Muda Lawal: Nigeria's Midfield Dynamo

If you described late Mudashiru Babatunde Lawal as the renaissance man of Nigerian football, you’re not on the wrong track. For when he was junketing around the nooks and crannies of Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State, in search of vehicles to repair (as a mechanic), nobody gave him any chance of hitting the headlines, let alone becoming one of the most talented footballers to come out of the shores of Nigeria.

With 12 goals and 86 caps for Nigeria’s senior national team, Green Eagles, and an African record of five consecutive Nations Cup appearances (1976–1984), Lawal distinguished himself as a legend of the beautiful game in Africa’s most populated nation.

He was a very prominent member of the 1976 IICC Shooting Stars Football Club side, which won Nigeria’s first continental trophy – Africa Cup Winners Cup.

Apart from guiding Nigeria to her first Nations Cup victory in 1980, Lawal was part of the 1984 squad which came within a whisker of winning the trophy in Ivory Coast, only to be denied by Cameroon’s Indomitable Lions.

During his days with IICC Shooting Stars of Ibadan, Lawal played an important role in the squad, and was used as a winger, or even as an attacking midfielder, where he was primarily required to help his team creatively and defensively.

Aside his exploits with his club side, his magnificent performances in the colours of the national team of Nigeria were outstanding, such that on several occasions he demonstrated his work rate and versatility by playing as an attacking fullback role.

The disbandment of the famous Ibadan club side in 1985 did not deter the midfield strongman, as he shifted base to Abiola Babes of Abeokuta, where he continued to hold football fans spellbound with his soccer artistry.

Without doubt, the Ibadan-born soccer star was a born winner, who admitted to feeling a few nerves before a big game.

Like water, Lawal had no enemy. For a man who was seen smiling and cracking jokes with opponents before the crunch 1977 African Cup Winners Cup semifinal between IICC Shooting Stars and arch rivals, Rangers International of Enugu, ‘Haji Muda’ was FIFA’s fair play personified. He approached every game with effortless ease, but ended up putting up a man-of-thematch performances.

In the field of play, Lawal was an extremely fast, energetic, strong and powerful defensive midfielder, who was known for his stamina and workrate, and his accurate finishing ability in the air and with his feet was amazing! A prolific goal scorer with good technique, Lawal was, sometimes, deployed as a playmaker.

Briefly during his time at Abiola Babes, he distinguished himself as an attacking midfielder and demonstrated notable tactical intelligence and versatility.

Lawal’s success story with the Green Eagles started when he played his heart out at the 1976 Africa Cup of Nations in Ethiopia, complimented with superb strikes against Egypt and Zaire, which sent tongues wagging and sparks flying. After that audacious performance, he never looked back!

In those days, creative and mesmerising midfielders were not in short supply. Prominent among them was Christian Madu, fondly called ‘The Master Dribbler’. Madu was so talented that he was known among football fans across Nigeria as the ‘Magician’.

Yet, in the qualifier against Sierra Leone, the Rangers International’s dribbling ace watched proceedings from the bench, having been sidelined by Lawal. Such was the Ibadan stalwart’s dominance that extended to his club, where his goals not only won Shooting Stars the 1979 Nigeria League, but he scooped the highest goal-scorer award, while operating from the midfield. It was a feat only matched by another midfield player, Friday Ekpo, in 1984.

The 1978 FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Tunisia at the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos, remained probably Lawal’s best performance in the colours of Nigeria’s national team.

On a day the Eagles attackers and wingers went to sleep, Lawal exploded into life and covered every part of the field from his deep midfield role. In fact, in two subsequent Nations Cup finals, 1978 in Ghana and Nigeria 1980, Lawal’s contributions were magnificent, culminating in the 1980 triumph under Brazilian coach, Prof. Otto Gloria.

Remarkably, during the tournament, which Nigeria hosted, Lawal was used in different positions between the midfield and attack. Gloria so believed in the midfield dynamo that he dropped the regular striker, Ifeanyi Onyedika, for the final match against Algeria, pushing Lawal into the striking role.

The Shooting Stars ace repaid his coach’s confidence by grabbing the third goal in the 3-0 bashing of the North Africans.

Smarting from winning the 1980 Nations Cup, Lawal and teammates, led by ‘Chairman’ Christian Chukwu, were honoured with the national award of Member of the Order of the Niger (MON).

He was also awarded the national title of Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) and was Nigeria’s first-ever Soccer Ambassador. Muda further became a very important part of the Eagles who took part in two Nations Cup finals – 1982 and 1984. He also captained the national team, a reward for his diligence, hard work and humility.

Sudden Death

When Lawal was trying to take his illustrious career to another level by joining the coaching bandwagon, death struck. The incident, which took place on July 6, 1991, a few weeks after his 37th birthday, not only cut short his dreams of replicating his exploits as a wonderful footballer into being a very successful coach, it dragged his young family into a state of misery.

Typical of the Nigerian society which glorifies the living but discards the dead, Lawal’s contributions to the development of Nigerian football has gone unrewarded. Apart from the Asero Staduim, Abeokuta, which was renamed ‘Mudashiru Lawal Stadium’, successive governments, both at the local, State and Federal levels, have continued to pay lip service to giving respect and honour to Lawal who, in his life time, gave his all to the course of the national team.

Segun Odegbami, while speaking on Muda, had these few words for soccer fans who knew little of the star performer: “Muda Lawal was a gift to Nigerian soccer. He could win balls and could distribute as well. He was a tireless player such in the mold of a Xavi.

“I have tried to look at other players but Xavi seems to be the best to compare him with. He was a box-tobox player who would have excelled at United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Barcelona… just name it. The only part of his game that was lacking was goal scoring.

“I can’t imagine if he was playing abroad. He would have been among the world’s best three midfielders. Yes, am that bold, he was that good as a raw talent.

“How come he never won African Footballer of the Year award? Politics, I believe. Or how would you explain Segun Odegbami and Jay Jay’s cases. Or maybe because it is difficult for midfielders and defenders to be given the award, as strikers are always first choice.”

Legacy

Lawal was a selfless Nigerian. He was among a few Nigerian players who laid down their lives on the line in defence of the green and white jersey. His contributions were immense. His comportment was sublime. Samuel Okwaraji also falls into this class. Lawal will not only be remembered for his potentials as a never-say-die competitor. He stands out as one of the few Nigerian players who dedicated their entire lives to the course of the Nigerian flag.

Compared to the Super Eagles players of today, who are over-pampered, over-rated and over-paid, Lawal stands out as one player who puts his country first before money or material benefits. Little surprise the former Secretary General of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Musa Amadu, while singing the praise of the amiable former captain of the senior nation team, sent forth a clarion call: “The late Muda Lawal contributed immensely to the development of Nigerian football, being a member of the senior team for more than 10 years, and was also captain of the senior team. It is important that we recognise our heroes of yesteryear in order to encourage the stars of today.”

Whether our sports authorities will heed Amadu’s ‘sermon on the mount’ is a story for another day!