Barr Ifeanyi Dike, the chairman of the Imo State Football Association, has praised the Super Eagles for their victory over Angola and dedicated it to the memory of Samuel Okwaraji.
He praised the Eagles’ tenacity and commitment for defeating the Angolan side last Friday in the ongoing AFCON competition in Cote d’Ivoire.
In a statement issued by Imo FA executive committee member Angela Nkwo-Akpolu, Dike commended the Nigerian squad for honoring the memory of the late Okwaraji by dedicating their victory over Angola to him. Dike said the move was highly laudable.
The Imo FA Chairman congratulated the team on their win and tasked them with winning the trophy to maintain national Nigerian unity.
“I know it is not easy for the Super Eagles now because the interest of over 200 million people rests on their shoulders. However, I appeal to them to give it their all and bring the trophy home. They have given Nigerians a new sense of unity, and we pray they will be crowned African champions. Imo FA has implicit confidence in our boys; we know they will make us proud.
“As we all know, the late Samuel Okwaraji hailed from Imo state. He gave his best, even to the point of death. He proved the most outstanding commitment to his fatherland, and we must honor his memory.
“Imo FA thanks the Super Eagles for dedicating the Angola victory to Okwaraji. We remain hopeful that this will signal the immortalization of our late brother and AFCON victory for us all as Nigerians”, Dike said.
He lamented Okwaraji’s death in August 1989 in Lagos, during a Nigeria-Angola football match, while he was trying to give his fatherland his all.
Given that his mother is still alive and has not yet recovered from Okwaraji’s passing, he made a plea to the Nigerian government to have the late player immortalized.
Despite being a football player, Okwaraji had legal training.
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