All Stars Football Organization in Ikorodu, clocked 30 years and to celebrate the great feat, members of the body rolled out a week-long programmes in celebration. THE IMPACT Publisher/Reporter-in-Chief, Kunle ADELABU cornered some of the founding fathers, Lanre Olabinjo, Adekunle Segun ‘Eja’, Adekunle Habeeb Anifowoshe Alias ‘Alapa’, Murtala Muhammed Saminu, Mr Adewale Faatai Bisirtiyu ‘Dagama’, Alhaji Moshood Atunwon ‘Moscow’, Coach Jones Olomu and Alhaji Murisiku Banwo, to seek their views on achievements in the last 30 years and expectations in the next 30 years. Excerpts:
Lanre Olabinjo who is popularly known as the leader of Onyabo Vigilance Group, is also a good player while growing up and still play the round leather game with old players. In his days, he played for established teams in the national league. He is a founding member and the President of the All Stars Football Organization, Ikorodu.
IMPACT: For the record sir, your name and your position?
Olabinjo: I am Olabinjo Olarenwaju, the chairman of All Stars Football Organization in Ikorodu.
IMPACT: It’s been 30 years of the existing of your organization, as a founding member, will you say that the objectives on which the organization was formed has been achieved?
Olabinjo: Yes. When we were playing active football then, though, I was very small then. It was then that our members assembled themselves to form this organization for the purpose bringing ourselves together every week and interact from time-to-time. Since then, we have made lot of progress with our members that are playing professional football in all part of the world returning home whenever they have break to play together. We are celebrating the 30 years today with lot of funfair
IMPACT: Can you tell us some of these achievement?
Olabinjo: We succeeded then in bringing our members together despite playing in big clubs both home and abroad. Some of our members are ex-international and myself happened to be the former player of NEPA Egbin and later Nigerdock. I also played for Eko Le Meridian Hotel, We also have the likes of Jide Oguntunwase, Abiodun Obafemi that played during the Olympic, Adewale Bisiriyu Dagama, Adekunle Anifowoshe, Seriki and host of others. And as well, the Majority Leader of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. SOB Agunbiade is also our member because he played for Santos FC and some other Club as well.
IMPACT: After this celebration of 30 years of existence, what should people be expecting in the next 30 years?
IMPACT: They should expect more progress in ikorodu division, because we have map out some programmes for the young talents who want to be good footballers and ply their trades in the national league and international leagues. We have some of us who are running some NGO and football Academies. We have clubs like Buruj FC, premier organization and others, that are training and taking some of these players to Europe for trials and help them secure clubs. As a member of Aspire Africa, we have also assisted more than 30 players for trials in Europe. Our plan as All Stars in Ikorodu is to assist more of our talents by making sure that they have opportunity to showcase their talents at home and abroad
Adekunle Segun popularly known as ‘Eja’, who works with the Lagos State government, is ex footballer and still active in school sports management. He was a prolific striker in his days as footballer and also one of the founding members of the All Stars Football Organization, Ikorodu. He also spoke with THE IMPACT about the journey so far. Excerpts:
IMPACT: You are among the founding fathers that initiated the formation of All Stars Football Organization 30 years ago, what was the dream them?
Adekunle: Exactly. At that time, we didn’t even know that everything will turn out like this. Back then, we just come around, play together and do things together on the field, but as time goes on, we deem it very fit that we should establish All Stars Football Association in Ikorodu because we are very many.
We use the formation of the organization to bring everybody together as member of a big family and we have achieved great things together and that is we are celebrating. Today is the first day of the celebration (Sunday, October 21). We were at the Methodist Church, Italewa, where we have been for thanksgiving and we were very many.
IMPACT: Where did you see the All Stars Organization in the next 30 years?
Adekunle: Another 30 years, by that time, All Stars would have been very great because we have so many things we wanted to do. We want to have our own club House and by the time, we would have also gotten a stadium in ikorodu and many other things like that would have been in place. In the last 30 years, we have been able to create awareness to those in government, about things that we want in Ikorodu. I am very positive that the next 30 years would be another celebration of achievements
Another founding father and an ex-international, Adekunle Habeeb Anifowoshe Alias ‘Alapa’, also spoke with THE IMPACT on the journey so far
IMPACT: Can you tell us which clubs you played for during your playing days?
Anifowoshe: I started my football career with Lasaca FC. I later played with NEPA Egbin. We won Aspera cup around 1990, from there, I went to NEPA Shomolu where I played at State League. It was from there that I graduated to NEPA headquarters (National) where I played in the Division 2 and then, Division 1. I left NEPA headquarters for Kwara United around 1994 and 1995. Before my Kwara United sojourn, I was at University of Lagos (UNILAG) doing Physical Education (Diploma) and while there, I played for Default FC at the back of Credit and Commerce International then. We used to train at CMS Grammar School at Bariga.
I left Kwara United for India where I played professionally with Sabuta FC in Mumbai. From Sabuta where I played for almost three years, I moved to Maindra FC also in Mumbai. I later went to Quakata also in India and played for Muhammedah Sporting and after that, I went to Bangladesh and I played for Brothers FC before coming back to the country
IMPACT: As a founding member of All Stars Football Organization in ikorodu, will you say that you hyave achieved in the last 30 years?
