Oliveth High School flogged Ekiti College 12-0, the worst in Western Region Football History
Read revelation of how Juju was employed to secure that victory
By Samson Adekoya
The 1973 encounter between two legendary giants, Oliveth High School, Oyo and Ekiti Parapo College remains evergreen.
The story has been told over and over again and each time, the story maintains its thrill.
It was the first time that a team would be floored 12-0. Ekiti Parapo lost the match in a humiliating defeat.
Oyo saw the defeat as a replay of the Kiriji War. If Ekiti won the war that ended in 1886, the 1973 match was seen as it’s replay in the form of football.
But more facts are emerging on what actually led to the Ekiti fiasco.
Years after, actors are speaking out on the true state of affairs and how Juju was employed by a Christian school, Oliveth High School, Oyo to defeat Ekiti Parapo College, Ido-Ekiti, the first indigenous College in the whole of Ekiti territory. The football match was finals in the Western Region and it drew the attention of the entire country and even internationally.
The revelation of the intrigues employed by Oliveth was revealed only recently by Lukula, the most famous footballer in the entire Western Region of old notorious for his “terrorism” on the field.
Lukula, a student of Oliveth was a tormentor on the field and his fame rang across the three regions of Nigeria.
In a recent recall, posted by one of the actors Daramola Ademola a student in 1973 at Ekiti Parapo and made available to Irohinoodua, Lukula said Oliveth had contacted Babalawo who traditional for the players one which included placing a lady around the bus brought from Ekiti by the players.
Once the players sight the lady, they would lose their mental prowess.
Lukula himself revealed this secret at a gathering years after the historic match.
He also said he had a ring on his feet which must not see sunshine else he would run mad.
When he was wounded by Ekiti players, Lukula said he refused to leave the field to avoid his booths being removed, thereby revealing the ring to the scorching sun.
I think the song was culled from how Ibadan people were making jest of us on the field of Play when met OLIVETH in Final
” Lukula dakun jo , Awon Ara Ekiti lo ni mbe o ” .
Oliveth High School gave us 12 : O and our “Tomentor ” in the attack that scored most of the goals was called LUKULA .
I later met that Lukula in a gathering in Lagos in 1986 where people were discussing the influence of Juju in football .
Lukula in the public gathering said he was in support of the motion that there was juju in football .
He said referred to the 1973 match as a case Study.
He said that anytime he kicked the ball , he would call the real ancestral and spiritual name of the round leather and gave instruction where it should go.
He said before any free kick, he would lift the ball and give it instruction using Yoruba traditional incantation.
He said that Ekiti players wounded him and they need to put off his shoes for treatment but that he refused because he had a ring on his toe and sun must not shine on it else he would run mad .
He said Oliveth had made Ekiti players to play in the dream and turned them to pregnant women.
He said Ekiti players also came prepared but they neutralized the effect by causing one of Ekiti footballers to drag the beautiful girls that were standing by their school.
He said the antidote of Ekiti own Juju was that the footballers should not touch girls.
Daramola said he never disclosed his identity or made any contribution.
He said “I know his own side was true because he cannot be lying against himself and it was true that we were defeated 12 : 0 and the news was captioned mischievously in the media thus “EKITI COMBINED (Ekiti Parapo) defeated 12 : 0 by Oliveth High School” as if it was the entire Ekiti people that came to play against Oliveth.
Daramola Ademola said Ekiti Parapo went into the football tournament with open and honest mind amidst suspicion that Oliveth used mercenaries apart from resulting to voodoo.
“But what I know is that we were not dishonest . It was suggested that we should get some good players from Christ School and other Secondary Schools in Ekiti to play as Ekiti Parapo College but we refused,” he said.
According to him, Ekiti lost the match but maintained its integrity as a people.
He then recalled “There was a Hymn in our School Songs that says ” Win or lose keep as same. Achebe (Asebiomo- the then principal) always used it to console us if we lost any match but he hated cheating . I still recollect his instruction on the field of play.
“My boys Pursue them”.
He said Asebiomo ensured the safety of Ekiti Parapo girls when Oliveth opponents were misbehaving .
“The Oliveth saga was the saddest moment throughout my years in EKPACO . The other like it was when ENA Junior Team defeated KIRIJI Junior Team in Final. I was the Junior Team Keeper for Kiriji House.
I stopped six penalty kicks of Akomolafe House to qualify for final. ENA defeated Kiriji House because I told Akomolede, a (friend,) my weakness not knowing that we would meet in the final. Like Lukula , Akomolede scored most of the goals. I could stop direct shot but not descending shot from distance. It was later that I learnt that you don’t try to catch descending ball.”
He said his happiest day was when Ekiti Parapo bought their School bus.
“We were running after the Bus that was yet to be fully constructed and singing:
Kere Mude o a ti ra Moto kere mude ati ra Moto , kere mude Iya Ojo o a ti ra Moto , kere Mude ati ra Moto kere Mudeeee”