27TH AUGUST.
ONE OF NIGERIA’S MOST GIFTED FOOTBALLERS OF ALL TIME, OLUSEGUN PATRICK ODEGBAMI TURNS 70 TODAY.
On this day in 1952, former Nigerian International footballer, Patrick Olusegun Odegbami was born in Lagos, Southwest Nigeria.
Odegbami was born to Jacob Adebola Odegbami and Beatrice Bintu Abeke Odegbami (née Olotu) and is one of seven children of the Odegbamis.
His father was an older half-brother of Nigerian author Amos Tutuola.
Segun Odegbami was eventually brought up in the northern city of Jos, Plateau State in northcentral Nigeria along with many other members of his extended family.
Segun Odegbami nicknamed “The Mathematical” by famous commentator, the Late Ernest Okonkwo, won 46 caps and scored 23 goals for the Nigeria senior national team, the Super Eagles, which he guided to its first Africa Cup of Nations title at the 1980 tournament in Lagos.
He was famous for his skill on the ball, speed, and precision of his crosses from the right wing.
He played for IICC Shooting Stars of Ibadan in his entire career, from 1970 to 1984.
His last game was the 1984 African Champions Cup final defeat to Zamalek of Egypt.
Segun Odegbami attended and graduated from Nigeria’s premier technical institution; The Polytechnic, Ibadan where he studied Engineering.
In 2007 Odegbami appeared on Nigerian Who Wants To Be A Millionaire hosted by Frank Edoho.
He played a game for charity with Zebrudaya and donated his winnings to The Little Saints’ Orphanage on the Strong Tower Mission.
In September 2015, Odegbami stated his intention to run for FIFA presidency.
In June 2022, he launched a radio station called Eagles 7 Sports Radio 103.7 FM in Nigeria.
Odegbami has a daughter who sings under the name May7ven.
His two other brothers were also involved with football at other levels.
His older brother Dele Odegbami played football in the old Western Region for his school (Ebenezer Grammar School, Abeokuta), the West Academicals, his university, UNN Nsukka, and briefly for Stationery Stores football club of Lagos.
His other brother, Wole Odegbami, is also a former national team player, playing on the Nigerian national team for 11 years.
He is now a columnist in Nigeria.
For honours, Segun Odegbami had won the 1976 Africa Cup Winners Cup on 12th December of that year with IICC Shooting Stars of Ibadan beating Tonere Kalala of Yaounde. Odegbami won silver with Nigeria in the men’s football event of the 1978 All-Africa games as Nigeria lost the gold medal to the Desert Warriors of Algeria.
Odegbami won his first nations cup medal, a bronze medal at the 1978 Afcon in Accra, Ghana and won the Afcon with Nigeria, the nation’s first title on the 22nd of March 1980 in Lagos.
He scored two goals in the final and to date remains the only Nigerian footballer to have scored a brace in a major tournament’s final with the senior national team. Nigeria had beaten Algeria 3-0. The other goal was scored by the Late Muda Lawal.
Odegbami probably would have won an Olympic medal at the Summer Olympics in Montreal in 1976 as Nigeria had paraded a deadly squad and he was one of the best African footballers on current form at the time.
Nigeria had launched her identity with a sound 3-0 friendly victory over eventual bronze medalists Columbia in Canada ahead of the games but then Head Of State, Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo next led a 27-nation boycott of the games in solidarity with South-Africa on issues relating to apartheid and that deprived the world of watching the excessively talented Nigerian team.
At club level, besides winning the 1976 African Cup Winners Cup he won three Nigerian Premier League titles with IICC Shooting Stars in 1976, 1980, and 1983.
He also won the national FA Cup in 1977 and 1979.
He is a grounded marketer, a broadcaster and an astute administrator of high repute.
Segun Patrick Odegbami turns 70.
THIS DAY IN HISTORY IS A PRODUCTION OF Jay101.9fm.
