By Eniola Olatunji
I join thousands of Nigerians to congratulate my Big Sheg. Chief Patrick Olusegun Odegbami legendary Mathematical Eagle 7 on his birthday AUGUST 27.
I knew Big Sheg in the early 70s before I got into Sports Journalism as he played for Housing Corporation of Ibadan before joining then WNDC now IICC Shooting Stars then I used to go watch them train at the Liberty Stadium Pitch even follow them into the Stadium Hostel with my senior brother, Otubusen Idowu aka Slow Poison who eventually became his Best man at his wedding.
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As a young school leaver then I wrote and published a printed poem EAGLE 7.
Today, the man that loves touch line dribbles and discouraged many defenders including Hard Tackling Beloumi of Algeria has a Radio Station called EAGLE 7.
Odegbami, a Mechanical Engineering graduate of Ibadan Poly was feared by many African Countries and Clubs including Rokana FC of Zambia who Odegbami messed up going straight from the Exam hall of Ibadan Poly to the field of play in Zambia in a private jet hired for him by the late Chief Lekan Salami.
I used to frequent Segun Odegbami’s bunk at Imalefalafia street at Oke Ado in Ibadan straight from the OGBC studio at Abeokuta.
He had too many friends to list for they are likely to damage my human computer processor board located at my Medulla Oblangata but I remember Baami (Jehovah, his real name is gone into another column) who they play Tennis together at Ibadan Recreational Club.
I remember covering his probably only legal case at the Ibadan High Court, Iyaganku in 1982. I worked for BCOS on the Sports Desk and his wife, aunty Funmi very pretty light complexioned, ever smiling with this gap in the middle frame of the tooth cavity you call ‘eji’ worked as an accountant at Ile Akede. Am not always in a hurry to leave her presence when I have change to collect in her office. To use present terminology, I used to crush on her. I grin like a school boy greeting everyone on the corridors whenever I had to walk her down to BCOS canteen. Gosh, it was always my pleasure to do that.
Segun Odegbami messed many defenders on the pitch of play in those days but when I wrote that poem EAGLE 7 in 1978 I dazzled him with my knowledge of secondary school level biology. I threw back at him, the Egba phrase, “o Ko le mess mi o” meaning “you cannot mess me”.
I said Odegbami used his meta tarsal bones to kick around the ball, that is ‘instep in football language. That is the bone on your feet towards your toes. I said Odegbami used his cervical bones to pass the ball and odontoid bones to score goals.
That was when I love to speak English like Wole ‘Kongi’ Soyinka and try to be like the great Earnest Okonkwo – Adjective man.
Cervical bones allow you shake your head as in to look right or left, so Odegbami was swift to use that telepathic structure on his body to communicate the ball to his bossom friend, Mudashiru Babatunde Lawal the one we call Shirey.
The guy who grew up in Jos use his Odontoid bones to nod balls into goals especially from corner kicks or diagonal passes. I can see his looks as i read the poem to him. Did he say this tall black skinny boy speaking grammar as if Na mama Eli (Queen Elizabeth) born am?
Take this as a toast to the man that rocked African football like a collosus.
Congratulations buoda mi (he is an Egba man from Wasimi where he built a sprawling football academy), Patrick Olusegun Odegbami on your 70th birthday.
From Eniola Olatunji (Rev.) formerly known as Yomi Kassim. God bless you all.
