Former international defender, now the chairman of Anambra State Football Association, Chikelue Iloenyosi opens up at length to Sports247 about various aspects of his childhood and how being born into a family with strong military presence and living in a barrack led to him getting a nickname that has followed him all of his life…
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Q: Let’s start on a light-hearted note … how did you get the nickname, ‘General,’ which is what most people now call you?
A: It started because I come from a family of generals, and I grew up in a military barrack. In fact, my older brother, Mike Iloenyosi, is an AVM … air vice-marshal. All of us in our family have one military background or the other. That’s how they started calling me ‘General’ in school.
It then extended to the position I was playing in the football team … how I defend and everything about me on the field. They said I played like a leader. So, they gave me the name ‘General.’
Q: Does it mean it was not a single person that gave you the nickname?
A: Yeah, ‘General’ was given to me by a lot of people. But, I remember a particular situation in which the legendary commentator, Ernest Okonkwo, used to call me ‘The Young General.’ Maybe it was a coincidence, but he must have seen something in the way I played in defence … and that’s how the nickname went up even more.
Q: What about your friends, classmates, and neighbours …
A: They all knew me as General. In fact, anybody that calls me ‘General’ must have known me from childhood. One of my father’s friends, Mr Ogunsayo, was working in the 82 Division, and he also used to call me General.
So, all these people made the name stick with me, and it continued to spread as my football career expanded. My real name was also spreading as my career grew, but those who knew me from childhood preferred to call me General.
Q: Considering your military background, why did you choose to play football instead of being in one of the armed forces?
A: Football had always been part of me. It was there along with my military background, but I considered myself to be a different individual.
I had passion for football, and I used to participate in schools’ sports competitions, military games and so on. That’s how my interest in football grew and progress came for me.
At the same time, people who knew football and played in the barracks made it easy for me to grow in the game. That’s how my passion grew. There were also people around me to ensure that I remained very disciplined as a young player. There were highly disciplined people to direct the character of any young boy like me.
Q: Tell us something about how you were disciplined in the barrack…
A: Anybody who knows something about the army or military in general would imagine how young boys can not mess up anyhow in a military barrack. That really helped me to stay focused on football and to become more passionate about it.
Q: Let’s go further back down memory lane … who bought your first football boot for you?
A: My first football boot was a gift given me by my in-law, Cosmas Ogugwa. He really helped me to start putting more interest into football.
“It is not like what you see nowadays, because to play football in those days was very difficult. Anybody who wanted to play football would have to fight for himself and continue to play without anything to show for it.
Nobody was there to manage you; but there were people who would always encourage you by giving you good advice. They always wanted to make sure you succeeded in football.
It’s not like now that an agent will come and give you documents to sign, and then you start working together for your career to grow. It was not like that when I started playing football.
Q: So, what kept you going despite all difficulties?
A: Everybody knows that football is about passion. People who loved it wanted to support those of us playing, but that did not mean they would bring you money. They will just advise you and encourage you. Whether you remember them or not, they believe that they have contributed to your career.
Q: When did you start playig big time football, and how did you get your breakthrough?
A: I started playing at NIPOST football club. From there, I moved to Udoji United, then El-Kanemi Warriors, and later Iwuanyanwu Nationale. I had a lot of early opportunities, all of which contributed to the foundation of my career.
Q: Was there any memorable match that turned out to be your breakthrough game?
A: One most memorable match for me was a game of Udoji United versus Iwuanyanwu, when I scored a goal from 70 yards out. My performance in that match helped me make the transfer from Udoji to Iwuayanwu.
That marked a major turning point in my career, and it increased my passion for football. I was able to meet other players who had a lot of passion for football and people who played with their hearts.
Q: When was your first invitation to the national team?
A: My first invitation to the national team was at under-17 level when (Fanny) Amun was the coach in 1997. After that, I played for the under-20 with (Tunde) Disu as the coach.
That was followed by the under-23 with Jo Bonfere and later the Super Eagles, under (Stephen) Keshi and Shaibu (Amodu), during the time of (Thijs) Libregts I had every opportunity to play football, and I got a lot of invitations at various levels.
