Segun Odegbami reveals heartbreaking story of Teslim Balogun's final day

Former Green Eagles captain Segun Odegbami has shared an emotional account of how he never got to meet Nigerian football legend Teslim “Thunder” Balogun, revealing that the iconic striker died on the very day they were scheduled to meet at Liberty Stadium in Ibadan.

Speaking about the painful memory, Odegbami described it as one of the most unforgettable moments of his football journey.

Odegbami recalled that although both men lived in Ibadan, where Balogun was working as a coach, their paths somehow never crossed.

“It's an unfortunate thing that I never met Thunder Balogun in my life. Yes. We were together in Ibadan. He was there. He was a coach,” Odegbami said.

The meeting was expected to happen at Liberty Stadium during a match involving Odegbami's club, Housing Corporation, against Mighty Jets of Jos.

Balogun was scheduled to attend the fixture. Instead, tragedy struck before kickoff.

He added, “On the day I was to meet him... he was supposed to come. We were waiting for him to come, and he died. That was the day he died. Shortly before the match, they came and announced to us that they woke him up to come for the match and he was dead in bed.”

According to Odegbami, there were initial discussions about postponing the game out of respect for Balogun. Eventually, however, the decision was made to play.

He continued, “They were going to call off the match, but they did not. They said it was in his honour. I would have met him on that day. He died on the day I was to meet him.”

Teslim Balogun occupies a unique place in Nigerian football history.

Nicknamed “Thunder” because of his ferocious shooting ability, he broke barriers for generations of Nigerian footballers.

Among his landmark achievements were: becoming the first Nigerian to play professional football in England; he featured for clubs including Peterborough United and Queens Park Rangers.

He became the first African to qualify as a professional football coach and led Nigeria's national team at the 1968 Olympic Games.

Balogun died in his sleep in Ibadan on July 30, 1972, at just 41 years old.

The Teslim Balogun Stadium in Surulere, Lagos, stands as a lasting tribute to a man widely regarded as one of the greatest pioneers in Nigerian football history.