When will my tears ever run dry? – Moses Kpakor, nostalgia as ex-international remembers late footballers

Nigeria football legend, Moses Kpakor in tears

I woke up this morning at about 6:15 am prepare and ready to go work but suddenly felt weak, I mean extremely weak without reason! Then I sat back on my bed looking confused and wondering why? In the process of thinking about my plight I remembered something I had wanted to cross-check from my archives for a while. As I was going through my archives I suddenly, I mean, somehow grasped my hands on my unpublished book: “The Pride Of Benue football” – Oh! My God! Behold! I found myself on a chapter that has names of players that played for BCC Lions Football Club of Gboko from 1983 – 1998. My goodness Lord and God! Behold, it was like my eyes were seeing only those fellow-soldiers of the beautiful game who have died and I couldn’t hold back my tears but only asked the question out of my usual frustration “when will my tears ever run dry”?
Goodness Lord and God! Only recently that I lost my best friend, Ganiyu Mustapha, former teammate at Abiola Babes Football Club of Abeokuta and BCC Lions Football Club of Gboko, and immediate past Technical Director of Kwara United Football Club of Ilorin, whose death I learnt was not any different from other footballers and sportsmen and women generally in Nigeria! Not long ago also we saw another shame and disappointing neglect of former athletes who die in this country whether in action for their country or not- I am referring to the death of former Super Eagles teammate and roommate in Kumasi, Ghana, Mike Onyemachara. 😭😭😭.
Well, today, I decided to bring my ever flowing tears to the public because I cannot continue to hold these tears hostage in my secret heart. Why? Why?, why is it that anytime a footballer (sportsman and woman) dies in this country it does seem like a murderer or armed robber has died?? Now we have lost another soccer icon and fellow-soldiers of the beautiful game, brother and coach, Justin Tenger. Coach Tenger played for the national team of Nigerian Army alongside Kadiri Ikhana, and he was also the pioneer captain of Lobi Stars of Makurdi in 1981 and coached Lobi Stars on numerous times. Tenger coached dozens of teams in Nigeria – Another Legend of Football from Adikpo-London, the Brazil of Benue Football now fades away😭😭😭😭.
Finally, that book was opened and I saw the dead, they were many that cannot be numbered and my eyes continued to flow with tears and then I realized that my tears will never ever run dry until I also go the way of my fellow-soldiers
Patrick Aduaka, Terdzungwe Magen, gbalumun Gwautsa, Audu Adamu (Ejo), Alphosus Nnebue Wilfred Agbonavbare, Lemmy Isah, Loveday Osadabe, Innocent Owobi, Terfa Mtu, Roberto Musa, Terfa Kpakor, Terfa Apurugh, Ordedoo Tughgba, Richard Tyôsaa, Manasseh Ikyem, Alumun Aule, Japheth Timothy, Emma Ngóbua, Amir Angwe, Ganiyu Mustapha, Kolade Abejide, Barnabas Imenger, Peter Ogaba, Christopher Edem, Ben Agada, Vincent Iorpuu, Clifford Cassidy, Omo Zubairu, Moses Mbakuku, Victor Aningo, John Agum, John Okon, Clifford Cassidy, Maskaven Tali, Benjamin Dega, Felix Nyam, Isah Vandano Abdullah, Lucky Isebor, and the list goes on and on! May their souls continue to rest in the peaceful presence of God, amen. God bless you for your time, please. (Moses Kpakor Facebook timeline)