My Mum Thought I Stole The First N35 I Earned From Football –Eldred Sunju Abbey

Just like any child growing up in his time, football was his passion. He says it was fun playing the round leather game with similarly  minded kids like him in the streets of Lagos. But unlike most others who moved on to other pastimes and vocations after outgrowing puberty, Eldred Sunju Abbey continued to follow his passion. In football, he found fulfilment. Today, after a glorious playing career, he has moved on to become a coach. In this interview with Weekly Sports Review (WSR), he talks about his pet project, 'The African Coaches Connect', his growing up years and other sundries issues related to the development of the game in Nigeria. Excerpts....

SIR, TELL US ABOUT YOUR PROJECT AFRICA FOOTBALL COACHES FORUM THAT IS SO DEAR TO YOUR HEART THAT IT IS  MAKING SUCH UNCOMMON IMPACT ACROSS DIFFERENT SPHERES AT PRESENT?

African Coaches Connect is an organization that aims to bring together and connect coaches from various African countries. It provides a platform for coaches to network, share knowledge, and support one another in their personal and professional development. The organization caters to coaches across different disciplines, including sports, business, leadership, and life coaching. African Coaches Connect organizes conferences, workshops, and webinars where coaches can come together to exchange ideas, learn from each other's experiences, and gain valuable insights into their respective fields. These events also provide opportunities for coaches to expand their networks, collaborate on projects, and find mentorship or coaching opportunities.

Additionally, African Coaches Connect offers online resources, articles, and training materials to support coaches in enhancing their coaching skills and staying up to date with industry trends. They also provide a directory of coaches, allowing individuals or organizations seeking coaching services to connect with qualified professionals. 

Overall, African Coaches Connect serves as a platform to foster collaboration, learning, and growth within the coaching community in Africa, ultimately promoting the development of coaching as a profession in the region.

HOW WAS YOUR GROWING UP LIKE, YOUR UP BRINGING, SCHOOLING, PLAYING CAREER, AND NOW, THAT YOU ARE RETIRED? 

Growing up was fun. And, particularly when it came to football, we had our little groups. We knew ourselves, we knew our capabilities and levels and we just went in those groups from one street to the other. We had to play with anything spherical. It could an orange, the skin of an animal, it could be anything round, anything we could just kick around. We played with plastic balls called 'Omolere'. We had a converging point -- a place where we usually gathered to play. However, our experiences with the 'Omolere' plastic ball wasn't always pleasant because we often sustained injuries which arose from hitting our legs against the often hard exteriors of the ball. So, we graduated from that level to playing with the ball known as 'Felele.'

'Felele' was softer and had this tendency to veer off course when hit because it was very  light, and therefore always being directed and controlled by the wind. So we could kick it leftward and it will eventually go right if the wind was blowing rightwards. It was so much fun and growing playing with our elders, brothers and seniors because we had what was called the ‘set.’ It was a like a screening exercise where we come together after school. It was of no age barrier. People like us could play with our elder brothers and we dared not make them lose their games. We were always very careful not to make mistakes each time we got the opportunity to play alongside them. We knew we risked getting heavy knocks on our heads or get altogether ignored in future selections if we did not acquit ourselves well in their company. Well, for the chance to play with the grown-ups, we were ready to take anything. Truth is, we enjoyed it, and it was a learning process. It was an accountability and discipline in skill system where you know you have to be accountable. You have to be just and responsible for your actions and that really developed us because we grew there. Then from there, we joined the “A Greater Tomorrow” which was the U-13 set-up right there at the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos and there we were exposed to top gaffers like Coach Anieke, Coach Abbey, Coach Olu.  I loved the experience so much because most of them took us as their kids and they just nurtured us. From there, we played in Abalti Baracks, UAC and it was so much fun. We were there and as early as we were in our form 2 or 3 in Secondary School then, I could remember earning thirty five naira (N35) which was big money then. On occasions, my mother had had to raise the alarm that I had probably started stealing. It took coach Ganiu Salami's explanation before my mother could believe that I was actually making money from playing football. It was really great growing up. We played a lot of competitions and before we got into the Flying Eagles, I got a scholarship and left the shores of the country. I learnt so much under coaches like Fanny Amun, Ganiyu Salami, Coach Abbey, Coach Emilo, the list is endless. It was after my retirement, I decided to go back to school to acquire more knowledge. I enjoyed the power of knowledge.Thanks to people like Uyobio and Friday Johnson who saw my potentials and encouraged to be a coach. That’s how I started my coaching education and license certification in America and I’m happy for it.

