NewStats: 3,262,892 , 8,178,477 topics. Date: Tuesday, 03 June 2025 at 11:57 PM 30t46

On August 16, 1949 when 18 largely barefooted footballers boarded an Elder Dempster ship, MV Apapa heading to Liverpool in England.

The players, dressed in grey tros and olive green blazers with a badge emblazoned with the initials NFA and with ‘United Kingdom 1949’ woven underneath, were seen off by a large crowd that included the Bishop of Lagos and many important African and European personalities.There was also a message of from the governor-general, Sir John Mherson.

Unlike today’s jet-travelling footballers, the pioneers travelled third class and had to run four times round the deck every morning to keep fit during the 13-day voyage before arriving Liverpool at 8.30am on Monday, August 29, 1949.

On arrival, they were met by John Finch, a former Fulham forward, who had been appointed as the coach. There was also a welcome message from the Duke of Edinburgh.

On disembarking, the players and the officials were interviewed by the BBC.They were scheduled to play nine matches in the four weeks they were to stay in the United Kingdom.

The exploits of these pioneers are largely forgotten. Football in their days may not hold the same attraction like that of present day nor the entertainment and technical value as high, but it is to their credit that a foundation was laid which the successive Nigerian national teams built upon.

In the UK, they played nine matches which however did not count as official Grade A games, as they were against English amateur sides, and not the England national team.

What is taken as the first official match of the Nigerian national team is the game played against Sierra Leone, when the UK Tourists were on their voyage back home and had a stop-over in Freetown. Nigeria won 2-0 in the October 8, 1949, game.

In the tour of UK, they won two matches, drew two and lost five. In their first match against Marine Cosby, the Nigerians won 5-2.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3ygs3X4pMo

In front of a crowd of 6000 spectators, the NFA team, playing barefoot, showed their ability to move the ball where they wanted and to shoot with great speed and strength.

The next encounter, against Bishop Auckland, was lost 2-5 and five days later, they lost 1-2 to Leytonstone FC. For 20 minutes of the next game, against Isthmians League XI, which Nigeria lost 1-5, the UK Tourists gave the hosts a rare run.

Four days later, the NFA team drew 2-2 with the Corinthians League XI. It was their best game in the series.They pressed till the last minute, when Tesilimi Balogun scored to level up.

Their other games were against Dulwich Hamlet, which they won 1-0; a 2-2 game with South Liverpool and a 3-1 win over Bromley.

Against the Athenian League XI, it rained. The barefoot NFA XI found that it required considerable physical skill to stand up in the first half. Wearing new boots in the second half did not help; they lost woefully, 8-0.

It was a fruitful tour. It opened new opportunities to many of the players who featured for Nigeria.

Some of them, like Skipper Richard Etim Henshaw, Tesilimi Balogun and Isaac Akioye, returned to England to pursue new careers and to also play for English club sides.

THE TEAM:

GOALKEEPERS: Sam Ibiam (Port Harcourt), Isaac Akioye (Hercules, Ibadan)

DEFENCE: Justin Onwudiwe (Lagos Railway), Olisa Chukwura (Abeokuta), Ahmed Tijani B. Ottun (Lagos Marines), Isiaku Shittu (Lagos UAC), John Dankaro (Jos), Hope Lawson (Lagos Marine), Dan Anyiam (Lagos UAC), Okoronkwo Kanu (Land & Survey).

FORWARDS: Mesembe Otu (Lagos Marine), Peter Anieke (Lagos Railway), Sokari Dokubo (Lagos Railway), Godwin Anosike (Lagos Railway), Tesilimi Balogun (Lagos Railway), Titus Okere (Lagos Railway), Etim Henshaw (Lagos Marine) and Edet Ben (Lagos Marine).

Sadly, all the 18 players and their officials led by Captain Donald H. Holley are now dead. Holley who was the NFA chairman at the time died in December 1956, barely eight months later, a member of the 18-man team, Ahmed Tijani Ottun, committed suicide by drowning in the Lagos Lagoon on August 6, 1957 ostensibly out of frustration.

Thereafter, one after the other, the rank got depleted. Tesilimi “Thunder” Balogun died on July 30, 1972; Dan Anyiam ed on July 6, 1977.

