt intimidated by the presence of the foreign-based players.
“Besides, we dominated the team and also had the ambition to play abroad. We felt we were all Nigerians despite the fact that the Nigeria Football Federation sometimes discriminated against the domestic league players in camp.
“But in spite of the situation, we were two confident guys and we proved that in training and matches.
“There were no ethnicity problems in the team. Our generation never knew that. Maybe the generation before us had such problems.
“Westerhof made us a big chain or one big family, and that was the secret to our success.”
Kpakor will never forget the day he and Oliha were ‘punished’ by Westerhof in Holland, where the Eagles were training ahead of the 1990 Africa Cup of Nations in Algiers.
He said, “We were roommates and some (NFF) officials were not happy that we were smoking. They kept telling people that we were chain-smoking and that it will affect our performances.
“When one of them came to our room and smelled scent of cigarette, he dashed out to report us to Westerhof.
“Westerhof came into our room but didn’t say anything. But when we were on the bus for a friendly game against PSV, Westerhof told the team that he had given Oliha and Kpakor a good punishment for an offence they had committed.
“Because we were smoking we were regarded as the bad guys in the team. This was not a hidden gist, but we never deterred because we would ever prove ourselves in training, and during matches we were the engine room of the team.
“Till today, Westerhof never revealed our ‘offence’ to anyone. He only wanted to satisfy the team officials. So when we again met at Kwara Football Academy, that was always an experience that made us laugh over it over and over.”
Kpakor said he maintained constant contact with Oliha after they both quit the national team.
He said, “We worked briefly at Kwara Football Academy with Westerhof before I left at the end of 2007 to join Lobi Stars as Team Manager. And we kept constant contact until his death. We spoke last about two months ago.”
Oliha burst onto the scene at Bendel Insurance in 1985 after World Cup-winning coach Brodericks, who accepted to manage Bendel Insurance after China ’85, recommended his signing by the club.
Oliha become a cult hero at the Ogbe Stadium (now Dr. Sam Ogbemudia Stadium). He won many battles for the club alongside the likes of former Eagles captain Augustine Eguavoen, Friday Elaho, and Roland Ewere.
Oliha earned rave reviews for his performances in the domestic league during his two seasons at Bendel Insurance (1986-1987).
His inclusion in the Flying Eagles squad to the Chile ’87 FIFA U-20 World Cup by the late coach Chris Udemezue was expected, and the player did not disappoint.
Although he came under intense criticism from many Nigerians over the Chile ’87 debacle, Udemezue recommended Oliha alongside Etim Esin and Adeolu Adekola for promotion to the Super Eagles.
While an impressive performance in Chile earned Oliha a promotion to the senior national team, it was to prove a big loss for Bendel Insurance as Iwuanyanwu Nationale lured him to Owerri.
He played a major role in Nigeria’s silver effort at Algiers ’90, bronze win at Senegal ’92 and gold at Tunisia’94.
Despite commanding regular first team role in the Eagles and his winning performances for Iwuanyanwu Nationale, he surprised many when he joined Africa Sport of Ivory Coast when many expected him to ply his trade in Europe.
Oliha later moved to Turkish club Antalyaspor after the USA’94 World Cup. He was the first Eagles player to ply his trade in the Turkish Super League. He was later joined by his Eagles teammates Uche Okechukwu, Daniel Amokachi and Austin Okocha.
Oliha’s career was shortened by a knee injury and he hung up his boots in 1996.
His widow Iris said her husband wished to live in the house the government promised the Tunisia’94-wiining squad.
“He repeatedly asked questions on what was causing the delay in fulfilling the promise. He said his colleagues, Uche Okafor and Rashidi Yekini, died without the promise being fulfilled” the News Agency of Nigeria quoted Iris as saying.
