Journeyman Emeka feels at home in India

NEW DELHI: The 1994 World Cup in the USA would be remembered for all the wrong reasons -- the afternoon starts, the first title to be decided on penalties and most notably, Diego Maradona's infamous dope test.
    
But there was one particular moment that warmed the hearts of many football lovers in India, especially Kolkata. That tournament marked the pinnacle of a man called Emeka Ezeugo's career.
    
The Nigerian, who had played for East Bengal and Mohammedan Sporting in the late 80s, came on for Finidi George in the 77th minute in his country's 3-0 group stage win over Bulgaria.
    
The present Churchill Brothers coach was a 17-year-old when he came to to India in 1982 to study economics at the Punjab University.
    
Not many are aware that he also represented India at the World University Games in Kobe, Japan.
    
It was during an All-India university football tournament that East Bengal came calling. Though he preferred to be in midfield, he did 'reasonably well' as a striker at the red-and-gold club.
    
After a season there, he switched to Mohammedan Sporting for a brief period before leaving for Bangladesh, where he played for Dhaka Mohammedan. He returned to India and Mohammedan Sporting a much improved player.
    
Emeka left India around 1988 and from then on, it was one roller-coaster journey. He has been to Malaysia, Denmark, Hungary, Spain, Wales and Peru where he finally bid goodbye to the game in 2002. In between he also represented his country at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.
    
This journeyman from Nigeria who has played in all positions on the field, barring the goalkeeper's, looks more like a heavyweight boxer these days.
    
Gone are those long locks but the passion for the game is still strong.
    
"I was married to football when I was born," he said on being single even at the age of 40.
    
Unless things go horribly wrong, he is likely to be in the dugout when Churchill Brothers visit Kolkata to play East Bengal and Mohammedan Sporting in the I-League.
    
"It will be like returning home," said Emeka on the sidelines of the Durand Cup quarter-final match at the Ambedkar Stadium.
    
"It would have been pretty emotional had I been a player, but nevertheless I can't forget that I started off from Kolkata," said the Nigerian who rates the late Sudip Chatterjee highly.
    
His decision to come to India was based on a desire to give something back to the country where his career kicked off.
    
"But unfortunately people here think they know too much. They are not willing to learn," Emeka, who was capped 11 times by his country, said.
    
The first match in Nigeria's national colours in 1987 against Ethiopia at Adis Ababa still remains a treasured memory for this utility player who rates Bern Schuster, Michel Platini, Paul Breitner and Ruud Gullit among his favourites.
    
Safely through to the Durand Cup semi-finals, the real test for Emeka, who completed his A licence in coaching from Holland, will begin when the I-League gets underway.
    
Churchill Brothers have come close twice to lifting the title in the last couple of seasons and all eyes would be on Emeka now, as he prepares to take them to the next level.