Isaac Akioye, the reserve goalkeeper and former Director of the National Sports Commission died in February 2007 and followed eight months later by right winger, Mesembe Otu.

Captain of the team, Richard Etim Henshaw died November 18, 2010; four days after the Super Eagles against odds picked a 2010 World Cup ticket.The last of the pioneer of the team, Goalkeeper Sam Ibiam aged 91, died on December 1, 2015

https://fanzone.com.ng/2020/10/02/nigeria60-history-of-nigeria-national-football-team/?fbclid=IwAR3i4O27J6mV7fOYKdERvAO321P3B-KSc7xfepB9nQEBaOxF-tVYAaryvAY

Nice

our heroes past

These were the forerunners of the Green Eagles and today's Super Eagles.So 60 Hearty post-humous cheers to these great men.

Meanwhile the golden moments of Nigeria football was Tunisia 1994, USA 1994, Atlanta (Georgia-USA)-1996, those fantastic strings of FIFA under-17 Cadets world cup wins starting from the one in Workers' stadium Beijing-China in 1985 and the two under-21 finals that we lost against Argentina(2005) and ....

People worth calling Heroes.

Team wey never see quarter final of world cup since they start to play football shame no dey catch u as u create this topic

Noted

That guy at the front by the right at the extreme end, that Im tro na im dem dey call I Loose control.... That is am in control of the situation, but the situation is out of control

Okay

Okay

Okay

Nigerian failure team

Good

Damnnn niggarrrr
Isoright

And where are we....still struggling with the contract we entered with the German scam.

impressive impression,just like how I want to impress empress and press her without stress

I don taya jare

This is stupid and not important right now.

Tell us how the hell we were ed as one Nigeria when we are never compatible or related by culture And everything

Why didn’t we play with boot.

We’ve always behaved weird right from time

Nice

Very very interesting and enlightening read.
But I'm just here wondering why they had to play barefoot. I mean, these were professional footballers representing a country. The least the colonial government could do was get them shoes or even let them travel in a more conducive manner!
I'm sure the English must have looked at them as some savages without shoes to add to the narrative that Africa was backward and needed saving.
To hell with colonialism and it's attendant evils.

These are Heroes

On this 8TH OCTOBER 1949, the first official football match of the Nigerian national team was played against Sierra Leone. The UK Tourists were on their voyage back home and had a stop over in Freetown, Sierra Leone.

As the biggest event then in Freetown, the Association Ground was packed with a crowd numbering about 15,000. In attendance was the British Colonial Governor General of Sierra Leone, Sir Baresford Strooke.

Nigeria won the toss of the game and towards the end of the first half, Titus Okere shot at the hosts' goal. Sierra Leone's captain, Ashman attempted to clear but succeeded in deflecting the ball into the net. It was Nigeria's first ever goal in a grade A match. Sierra Leone earned a penalty kick taken by Wallace Johnson, but goalkeeper Issac Akioye saved it. Teslim THUNDER Balogun later scored another goal for Nigeria to make the final score 2 nil in favour of Nigeria.

Nigeria's Line - Up.for the match:

GOALKEEPER - ISSAC AKIOYE

DEFENDERS - JUSTIN ONWUDIWE, ISIAKA SHITTU, JOHN DANKARO, DANIEL ANYIAM

MIDFIELDERS - HOPE LAWSON, MESEMBE OTU

ATTACKERS - TESLIM BALOGUN, PETER ANIEKE, SOKARI DOKUBO, TITUS OKERE

I love zzor.

Racoon:


https://fanzone.com.ng/2020/10/02/nigeria60-history-of-nigeria-national-football-team/?fbclid=IwAR3i4O27J6mV7fOYKdERvAO321P3B-KSc7xfepB9nQEBaOxF-tVYAaryvAY

The "UK Tourists"...

That was the team's nickname.

Teslim Balogun later signed for QPR FC, I believe. About 10 matches or thereabouts and he got them around 3 goals.

Men them...No be big boy wey Mikel Obi dey do upandan

Nigerian music has gone far, Nigerian movies gone far. Only Nigerian football that's still somehow stagnant

First goalkeeper Mr Sam Ibiam from my home town died a couple of years ago.

God grant them eternal rest

Super pepeyes