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TAJU DISU, Tech Director LAGOS Football Assoc.
Not too many of the young ones today will be familiar with the name and the face of one of Nigeria’s most talented and dependable defenders. He was so good they nicknamed him Ghadaffi on the field of play. But his real name is Tajudeen Disu. It is only the older football fans of the Nigeria national teams that will remember him and his contemporaries with relish. He was part of that hugely talented and historic 1983 Flying Eagles team that went down in our history books as the first Nigerian team to qualify for any FIFA organized tournament. They represented the country at the 1983 Under-20 Junior world cup held in Mexico. If you are looking for the first Nigeria national team to raise the country’s flag at a FIFA World Cup Competition, it was this team.
And without a doubt, Tajudeen Disu, tall and imposing at the center of defence, was an integral part of that team. He was, at the time, one of the finest and most efficient defenders to come out of Africa. Disu was a delight to watch. For a defender, he was brilliant. He impressed millions of football lovers in the country with his intelligence on the ball. It was always difficult for strikers to go past Taju Disu, just as it was also extremely difficult to dispossess him of the ball. He was a reliable rock in the heart of defence, which was why many respected him a great deal. He and his team mates dazzled at the competition, showcasing to the world for the first time the exquisite football skills of Nigerian footballers.
The big news is that Tajudeen Disu, a couple of months ago, was appointed the Technical Director of the Lagos State Football Association. His appointment got many of his contemporaries and followers of his football exploits overjoyed. Everyone who knows this gentleman and what he has achieved as a footballer is happy for him. He has paid his dues in Nigerian football. Many are optimistic he will deliver for Lagos state because it is a clear case of putting a square peg in a square hole.
Tajudeen Disu, who has spent the better part of the last two decades living and coaching in the United States, is retired from football and has done quite well, coming back home to help revive the dwindling fortunes of Nigerian football. Currently, Tajudeen Disu is the Chairman of the Youth Sports Federation of Nigeria (YSFON) Lagos, and now has the responsibility to bring back the glory days of football in Lagos state as the Technical Director of the Football Association. He started his football career from Ansar’deen Primary School, Lawanson Lagos and St Timothy’s College Yaba. Disu represented Lagos State at the National Sports Festival at Oluyole 79’ and Bendel 81.
He was member of the Flying Eagles team that played in FIFA World Cup in Mexico and later Super Eagles. He also played for Johnson Wythe United FC, Lagos, National Bank FC, Lagos State selected team, Leventis United FC, Ibadan, Abiola Babes FC of Abeokuta, etc
Two weeks ago, City People’s Senior Editor, WALE LAWAL (08037209290) had a good one hour chat with the retired Nigerian international and he took us back to his days as a former footballer and also expressed his confidence in the new Lagos State FA board under the chairmanship of Fuad Oki, a man Taju Disu believes has the ability and the vision to take Lagos state football to the next level and it is because of the chairman that he, too, is confident he can deliver as the Technical Director. Enjoy excerpts of the interview.
Let’s start by congratulating you on your new appointment, sir, it’s a well deserved appointment that is long over due because you’re somebody that has paid his dues as far as football is concerned. So, share with us, how did the appointment come?
Well, I thank God for everything because like you said, it’s over due. But I believe that this is God’s appointed time for me. I know the kind of love and passion I have for Nigerian football. Nigerian football made me. I think I am one of the sportsmen that have served this country from grassroots to this level. I represented Nigeria right from Ansar-Ud-Deen Primary School, from there to St. Timothy’s College, then, from playing at Lagos State Sports Festival to Baptist Academy. Eventually, I did my A Levels at Baptist Academy and I was the Games Prefect before I graduated. So, regarding the appointment, Ademola Are who was the Head of Sports during the tenure of the immediate past Minister for Sports, Sunday Dare, played a significant role. My colleague who was my Assistant Games Prefect at Baptist Academy then also was very instrumental. So, in all of these, I thank God, it’s a dream come true. I’ve always wanted to give back to the country, especially at the grassroots level because it was grassroots football that made me. I started from my youth, playing for my primary school, playing for the Surulere local government and eventually playing for Lagos State. I captained Lagos State to two National Sport Festivals, 1979 and 1981. In 1982, under the Youths Sports Federation of Nigeria, I represented Nigeria playing in the Gotia Cup in Sweden and also represented Nigeria playing in the Dallas Cup in Texas, America. We won these two cups. I also represented Nigeria playing in the NORWEGIAN Cup in Norway, also represented Nigeria in the Danish Cup in Denmark. The last one was when I represented Nigeria in Rio De Janeiro in Brazil when Nigeria won by a lone goal and that goal was scored by Augustine Igbinabaro who was a former NNB player.
