POV: You went with the OOULSS team to Lead City University, Ibadan for a football friendly match.
By Oluwaseyi Jibodu.
The Lead City journey is one journey that I could say I don't want to repeat itself again. We suffered big time. It was almost a disaster.
I woke up 6am on Saturday, 8th July. We had just suffered a transformer damage and to that effect, the regular Saturday morning light at some parts of Mini-Campus/Igan Road axis was not coming. Myself, Austin, Airborn and Damola (All three are Paradigmites that earned a well deserved call up into the team) prepared for the trip to Lead City. We were to converge at Mini Campus gate by 7, but due to the cold, the need to eat and the need to properly take everything that will be needed to the last detail, we set out by 7:15.
We got to the gate by 7:17. We met the Head Coach and some senior players of the team, including Ezekiel nicknamed "Agemo" for the day, owing to his outfit comprising of three quarter jeans, blue hose, a shirt and a headwear. Honestly, it was funny! The rest of the players joined us while we "jammed" to Seyi Vibez, Asake and others to while away time. Then yes, Ella arrived with the team jerseys. She bought me that Mini Campus Alfa's puff and Pepsi, "ahhhh!" It was bliss. I used that to charge ahead of the journey. Around 8:50, we moved. There were two buses. One for players, coaches and media and one for fans. The fans enjoyed though, using the good bus while the players used the ALUTA RUGGED bus. If you see that bus, "eh," you'll know it's really rugged!
Around 9:58, we got to Ibadan after going through police checkpoints. We had little difficulty initially, trying to locate Lead City's gate but eventually, we did. And then, "wahala" started. The security officials claimed that we were not duly registered as visitors coming into the school that day, and that we could not enter. The Lead City LSA had informed thier Faculty and the school's Chief Security Officer about the whole event but the CSO was refusing to pick calls. There was no way to confirm the claims by the members of the Lead City LSA. For more than 2 hours at different locations, we were outside. It drizzled around 11:00 and around 11:45. We were still outside. Eventually, the was a way to get in, which we eventually settled for. While we were outside, some of us went to buy food at the nearby local food canteen, just at the other side of the road. We eventually got in and I must admit, the school is beautiful, though with a few portholes on the road.
We got to the field and I cannot lie about it, the field is very beautiful. We were actually imagining playing on the field already, though yes, the field measurements were not complete. Our local field in OOU is more of a standard than it, in terms of size. We settled down and tuned in to Airborn's "WMNK" (Where Me No Know) with smiles on everyone's faces, waiting to play. Thanks to Atos, my phone did not die. I kept updating live. All of a sudden, security! They came to the field saying that we could not play because we were not properly cleared before coming in, amongst others. Then the team went to train first. Myself and some of my classmates then went to buy food at the cafeteria there and "ah, ye!" One spoon of fried rice was like 200 naira. The meat was 400 naira. My friend bought ofada rice for 400 naira per spoon. "Omo," I "crode" for him. We ate and then went back to the field to catch the updates of what was going on. Lo and behold, we would not play on Lead City University Sports Complex's field due to arguments with the security of the University, among others. It eventually turned into a very crazy and heated argument with exchange of words that lead to our exit from the University premises. Well, the good side was that I met someone more like a family friend, Ninuola.
While leaving, the Lead City LSA students suggested that we play at one Methodist School so that our day will not waste and out efforts will not end up in futility. A lot of us opted that we play there, though some of us like myself wanted us to come back to Ago without playing, just to show them that they could not ridicule OOU anyhow they felt. Eventually, we settled for the tattered Methodist school field. The fields at Igan Road are way better then that slanty and semi straight field. It was there I learnt that Lead City LSA did not have any student executives, because their elections were annulled due to reasons that were undisclosed to me. Well, it's their own business.
We settled for the Methodist field after transactions from the Lead City Law students and for the first time in my life, I saw a woman step up as the Head Coach of a men's team. I admired it a lot, and I was actually happy something like that could actually surface. It affirms everyone embracing equity. The game started amidst a very cold environment. It was almost freezing cold, but me, big "Pep Guardiola" that wore my socks, shoe, trouser, shirt and cold "odeshi" could not even relate to what the meaning of cold was. Midway into the game, Captain Nuel had to be subbed off due to an injury. In Pep Guardiola's terms "We suffered a lot" in that game, and the Lead City LSA students are really better than I expected. In the second half, the opponents had a penalty in which we felt was an error from the referee. I actually had typed "Lead City scores, 1-0", ready to post but the opponents actually did something that blew my mind. They passed the ball back to our goalkeeper as a sign that they were aware of the error in officiating there. They received a round of applause for such a kind gesture. Anyway, we finally surrendered to a 1-0 defeat, after much of a fight with the lone goal scored midway into the second half.
After the game, we exchanged pleasantries and it was time to go home. The opponents, in a bid for equality and proper compensation agreed to play a return leg at our Sports Center on the main campus, here in Ago-Iwoye. We rounded up discussions with refreshments being shared and we started our journey back home. The journey back home was very smooth, and in no time, we were back into the trenches of Ogun State. As soon as I typed that the boys were back home safely, thanking everyone for the support, my phone died. It was a long day.
