Former Nigerian striker Jonathan Akpoborie recently shared an intriguing story about his unexpected call-up to the Super Eagles during a match against Togo.
In a conversation with Elegbete TV Sports, Akpoborie recounted how he ended up on the pitch after enjoying a delicious meal of pounded yam at the home of Honourable Nduka Irabor. He explained, “I was at Nduka’s house having pounded yam when he suggested we go watch the game. I hesitated, thinking about the Area Boys, but he insisted we should head to the stadium.”
As halftime approached and Nigeria was down 1-0, Akpoborie received an unexpected surprise. “A stranger came up to me in the second half and said Bonfrere Jo, the coach, wanted me to come play,” he recalled. Confused, he turned to Nduka, asking, “How does Bonfrere even know I’m here?”
It turned out that Bonfrere Jo had heard about Akpoborie’s presence, spurred on by fans and officials urging him to include the striker in the lineup. “They asked me to come to the dressing room. At an international match!” he exclaimed.
Despite having just eaten, Akpoborie quickly made his way to the dressing room, where his boots and jersey were waiting. “I had just finished my pounded yam, but they insisted I had to play. When Nigeria calls, you can’t say no.”
Suiting up, he took to the field and later reflected, “After that game, I traveled with that team to America.”
Akpoborie also addressed the speculation around his exclusion from Nigeria’s 1996 Olympic football squad, dismissing notions of tribal bias or any conspiracies. He clarified that Kanu Nwankwo, a vital member of the team, was delayed due to heart surgery but was always on board.
While Bonfrere Jo wanted Akpoborie in the Olympic lineup, he explained that the limit on overage players meant he was kept as an alternate. “Bonfrere had his three overaged players—Uche Okechukwu, Emmanuel Amunike, and Daniel Amokachi. If any of them got injured, I would have been the replacement,” he said.