SAMUEL OKWARAJI SPEAKS FROM THE GRAVE; Is Nigeria Worth Dying For ?

By Coach Uni Dan Kakwi

August 12 2024 would be 34 years since the unfortunate death of Samuel Okwaraji at the National Stadium, Surulere, while playing a 1990 World cup qualifier game for the Super Eagles against Angola. He was wearing the no '6' Jersey before he slumped and died. 

Watched his mother's past  interview and was literally shedding tears. What a player, what a talent, what a life he lived. Shameful, we have not been able to immortalize him the way we should have.

I urge the NFF to retire the no.#6 jersey in honour of the patriotic young man or better still name the main bowl of the National Stadium Surulere after the great footballer who died while giving his all to his nation. 

If L.A Lakers can retire the No #8 and #24 jersey  in honour of the late basketball star, Kobe Byrant. 

 If Wolverhampton Wanderers can retire the No #1 jersey in honour of our own Goalkeeper Carl Ikeme who made 191 appearances for Wolves but sadly was diagnosed with acute Leukaemia. 

If French side Nantes can retire their No #9 Shirt in honour of Emilliano Sala who died tragically in a plane crash, I see no reason why the NFF shouldn't retire the No. #6 jersey in honour of Samuel Sochukwuma Okwaraji. 

Yet all our public spaces: monuments, stadiums, airports etc are bearing  the names of our #-leaders whose only contribution to this country has been to loot everything lootable..

Sam Okwaraji was a qualified lawyer, who had a masters in international law from the Pontifical Lateran University of Rome. He had a career in Europe which included playing for AS Roma, NK Dinamo Zagreb, Austria Klagenfurt, VFB Stuttgart and SSV Ulm.

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