Westerhof drags Scotland Yard to Eagles’ Pitch

BY IKENWA ASHIBUOGWU NNABUOGOR

Clemens Westerhof knew the business he came to trade in Nigeria and there were pretences about it from the now Octagenarian and the rest, they say, is history.

Hardly had he settled down to the tough job than he arrived in Yaounde for a quick baptism of fire and the result of it wasn’t what he wished his debut would look like.

The Lions that were indomitable had broken loose from their dens to send Eagles and Westerhof home and ended their ill-planned Italian Job. Lions roared to Italy and Eagles winged it back to Lagos to the waiting drawing board the gaffer had hidden for US’94. Westerhof had seen the Promised Land from the Lagos wilderness and set off to reach it and he did, with class and perfection.

But before then, the African Nations Cup the following year in Algeria was underway, was a tough one he needed to prove he was preparing big for the US invasion.

One of the extra ordinary things he did was to invade the Scotland Yard and forcefully graduated a policeman and re-directed him on the pitch to gloss up his plans.

That policeman was no other than Moses Kpakor, one of the best midfielders Nigeria boasted at that time. Kpakor had caught the eye at Abiola Babes and BCC Lions to fully convince the new gaffer he was the man for the job.

Westerhof’s dragnet was admirably spread across the local scene and Kpakor was caught in it and a further look at him gave full conviction to Westerhof the idea of what he wanted to do with the exciting midfielder.

A brand new policeman had been graduated but not in the police academy but on the Eagles’ pitch as Westerhof wrapped his plans to upset the Apple’s Cart in the AFCON in Algeria. Tough call, though!

Key players led by Stephen Keshi had mutinied and Westerhof defiantly turned to the local league to fly to North Africa for his first major competition. He knew his lieutenants, trusted them, very much to the surprise of the apex football body NFA (now, NFF) and eyed the crown.

Kpakor needed no Alsatian dogs to do his job, his boss Westerhof knew that and just like he detailed him, Kpakor even followed the dangermen to the rest rooms.

Kpakor was everywhere, knew what to do, knew who and when to “arrest” and followed the “criminals” even to the courts.

Algeria, the hosts, were devastating in the opening game of the tournament before the vociferous home crowd, hitting Eagles’ 5-1 but their hit man Rabar Madjer, even with his two goals, knew he had a very long day in office, Kpakor was the sorry lone shining light in the Eagles’ gloom.

Late Rashidi Yekini made Kpakor’s job easier in the must-win second group game against Egypt, putting Eagles ahead as early as the eighth minute, Kpakor threw his life on the line to break all Pharaohs’ defences and helping his embattled team with the slim win.

Deceptively crafted to make the most of his low center of gravity to perfect his policing details, Kpakor policed the Egypt team to submission. Little went past our defence ably marshalled by Belgium-based Andrew Uwe and home-growns Okechukwu Uche, late Abdul Aminu and late Herbert ‘Ally Boser” Anijekwu as Eagles edged it.

The former BCC Lions’ star was back in his job in the final group against the West African rivals, Cote d’Ivoire, where his details were to quieten four dangerous Ivorien greats.

Fortunately, Abdoulaye Traore didn’t play to lessen Kpakor’s headaches, but he had a antidote to Seguy Maguy’s trickery and pace. He slowed him and made sure ball possession was alien to him, Maguy couldn’t just do what Napoleon Bonaparte could not do. Kpakor was in charge of police academy late evening drills and made sure young slippery AS Monaco striker Youssef Fofana was well punished with more drills.

Flamboyant Oumar Ben Sallah, the Avignon star, with Moroccan blood, was adequately taken care of as Thompson Oliha was always handy to mop up Kpakor’s bursters.

Yekini, for the second time, ensured an early Eagles’ lead, leaving Kpakor grafting, policing, blocking and breaking tides for Uche and company in defence.

Kpakor had one of his best games in an Eagles’ shirt in the semi-final against Zambia. He was a nightmare to the young, ambitious Zambian team who wouldn’t want to touch him with a long spoon. Late Webby Chikabala would have wished the policeman from Makurdi wasn’t on duty on the day.

By the time Uche headed in the second goal in the 88th minute, the game had ended as a contest and Kpakor wrapped up to Shylock on hosts, Algeria, in the final.

Kpakor was back again for the second time for his unfinished business against Madjer and the tournament’s top scorer Menad Djamal. The Fennecs were shocked to meet a supremely rejuvenated team and they knew they were in for a tough business.

The unforgettable Cheriff Oudjani’s 38-minute goal was what separated the two teams in the highly contested final that filled their 100-000 capacity July 5 Stadium, Algiers, to the brim.

Kpakor would never forget this final in his lifetime, he was the reason Madjer and Djamal didn’t get on the scoresheet, rather, it was the French-born Sochaux striker who was only scoring his tournament’s second goal, who scored the lone goal.

Kpakor had his reward, well deservedly, he was the only Nigerian named in the tournament’s Best 11, largely dominated by the champions, whose six players made the team.

Westerhof pats on the back for his protege were regular camera features as the Dutchgerian winged back to Lagos hugely fulfilled his team was worthy second best.

Kpakor went on to do great policing jobs for Westerhof until a wicked leg fracture prevented him from signing for Feyenoord Rotterdam in the Dutch top flight in 1993.