By Emeka Obasi
Andrew Uwe’s German wife asked questions when almost every young Nigerian around called him daddy. In Western climes, fathers get to be so called only by their biological children.
Uwe said: “I had to explain to my wife that in our culture, it is normal for children from other homes to refer to you as daddy especially if they regard you as a father figure. Many of them were with me at Vandrezzer Football Club.”
I put a call across to former Vandrezzer skipper, Daniel Emmanuel. When I mentioned Uwe, the first words that came out of the player’s mouth were, ‘oh, my daddy’. That confirmed Mrs Uwe’s thoughts. It also showed admiration.
Emmanuel opened up. “I refer to him as daddy because he was not just my coach, he was a father, in and off the pitch, a mentor, life coach, an adviser, who never got tired of communicating with his players. After a game, he would call us individually and offer words of encouragement, no matter the result.
“He welcomed ideas from players and we were ready to play for him anytime. When Daddy left the team, most of the players were calling me to ask if he would come back soon.”
From Nigeria, Emmanuel moved to Benin Republic where he plays for SOBEMAP but still taps from Uwe’s wisdom. “As captain, I imbibed so much from him – humility, leadership by example, hard – work, dedication, name it. When I want to take some decisions, I will discuss with him and that has really helped me, going forward,” the player told me.
I also found former Vandrezzer goalkeeper, Jimmy Emmanuel. His words were not different. “Daddy is more than a coach. Playing under him is like living in a family. He was always there for the players. I am still praying for Daddy to manage one of the national teams.”
From the duo, I heard more. Uwe would visit the players in their respective homes and sit down to discuss pressing issues. He spent most of his salary on the boys, encouraging them not to give up because of challenges of the present.
Uwe explained this to me. “I didn’t grow up using a silver spoon. Life was difficult but I worked hard to make it. I always encourage my players, knowing my background. In our days, things were tough. Today, things are even tougher.
“And if you want to get the best from your players, you must come down to their level. Find out about their families, if there are issues deserving attention, you attend to them. The ones I could sort out, I did. If I couldn’t, I made it clear.”
For a man who grew up in Lagos, it is easy to understand what players go through. Uwe remembers jumping stadium walls to watch heroes like Christian Chukwu, Segun Odegbami and Emmanuel Okala.
“Yes, I had to scale the fence because I didn’t have money to go in through the gate. I adored Chukwu, Odegbami, Okala and other great players of their time so I had to find a way to see them play and I picked a few tricks to help my game”, Uwe said.
His struggles paid off in 1981 when he represented Lagos State in the Ramat Cup organised by the Youth Sports Federation of Nigeria (YSFON). Some of his team mates were Bremner Alladah, Muyiwa Motajo and MacMillan Ogbomo.
YSFON did a lot to raise junior internationals for Nigeria. Paul Okoku, Tajudeen Disu, Yisa Sofoluwe, Tarila Okoronwanta, Patrick Udoh, Christian Obi, Kingsley Onye, Charles Okonkwo, Titus Mbah, Waidi Akanni, Osaro Obobaifo and Ndubuisi Okosieme, all emerged from the Ramat Cup.
Nicknamed Uwe Seeler after a legendary German striker, the Nigerian was happy to meet his hero shortly before he passed on at 85, in 2022. “I felt good when we met during a regional league game. I was there with my Under 17 boys.”
Uwe is living his dream. He began to wear a German nickname as a Nigerian teenager. Today, he is married to a German woman and lives in Germany, after spending time in the United States.
As captain of the Flying Eagles, Uwe won a bronze medal at the USSR 1985 FIFA Under 20 Championships. Twice, he bagged silver medals with the Super Eagles at the African Nations Cup. As a patriot, he was one of the three professionals that honoured invitation to Algeria 1990.
Uwe is remembered for the penalty shoot – out between Nigeria and Algeria in the semifinals of the Maroc 1988 African Nations Cup. Before his kick, the Desert Foxes had missed through Abdelaziz Belgherbi. Uwe scored. Then Rachid Maatar lost his. At the end, Nigeria won 9 – 8.
The towering defender remains grateful to coaches like Kenneth Olayombo, Paul Hamilton and Tunde Disu, who were part of his journey to stardom. Uwe has a place in the success stories of Leventis United and Iwuanyanwu National.
Presently, his eyes are on the Golden Eaglets, waiting to be called up for interview as the search for a new coach gets underway. Uwe has American and European licences and is also a certified referee.