Essential Ndubuisi
By Tai Emeka Obasi
The only regret I had when the present Anambra State was created was losing Rangers International FC as my state team.
You can then imagine my joy later when Udoji United and Jasper United became division one club sides representing my new state and doing quite well too. So well that courtesy of Udoji United, Anambra State produced league champions while Jasper United closely followed in second spot in same 1996 season. To drive the joy further home, the owner of Udoji United, Chief Oscar United hails from Ozubulu, my town.
Both sides stayed about a decade each on the national and continental arena before disbandment. Later Gabros International came aboard and interestingly had its stadium at my home town, Ozubulu.
Gabros metarmorphosed into Ifeanyi Ubah FC in 2015 and when it joined the Nigerain Professional Football League elite Division in 2016, lovers of the game in the state believed this one is here to stay, particularly after the fanfare and the international affiliations following the formation. The media blitz was so loud that most Nigerian sports journalists believed a real professional outfit that would reshape club management in the country had finally arrived.
It won the National Federation Cup in 2016 and the media loved them even more, especially when the owner, Senator Ifeanyi Ubah forced his way into Anambra State Football Federation as its chairman.
But somehow, the club started going downhill. So many stories of mismanagement that those who understood the signs knew doomsday was coming.
And the club got relegated this still-on-going season.
From every indication, the inevitable is on the way and Anambra State will be back to square one, regarding the Nigerain League.
If you ask me, this is a very wrong time for Ifeanyi Ubah FC to go under. The hopes raised for talented youths of Anambra with the one-family-one-footbler scheme that was characteristically hyped to the high heavens via the media is now just pipe dreams. And with it gone the emotions.
Anambra is not cursed, we’re the cause of our problems. Ifeanyi Ubah FC was founded on solid foundations but cumulated months of mishandling, including abandoned home stadium, ‘killed’ a very noble project from where Senator Ubah draws over 50% of his grassroots support.