So, following the Brazilian tournament, myself, Taju Disu from Baptist Academy, Patrick Udoh from Gaskiya College, Paul Ekoku from St. Finbarrs College, Tarila Okorowanta from St. Gregory’s College, Femi Olukanmi, CMS Grammar School, Segun Olukanmi, CMS Grammar school, Samson Siasia from Gaskiya College, late Anigala from St, Finbarrs, late Ramond King also from St. Finbarrs College and a lot of others were all part of the team. At the end of the day, when we returned, I was one of those selected for the Lagos State team to play in the national sports festival in Edo State. That was how I captained Lagos State. After playing at that tournament, about nine of us were picked from Lagos State, Coach Christopher Udemezue knew nobody then. It is not like now that you need to have a god father to get into the national team. He was an ex footballer himself. He was the first coach to qualify Nigeria to any FIFA tournament at the time. Udemezue was a disciplinarian. He suspended the likes of late Stephen Keshi and Humphrey Edobor from the national team then. We were invited for screening and luckily, about seven or eight players from Lagos State then made the team. And it was after the National Sports festival that I made the flying Eagles team coached by Christopher Udemezue and we went for Nigeria’s first ever FIFA World Cup appearance. He was an exceptionally good coach. It is unlike now that coaches take money to put players in the national team.
After that, I played for Abiola Babes and in 84, 85, 86, 87, we played four consecutive FA Cup finals. And according to the statistics then, Abiola Babes had the best defenders because we conceded only five goals throughout the national league in 1985. Then, you could go away to any team and win, unlike now that the game is about the highest bidder. Everything has been bastardised now. It is no longer about how talented you are, its about how much money you have. That is why when we select teams to go and represent us, thy get knocked out in the group stages because the very best were not selected.
Tell us about the new Lagos state FA board
Yes, we thank God today that we have a new Lagos State FA board under the Chairmanship of Fuad Oki, a man whose leadership I respect so much because of the passsion and sincerity he puts into everything that he does. He has shown that he is capable of bringing back the lost football glory of the state. I know many people may not like me for saying this but I thank God that I do not have to wait for their money to feed. Even if I don’t have anything, I have my American citizenship and my return ticket back to the United States. This is why I will never forget Chief MKO Abiola. He gave me the opportunity to go to America and study. He gave me a four year scholarship. I now have a citizenship of America. Once I no longer find the situation conducive, I buy my ticket and return to America. I don’t need to get a visa to go to America, my family is based there. So, I have nothing to fear. I say the truth always. It is because of my passion for the game of football that I am where I am now and part of the Lagos State Football Association and also because I want to give back. It is not about the money. As we speak, I have not collected one dime from the association. I have been the Technical Director going to about four months now and we have not been paid any salary for three months yet I am doing the work with pride and with joy because I am happy giving back.
Tell us about your very first tournament as Technical Director
My first assignment or tournament was a really good one. We had to pick the best Under 15 boys and Under 15 girls teams to represent Lagos State at the Under 15 boys and girls tournament in Asaba, Delta State and we won both competitions. It was really a good one and I must tell you it was a very wonderful experience for the boys and girls.
When you first came in as Technical Director, what were your immediate challenges? What did you meet on ground?
Thank you very much. You see, one of the reasons why I am excited about this job is that it gives me the opportunity to right some wrongs. We need to start putting in place the kind of opportunities that we had when we were representing state or the country because there is life after football. If I look at what is happening to a lot of our colleagues and contemporaries in football, I feel sad. We must have a pension scheme in place. Elsewhere around the world, whether its America, Britain, name it, all the ex-players receive their pension. Nigeria is the only place where you can’t find something like that. After serving the country with all of their youth, sportsmen are abandoned and left to their fate in their time of need. One of the reasons why I am back in the country is that I want to help these youths to benefit from opportunities available to them, to travel to America, further their education and represent Nigeria anytime they are needed, so that in future they will have something to fall back on. But if they have nothing to fall back on, they will suffer. There have been a whole lot of ex internationals that suffered like that and died. And it’s unfortunate. I don’t want that to happen to our youths. If I cared only about my own kids, I won’t be here. My kids are there in the US, my wife is there, but I want these youths too to become somebody in life. I want to help. I want to contribute my own quota, that is why I’m here. And I’m happy that these kids have shown focus and plenty of potentials by going to Delta to pick up the gold medals for the boys and girls.
