Udoji United FC old boys rally support for fallen colleagues’ families

Prominent former players of the defunct Udoji United Football Club of Awka will on July 30 engage retired internationals in a friendly game aimed at raising funds for families of their late colleagues.

The novelty match, scheduled for the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu, will also serve as an avenue for all former players of the club to come together and look at ways of helping their indigent members.

Already, the planning committee, headed by Diewait Ikpechukwu and comprising former international, Emma Okocha, Enugu State Commissioner for Sports, Ofor Okenwa, Coach John Obuh, Akonam Obiefuna, Norbert Okolie and Ikem Udeh, has stated working to make the event a success.

Speaking on the programme in Lagos at the weekend, the convener of Udoji United FC Old Players Association, Ikem Udeh, accompanied by Dele Bob-Manuel and Robert Iweha, said, “former players of the club like Precious Monye, Ifeanyi Aghenu, Robert Iweha, Dele Bob-Manuel and Ndukwe Chukwu have all thrown their weight behind the event.”

Udeh said the campaign is aimed at helping widows and children of the deceased players, who have been under untold hardship since after the demise of their breadwinners, live a better life.

“We have lost such illustrious colleagues as Coach Willy Bazuaye, Charles ‘Charlie Parker’ Nduka, Kalu Umah, Herbert Anijekwu and trainer, Eddie Anyaegbulam. I have spoken to late Herbert Anijekwu’s wife and she expressed her happiness that at last some people want to look into her situation.

“I have also spoken to the owners of the club, Oscar and Goddy Udoji, and they are well disposed to the idea. Jude Agada is also in on it.“Before anything, we want to thank Oscar Udoji for giving us the platform to become what we are today. He is the head of the Udoji United family and we, as members, are grateful to him.”

Udeh disclosed the event is not only about raising and giving money to the families of their late colleagues, “we will also help some of our members secure jobs so that they can take care of their families.”

Before the match, he added, former members of the club will embark on a community project that will see them lecturing Nigerian youths on the need to take their education serious while in football or other sports.

He said, “some of our colleagues are living in penury because they were not educated and so did not have anything to fall back on when they could no longer play.

“I am fortunate that I ran into a coach, Chimezie ‘Watch me’ Ngadi, who constantly preached the gospel of education to me when I was playing in Nkanu area of Enugu. Even when I got to the United States I found it difficult to cope with the studies because I did not get proper education when I was playing football in Nigeria. So, to ensure that Nigerian youths playing football now did not experience the same fate their predecessors are facing, we want to encourage them to go back to school. “I brought a bag full of jerseys and other kits, which I will give to the children only after they have pledged to take their education serious.”