Anifowoshe: We give glory to God Almighty for keeping us up till today, I was a young boy when we started All Stars then. I can remember Alhaji Bisiriyu Adewale (Dagama), Yinka Abiodun, Mr Bili Tanny, Jones Olomu, Obafemi Moses, Monsuru Kalejaiye (Sail-over), Alhaji Samel, Alhaji Akinsanya, Seriki whom we played together in India. And when we are returning to the country during break, we used to buy jerseys for the members of All Stars and some clubs in Ikorodu then. I also used to donate to players at Elepe then. What we are doing today is simply to give thanks to God for keeping us together for 30 years. Though, there has been challenges, which we have encountered but inspite of all that, we have made progress. All Stars Organization, Ikorodu is now a formidable body which Ikorodu can boast of anywhere. Today, there is no how All Stars Ikorodu will not be counted among great All Stars Football teams in Nigeria. We are now group with the likes of All Stars International, Lagos and the Managers. I know this because I am also a member of All Stars Manager at Isolo. To God be the glory, we are 30 years and celebrating the greatness and goodness of God.
Mr Muritala Muhammed Saminu is the son of the late popular coach, Mr Saheed Saminu, popularly called ‘Isan Ori Eja’. He played for Oriwu College, Ikorodu, and Baptist Academy, Obanikoro, during his Secondary School days. On returning to Ikorodu, he also played for many clubs among which were Nichemtex FC, ITT FC and National Bank FC respectively. He also played for NNPC FC and NEPA FC, Somolu, before his entrance into the Federal Ministry of Aviation in 1983, where he was a player, coach and later Chairman of the Ministry’s Sports Club.
“We give thanks to God that we are celebrating 30 years anniversary today because my father, late Coach Saminu, started the All Stars Football Organization with other players who are now old men and stillalive today. Among them are Chief Fatai Isa (Coach Railway), Lucky Okegbe, Coach Jones Olomu, Tajudeeb Disu, Henry Nwosu who also used to come around, among others. They used to play at the Police Barracks in Ikorodu.
“In that last 30 years, we have ensure that football did not die or relegated in Ikorodu. Our active participation has also served as factor of encouragement to many who have also played football to the highest level as well as those that are still playing. In short, in the last three decades, we have not done badly.
“If we continue this trend, in few years, Ikorodu All Stars shall be maintaining same status with the All Stars International and All Stars Managers that are the leading All Stars teams in the country. They have in their midst most of the international and ex-international players, governors, commissioners and other highly placed individuals”.
Mr Adewale Bisiriyu (Dagama), a former National League player with Shooting Stars FC in Ibadan and other teams before travelling abroad where he played in various countries before retiring from active football. During his playing days, he was a lanky and no-nonsense defender dreaded by strikers. He is one of the founding fathers of the Ikorodu All Stars Football Organization.
“We thank God that what we started unconsciously has blossomed into a big thing that we are celebrating its 30 years anniversary today. We have had good and challenging times together but above all, we have survived many challenges and today we are still together which is a great achievement.
“We come together virtually every time, especially on weekends when we play together back then at Police Barracks, Ikorodu, before moving to other places but today, we normally gathered at Strong Tower, where we are today, to play together which is one of the reasons we established the organization.
“As a team, we have been able to encouraged young players and assisted many of them to secure clubs and more importantly, we kept the glory of football alive in Ikorodu. I have no doubt that in the next 30 years, the organization would be greater”.
Alhaji Moshood Atunwon was an ex-player and also one of the founding fathers of the Ikorodu All Stars Organization. He is a teacher and popular Apala musician in Ikorodu and its environs.
“It’s been a long journey and we thank God that we are celebrating 30 years anniversary today. We were very young when we started the organization and at that period, we were still playing active football, both locally and internationally.
“Members of the organization have achieved many things together. We have been playing regularly together since the inception of the organization 30 years ago. We have also been organizing tournaments and inviting established stars from outside Ikorodu to take part in the them and also going outside the town to participate in invitational competitions.
“I hope to see Ikorodu All Stars in the next 30 years being managed by today’s young players while we take the back sit role and offer them advice and guidance that will propel them to greater heights”.
Coach Jones Olomu, former National team player, former player of the Nigerian Army and ex-international. He has also coached many clubs and he’s still active in football management. He is one of the founding fathers of the Ikorodu All Stars Football Organization.
“We were young when we conceived the idea of the organization because we want to continue playing together as friends united by football. We are grateful for the gift of life and for the sustenance of the organization till date.
“As a former player and coach, like many of our members, we have been able to assist young players in Ikorodu to achieve their dreams of playing soccer within and outside the country.
“We still have great plans for the development of football in Ikorodu, Lagos State and the country as a whole which we shall be unfolding as we progress. We intend to train young players not just how to play good football, but also the totality of football management, to make them compete footballers. In the next 30 years, we hope that a befitting stadium would have been constructed in Ikorodu which will go a long way in improving sports development in the entire Ikorodu division.”
Alhaji Murisiku Banwo is a former player and former Chairman, All Stars Football Organization, Ikorodu.
“Our celebration of 30 years anniversary today is a great achievement for all of us who have been together all these while. We have succeeded in creating football tradition in Ikorodu which the young ones are emulating and we are grooming them to take over from us.
“Another 30 years is a long period but I pray that God will preserve our lives. Aside our desire to keep meeting and playing togerther regularly, we also want to continue to serve as sources of encouragement for the youths interested in playing soccer and help them develop their football talents to enable them get to the peak of the game.”
