We now know why Afro beat legend, Olufela Olusegun Oludotun Ransome -Kuti (later Anikulapo-Kuti) did not make a good footballer. His father, Reverend Israel Oludotun Ransome-Kuti, made the round leather game so unattractive thereby forcing his son to toe the music line of grand dad, Josiah Jesse, “the singing minister”.
Rev. Ransome-Kuti was principal of his alma mata, Abeokuta Grammar School for 22 years (1932-1954), after doing the same job at Ijebu Ode Grammar School between 1919 and 1932. He was a disciplinarian in the real sense of it. Equipped with a degree from the famous Fourah Bay College, Freetown, the man had a way of rewarding his players if they played below expectations on home turf.
At the end of such dismal outing, he would ask Abeokuta Grammar School coach, E.E.Efiok,to gather the players. Each member of the team was given six strokes of the cane. It was not a sweet experience as the principal was really hard and did not spare the rod in anyway. Apparently, Fela and his other male siblings, Olikoye and Bekolari and even cousin, Wole Soyinka, did not fancy being marched out to be flogged.
Rev. Ransome-Kuti was a man of many firsts.The first President of the Nigeria Union of Teachers(NUT) which was formed in 1938. Some of the Executive members during his long tenure until 1954 included Alvan Ikoku,Eyo Esua and Seth Kale. He was also the premier student of Abeokuta Grammar School, in 1908. His wife, Frances Abigail Olufunmilayo (nee Thomas) whom he married in 1925, was the first Nigerian female to drive a car.
Many long years after Fela ‘s father departed many are still adopting his method in punishing school boys who do not win matches. On April 4, 2004, Joe Udoh, coach of an academy team in Nung-Otu near Uyo in Akwa Ibom state, gave his boys six lashes each at intermission for trailing 2-1 against St. Brian Model Secondary School, Uyo.
Outside Nigeria, some officials cannot cope with unfavourable results. In Idi Amin’s Uganda, members of Express Football Club, an Army team, were going to be punished for being eliminated from the CAF Champions League by Enugu Rangers in 1976. It was in the second round. The first leg in Enugu had ended goalless and the return leg in Kampala was in the eyes of the Uganda soldiers going to be an easy win for the hosts.
What the Express Team Manager, a Lieutenant Colonel, did not know was that the pioneer members of Rangers were Biafran soldiers fresh from the Civil War in 1970.And Rangers had a way of humiliating military teams. Their first CAF Champions league game was against Secteur Six, an Army side from Niger Republic. And after defeating Express, the Flying Antelopes went ahead to beat another military team, Green a Buffaloes of Zambia in the quarter finals.
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Against Express, Dr.Johnny Egbuonu, scored twice as Rangers relied on away goals rule to move ahead after a 2-2 draw. The Lt.Col had all his players put in the guardroom. And wait for it…. The man who saved the detainees was the Big man himself. Field Marshal Idi Amin Dada. He ordered the players’ release because according to him, Rangers were his favourite African team.
The Coal City Boys were back in Uganda two years later in the same competition. They defeated Kampala City Councillors (KCC) 3-1 in Kampala after a 1-0 first leg advantage to qualify for the semis on 4-1 aggregate. Semi final opponents, Canon Sportif of Yaounde were also in love with the military. The Cameroonains have as their slogan: “Canon Kpa kum”.
In far away Mexico, something interesting happened to Sergeant Salvador Garcia of the Presidential Guards. He was a world acclaimed sportsman who excelled in the Marathon like the famous Abebe Bikila of Ethiopia. In 1991, the athlete took part in the New York Marathon and emerged as winner. He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant.
Barely a year later, Garcia was favoured by his countrymen to win the marathon gold of the Barcelona ’92 Olympic Games. Unfortunately, their expectations were not met. The gold medal went to Hwang Young -Cho of Korea Republic. Neither silver nor bronze followed the Presidential Guard back to Mexico City. He finished in the ninth position. For not winning he was demoted. Sent back to his former rank of Sergeant.
The Olympic spirit is not about winning all the time. The important aspect of the Games is to take part. Rev. Ransome-Kuti was not interested in that. He saw no reason why his boys would allow themselves to be disgraced at home, of all places. Express of Uganda failed Idi Amin in Kampala. He did not compel Col. Maliyamungu, his notorious butcher to give them VIP treatment.
The king of Tonga did reward an Olympic gold loser, something the Mexican President could not stomach. Pae Wolfgramm lost the Atlantic ’96 Super Heavyweight Boxing gold to Vladimir Klitchko of Ukraine. In one of the semi finals, Nigeria’s Duncan Dokiwari who would later win a bronze, broke the wrist of the Tongan.
This broken wrist Wolfgramm had to contend with against Klitchko in the final. Back home, the King of Tonga declared a National holiday the day the Silver winner touched down in his country just like Gen. Ibrahim Babangida did when the Flying Eagles won their first FIFA – U 20 World Championships silver medal at Saudi ’89.