Q: Did any person in particular play a major role in helping you to the national team?
A: I can remember the role of the former chairman of Anambra State Football Association, Chief Mike Umeh. He was at that time the Super Eagles’ team manager. He was very happy to see that I had been invited to the national team.
Before then, I remember how he had been very, very helpful in encouraging me. He never knew that he would later become the FA chairman and that someone like me would be playing in the national team.
So, I give respect and kudos to Mike Umeh for all he has done in my life. I would not have believed that someone like him would call me and send money for me to go to camp. Even when I was playing for Udoji United, he was happy for me.
He kept on saying, ‘General, you have to do well. You are my boy, so make me proud.’ He never knew that I, too, would one day become chairman in the same FA where he was back then.
So, I give kudos to Chief Mike Umeh … he has been very, very supportive in all my life. Even in the election of Anambra State Football Association, for chairman and board members, he supported me very, very well. So, I give kudos to Mike Umeh.
Q: What was your feeling like the first time you wore the Nigerian national team’s jersey?
A: It was simply passion-upon-passion, upon-passion, upon-passion. The first time I wore the jersey to play for Nigeria was a day of fulfilment. I could remember how my late mum was so happy. It was a big reward for her, because she kept praying for me, encouraging me, and supporting me.
She was very happy that I got that far, because my father did not want me to play football. All he wanted for me was school, school, and just school. So, it was my late mother who supported me, and her encouragement helped me get to the national team.
She used to say, ‘Don’t forget that in this football you are playing, nobody is supporting you. It’s only me that is supporting you. That’s why you have to do well so that anyone who is against it will be put to shame.’ That was why I put I upon myself to make sure I got it right and move up to the next level in football.
Q: Did your dad eventually support you, or did he never change his mind about football?
A: Daddy did not support me at the beginning. There was even a day when I went to play ‘mercenary’ for Nike Grammar School against CIC. That day, I scored a goal, and I was celebrating. Suddenly, I saw my father in the crowd. I was so scared that I almost died. It was my twin sister who told him I was playing in the final and he decided to come to watch.
My father did not know how I got to play for Nike Grammar School since I was not a student of that school. My own school did not qualify, so I decided to play ‘mercenary’ for another school.
I had to quickly run to him, and I said, ‘Daddy, please don’t allow anybody to know that I am playing mercenary for another school. They invited me and I agreed to join them because my school is not playing.’ Before then, I felt like dying on the field and my coach, (Sunny Chukwu) who was called ‘Supremo,’ was also afraid of what my father would do.
Q: How was it possible for you to play for a school you did not belong to?
A: It was one of the things that were common in those days of school football, especially for Nike Grammar School. Everyone loved that school because of sports … (Jay Jay) Okocha attended that school, Innocent Egbunike also went there. So, I switched to Nike Grammar School by myself – but my dad did not like it.
I had to stay away from home for some days, and I went to stay with my grandmother at Coal Camp. Initially, my father did not want me to play for fothall, but finally, when he saw me growing and making progress, he had to change his mind.
A time came when things changed and things were no longer easy for the family. At that time, it was my football that was helping them. So, at that point, he started appreciating me. It was not that he didn’t like football. He just wanted me to have an education before everything. So, I’m happy about that.”
Q: Can you remember any particular match that you played for the Super Eagles?
A: I can still remember my first invitation to the Super Eagles vividly. It was for a World Cup qualifier against Eritrea. We played 1-1 in Eritrea, and then we beat them 4-0 when they came to Nigeria. It was my first experience, and I was the man of the match.
I was also invited to Nigeria against Sierra Leone. It was a World Cup qualifier, and I had to mark Mohammed Kallon. I was the man of the match again. There was also Nigeria versus Liberia, and I had to mark George Weah. Bonfere Jo was so happy with my performance.
It was an experience that I can never ever forget in my life, and it was my dream coming true. Even if you play one cap for your country, it’s not an easy task. Once you wear your country’s jersey in any match, you are a national team player. At that point, you have achieved a lot.
So, I give thanks to Almighty God who made it possible for me. He gave me success for football, my career and everything that I am doing in life.
