Simi Awujo
Dateline Thursday 18th August 2022 morning at 03:00 hours, the Falconets of Nigeria whipped their Canadian U20 counterparts in the World cup playing in Costa Rica under the Nigerian axiom of no paddy for jungle without recognising there was in the opposing team, their blood sister in Simisola Feyishayo Awujo who spotted the number 13 shirt for Canada.
France beats Canada
Simi baby was born to Nigerian parents of Yoruba extraction, Dr. Akinwole Awujo a Medical Doctor and Dr. Mrs. Shola Okuwa-Awujo a Pharmacist who attended Command Secondary school, Maryland in Ikeja Lagos on September 23rd, 2003.
Her mum, Shola is a thorough bred Lagosian who has the Canadian citizenship and her father, Akinwole was born in Idanre, Ondo State where the spreading hills is a spectacular tourist site. The father has an American citizenship hence their habitat of Atalanta Georgia.
Simi was in Lagos last December to bury her maternal grandmother sizing up Naija gals she would play against in Costa Rica and eating her choice food, Nigerian Jollof, a Nigerian food delicacy loved all over the world above the Ghanaian Jollof.
The Canadian midfield dynamo who played full 90 minutes against the Falconets played a Yeomans role to get their only goal of the tournament in the match which they lost gallantly 3-1 and the stadium speakers blarred Kiss Daniel’s now globally recognised music,”Ololo Buga o”.
The music depicts someone taking glory in an achievement.
Simi is the second child in the family and her senior brother, Jide plays as a Forward for Villanova University in America. Simi is a notable book worm taking after her academic guru parents and is a second year student of Southern California University .
She plans to major in Neuroscience with hopes of becoming a Paediatric Surgeon soon.
She has a record with the school 4×100 and 4×400 relay teams and was part of the Canadian U17 squad that went to the EUFA Football Development tournament in Czech Republic in 2019.
Simi played 20 games as a freshman for Trojans and this year alone,she scored two goals and recorded two assists. She is 175cm or 5ft 9in tall. Very good athletic build and black and shine girl.
Her mum, Shola Okuwa-Awujo wrote on her Facebook page, ‘We lost the match, but gained so much more! I am grateful for my Canadian and American families who came to support Simi and her team. I am especially grateful to God for giving Simi this chance and for Canada finding her and giving her a chance. This is her best fit and great things are coming #teamsisola.”
I am not pleased to report that Simi sweetie like her mum would call her is not planning to visit the daunting Idanre hill this reporter visited in 1971; see the Ikogosi Warm Springs in Ekiti; the Pedestral Rocks at Ikere Ekiti or Olumo Rock in Abeokuta that has lift now but is dreaming of visiting Japan, probably Tokyo the home of Love where the movies took us to in the olden days.
The family attends Jubilee Christian International Church in Georgia where Simi is a member of the Choir and she once participated in the Camerata Honor’s Choir programme at Woodworks Academy.
Picture is that of Simisola Feyishayo Awujo.
Report by Eniola Olatunji.
Eniola is a vastly experienced Journalist of about 45 years experience in both electronic and Print media in Nigeria. He runs Patmos Media Line, an online News Agency and an ordained Rev, Senior Pastor of Divine Vessels Assembly in Abuja Nigeria.
