HOW AJEGUNLE, A GHETTO TOWN IN LAGOS NIGERIA, HIDES THE SECRET OF THE GOLDEN BOOT.

Ironically, Ajegunle a ghetto town with so many poor people in Apapa Lagos Nigeria hides a secret that has made lots of families to become so rich and their sons earning millions of dollars abroad. Benson Chukwueke

 It is a rare discovery, the secret of the golden boot. The power that could make any football player become a world class star and begins to earn dollars in few years.

Is it true? Yes! I am not making up the story or exaggerating anything. It is true.

I have lived in Ajegunle some years ago, and my family had enjoyed a fair share of dollars earned by my younger brother Chiedo Chukwueke a.k.a Computer, who played for the Nigerian National Under-16 and Under-21 team in 1995. He also played in Russia with Sheriff F.C, Moldova.

I played football on the streets of Ajegunle too and at one time, years ago, I was imparting upon the younger players the power of the golden boot. My younger brother as well as Ikpe Ekong who played for Reggina of Italy in 1999 was some of my players.

I do not know how it was in the good old days, but during my time and until now, I could make roll call, over eighty percent of Nigeria football stars were made in Ajegunle.

I have seen football icons such as Stephen Keshi, Peter Rufai, Henry Nwosu, Samson Siaisia, Emmanuel Amunike, Victor Agali etc practise so many times in some of the famous playground in Ajegunle.

Many of the present Nigerian football stars today were products of Ajegunle: Mikel Obi, Obafemi Martins, Chinedu Obasi, Victor Nsofor, Dickson Etuhu etc. They may not tell you but these players have been imparted with the power of the golden boot.

You may never be a football star in Nigeria if you have not played in the soil of Ajegunle and get imparted with this power. Some players had to visit Ajegunle so many times. I have seen players like Finidi George, Sunday Oliseh, Victor Ikpeba, Nwankwo kanu etc come to play at the mock-Nations cup at the Navy Playground.

Fanny Amu seems to know this secret. I saw him bring his boys to play at the Maracana playground before they went to win the Under-16 World Cup in 1993. I have seen Clemence Westerhof, the former Super Eagles technical adviser, come to mingle with the players at the Navy Playground. No wonder Ajegunle is called the “Mecca of Nigeria Football”.

Everyone follows football in Ajegunle. As early as the age of ten; young football players have started playing serious football competitions on the streets of Ajegunle.

At age thirteen, the talented ones start going out to join grassroots clubs where their football training begins as well as the impartation of the power . These younger players are imparted by some older players who may have retired from playing.

At age sixteen, some of the young players have been fully imparted with the power and they are ready to join a professional club to start earning dollars abroad.

Now, if you are thinking of becoming a football star or may be you are scouting to get a great player, you know where to go. But, I could give you more information.

There are playgrounds in Ajegunle where you could easily find great players who are full of the power.  They are:

• Navy Playground beside Boundary market – Ajegunle
• Maracana playground inside the Tolu School Complex, Olodi Apapa.
• Sandfield Playground Orile-Iganmu by Lagos-Badagry Expressway, Orile Lagos
• Prisons Playground beside the Maximum Prison, Kirikiri town Lagos.

The secret of the golden boot contain football techniques practised and played by football players in Ajegunle.

-          The players develop confidence of a world class player while learning the technique.

-          The technique helps the players develop unique skills that enable them to do lots of wonders with the ball; ball juggling and dribbling skills, ball holding and passing skills, effective shooting and set piece skills etc

The playing style of players from Ajegunle is so unique that you cannot but wonder what kind of boots they always put on. This is why it is called the secrets of the Golden boot.

-          It is a technique that makes them world class football stars.

-          It is the technique that enables them to earn millions of dollars playing professional football abroad.