Share with us your impressions of the new Lagos state FA board and the chairman
I will say something about the present chairman Fuad Oki. One thing a whole lot of people don’t know is that, truly, Fuad Oki might not be a football name that is known all over the place, but he was also a footballer. He was my goalkeeper when we were playing grassroot football and this is why we both have that mutual respect for each other. He grew up in Surulere just as I also ghrew up in Surulere. We were in the same youth football team together called Sugar Babes and we played at UAC stadium which is now known as Teslim Balogun stadium. We usually played against the Henry Nwosu, Stephen Keshi set called The Greater Tomorrow. So, the Fuad Oki who is the chairman of the Lagos FA today was the goalkeeper of Sugar babes. When the legendary Pele came to Nigeria Fuad Oki was the one in goal. I was the one playing central defence. I have known him as a childhood friend for a long time. For me, I have known him as an ex football player and he is a great guy, very reliable, very focused. So, he is a football person. He knows football. He has played football. I can tell you that if he was just a politician, I would not have come on board. And when they brought him on board, I wanted to contest as the chairman. Gafaar too wanted to contest as the chairman, making three of us. When I saw him, I said I know this guy, this is a former teammate. And he told me he is coming in to make a difference and I believe in him and that’s why I settled for the position of Technical Director. When we spoke, I could see he means well for the youths and the game of football. As I am talking to you now, this guy has been wonderful. His performance so far has exceeded my expectations. He spends his own hard earned money to make the players feel good. If you go to the players and talk about Fuad Oki, you will hear the great things they will tell you about him. I want journalists to come and talk to the players, not the officials, because there are some officials who are not happy with the honest and transparent manner he has been running the association. I have said this openly before several times and I will say it again, I will support Fuad Oki to the very last. I know that nobody is perfect. He may have made some mistakes, but still, what I look at is, were they those mistakes made out of a sincere desire to do things right? Does he mean well? And if the answer is yes, then, he is the man for the job. He should be allowed to do it.
What are the tournaments you are planning to put in place for the youths in Lagos state to prepare the youths for really big national and international competitions?
Thank you for this question, let me tell you about some of the things we have already put in place. The Chairman, Fuad Oki, brought back street soccer, he brought back Principal Cup. Street Soccer is starting soon. We are meeting tomorrow to fine tune arrangements for the take off of street soccer. Street soccer was on during Fashola’s time but suddenly, when he left, they wiped it off. But he has brought it back again. Principal Cup was one of the things that made Lagos State Football grow and he has brought it back. They will start the Principal’s Cup after the Street Soccer. He has also brought back Oba’s cup. He has brought back like five different programs that used to be on ground. I am the chairman of YSFON in Lagos. He gave me the opportunity to take the Lagos state Under-15 team to go and play Under-18 tournament last month. We lost in the quarter finals. That gave us the strength to go and win the Under-15 tournament. You can see the transition. When I first brought up the idea, some people went to him and said don’t allow him to take the team to play under 18 tournament o, they will get injured. But he said, no, the Technical Director is in charge, and he has said they will learn more, and get more tournament experience, so there is no cause for alarm. Believe me, you need to see the way the under-15 boys and girls won the tournament convincingly in Delta. Fuad Oki really motivates them. He buys food for them. He talks to them. I am aways there with him along with the Chief Coach. So, there is a lot that Fuad has done. He has not given me money or anything, but I can tell you, this man will deliver.
So, you’re saying that Lagosians should expect better days in terms of the development of football in the state?
You can quote me anywhere, this man will deliver. Take it from Taju Disu. If not that he is the one in charge, I probably would’ve taken my bag and travel. The things the man is bringing on board, there is no way we won’t achieve results.He is passionate about what he is doing and that’s what we need to move our football forward. Already, they are calling me from the US to come and play with those kids, because they saw all their performances that I posted online. There is an NGO in North Carolina in which I am the chairman, they want to get these young boys and girls to school. And that’s what gave me the opportunity to go to school in America after playing Dallas Cup through YSFON. So, I want to do my own bit to ensure that these kids get such opportunities. With Fuad Oki in charge, we will bring back all the lost football glory of Lagos State and build a solid foundation for our kids that will guarantee their future survival.
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