 AT SOME POINT, YOU HAD TO COMBINE WORKING FOR RIVERS UNITED IN BOTH THE LEAGUE AND CONTINENTAL  ASSIGNMENTS? WHAT WAS THE EXPERIENCE LIKE? 

Working in Rivers State was both exciting and challenging. But my gratitude goes to some distinguished personalities in that state who made things a bit easy for me.

My thanks goes to Gbenga James, someone who I regard as both a brother and friend. Then, of course is my royal father, His Royal Majesty King Edward Asimini Dappa, Amanyanabo of Bonny Kingdom, a real father a real friend. He just took me as his royal son and he listened, helped, pushed where he could, to make me succeed. I also would like to thank my good brother, Ifeanyi Onyema,  Samson Fiberisima, the head of Rhythm 93FM, Port Harcourt where I did a bit of punditry and analysis on a regular basis. I am also indebted to Hon. Boma Iyaye who was then the commissioner for sports in the state for all the support he gave me while I worked with Rivers United FC. When I look back, I am proud that Rivers United have made progress since the day two former rival state-owned clubs -- Sharks of and Dolphins -- were welded together to become one. Even as we speak today, Rivers United is the only club that is left in Continental CAF competitions. This is where I salute the role Hon. Boma Iyaye played in making that dream a reality.

WHAT, IN YOUR OPINION, IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE OLD DIVISION ONE LEAGUE  STRUCTURE AND THE CURRENT NIGERIA FOOTBALL LEAGUE (NFL) AS IT'S FONDLY CALLED, AND THE SUGGESTIONS TO THE AUTHORITIES ON HOW TO MAKE IT BETTER?

To me, this can be looked at from different perspectives. Lets start with the communal commitment. Back in the days, clubs were community-based. Government didn’t so much influence in owning football clubs. In those days, we had Wema Bank, NPA, NEPA etc. In those days, we got food almost free. We had good times as players. But these days, things have changed and deteriorated in terms of communal involvement, working conditions, government interference, poor infrastructure, corruption and poor funding, to mention but a few.

Talking about the managerial or administrative aspects of the league. The current way of handling it does not attract investors. And this,no doubt, accounts for the low turn out we often witness at match venues. Do you know that a lot of people that go to watch matches these days are people who are mobilised to come to watch? In our days, we used to climb the flood light gate in the stadium to watch a match, even when it was being televised. These days, people don’t have the passion to go to the stadium to watch a match. We have to re-organise and re-assess ourselves with a view to improving.

SIR, WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO ACHIEVE WITH THE PROJECT AFRICAN COACHES CONNECT AT THE END OF THE DAY? 

Well, the African Coaches Connect has been  conceived to be a one-stop market place for all football activities but we are very particular about how to positively affect the fortunes of African coaches. I want things to get better for them. Now, for this to happen, a lot of things has to be in place. There must be good education, advocacy, facilities, management wages and good welfare. This is our core mandate. I am a coach and I have been lucky to coach outside the country, and I have been around coaches. I don’t still understand the difference why African Coaches can’t be in some of these places where other coaches are. I want to thank our brother Walid, the Moroccan coach that took the Atlas Lions of  Morocco all the way to a podium-place finish at the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup. African Coaches Connect has come to be a support partner for football and coaches. 

HOW DO YOU RATE, AND ACCREDIT COACHES WHO PARTICIPATE IN YOUR PROGRAMMES, AND WHAT IS YOUR STATUS IN THE EYES OF THE NFF, CAF, AND FIFA, FOR INSTANCE?

In one of our landing statements on our website, every coach that want to be part of African Coaches Connect must belong to their local football organisation, so in Africa for instance we must affiliate with CAF, and by extension, FIFA. And because we are in collaboration, we may disagree once in a while but because we have intelligent coaches, we can sit round a table to discuss our differences and reach common grounds to resolve them. ACC is for everybody. We are a little bit partial to young people or people who just started their coaching career or grassroot coaches because without grassroot coaches, there will be nothing to harvest in future. That’s why we pay attention to our grassroot coaches. Here, we want to develop them. We want them to attain that same level where they can command respect in terms of what value they add to the development of football at different stages. ACC is for all. As long as you are a coach and you want to get better, you are welcome.