From taking the military salute and flips at Salgoalcar to the dugouts in Finland

Junior Elijah Obagbemiro not only fulfilled his huge promises of barking instructions from the dugouts, he’s also got his mouth so watering of being named one of the few Africans to be appointed a coach in Europe.

From an unsong youngster in Nigeria through the deep waters of Indian football to the greenlands of Finnish football, young Elijah Junior Obas is indeed living his dreams of achieving a rare coach’s status in Europe as Finnish third division side FC Haupa named him as their senior team coach, tying him to a princely three-year contract.

Obas, whose radar found Finland, rather than hanging on in India and consolidating in his ever rising star status in India, would savour this moment as his soccer trajectories have continued to wow himself.

Defunct Salgoalcar in the famous I-league in world’s second most populous nation had pinned their little hopes on the amazing scoring magic of the petite star but Obas would later choose the Finnish route to advance his career.

This tough 2011 decision that would tear Salgoalcar fans apart who would forever savour his flips and military salute goal celebrations, was going to be a supreme turning point in hia young career.

That was after Obas had earlier tried out in Finland at amateur club Kajaanin Haka he helped gain promotion to third tier league in 2008. His second return bore no colour of returning to India where he left a huge mark not only at Salgoalcar but also at Sporting Goa, Air India and Prayag United, where his goals had earned him a nomination of the Best Foreign Player award.

Just still young and in his smoking scoring self  and feeling his best was in Europe rather than in the world’s football backwaters in India, Obas’s decisions were also partly ending it as a coach.

So, thoughtful Obas was that his ambitions of becoming a coach were boosted when his idol and former Super Eagles’ superstar striker Daniel Amokachi was appointed to coach his team, JS Hercules.

Obas told yours’ truly, whose beautiful pen had wandered into India and caught young Obas, that playing under Amokachi as a player was one of the greatest things that happened in his career and the biggest filip to taking up the coaching career.

Now that he’s become a brand new “Amokachi” Obas got to hit the ground running and setting heights for himself.

Obas could be one of few African coaches in Europe that could reach a huge height in future, he’s just begun.

His coaching badges are his licence and taking the licence higher to the Pinnacle of his career would certainly be the level Obas would love to attain.

But for now, congratulations on his appointment at FC Haupa