Acheru explains 1985 event that changed his life
China Acheru began his radio and television tour ahead of the release of his book, A Thousand Times On The Same Road with the revelation of a life changing moment for him.
The Port Harcourt based sportscaster and blogger is known for his record keeping, becoming in 2018, the first Nigerian that officially recorded watching one thousand live football games at stadia across the world.
In a chat with Peter Abaje of Ray Power Sports in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, Acheru explained what happened in 1985.
“In 1985 I was just a kid in secondary school that enjoyed following the Nigerian League on TV, radio and the newspapers. I knew most of the stars by name and face too, but I had never been to the stadium.
“That was the first year the league had an award for the top scorer, known as the Bournvita or Cadbury hotshot award which Davidson Owumi of Sharks claimed he had won with 9 goals at the end of the season,” Acheru explained.
He however added that as soon as the league ended, a certain Efosa Osayi who played for Bendel Insurance came up claiming that he had scored ten goals and there was confusion in the league.
“When that happened, people were not really sure because there were no records, just arguments with each one trying to speak louder that he was the highest goal scorer in the League.
“But the Nigeria Football Association came up with a pronouncement that Owumi was the top scorer with 9 goals, while Efosa Osayi had 8. I know Efosa Osayi was not happy with that, but it was over and from where I was as a kid, I kept on wondering why we did not have such records in the league and I started keeping them.”
He told Peter Abaje on the radio show that from the first day he went to the stadium, he noted it down in a dairy and continued to keep records of games he had watched.
“That was in 1989 when Sharks played NEPA of Lagos in Port Harcourt. Sharks won that game 3-1 after going 1-0 down in the first half. I remember after that game that three Sharks players, Finidi George, Fubara Owonaro and Osagie Eson were invited to the Super Eagles. I never stopped keeping records from that day and now, here we are,” Acheru said.
Acheru’s first book, A Thousand Times on the Same Road hits the book stands on Friday, November 6, 2020 and he is on a state-wide media tour.
On Wednesday, he will be on Excel 103.7, a campus radio station based in the Rivers State University.
That’s quite unprecedented and commendable. China surprised me with his love for keeping record of football games and eventually turning into a sports journalist/broadcaster. Kudos, as you soar on, China.