28/10/2025
October 10 1981.
"Algeria came to Lagos for the 1982 World Cup qualifier - 14 months after the 1980 AFCON final. They absolutely trashed the hosts' living room and left in ruins, the international careers of Tunde Bamidele and Christian Chukwu.
That 2-0 defeat was my 2nd heartbreak as a child and it is burnt into my consciousness like a the bad scar it is."
Buy the book, "Laughter, Leather and Losses" for more stories like this from Onwuka.
Laughter, Leather & Losses is the life story of Calvin ‘Emeka Onwuka, told through the lens of his love for the round leather game and ardent support of the Nigerian national teams. It charts the contemporaneous rise, plateau and decline of Nigeria and her football. Starting in the buzz of Oju...