Former goalkeeper of Green Eagles, Emmanuel Okala and former coach of Cranes of Uganda, Harrison Okagbue have joined other soccer lovers in mourning the late Philip Achebe, popularly called “Mr Football.’’
Achebe, three-time Secretary-General of the then Nigeria Football Association (NFA), died on March 9 in the U.S., aged 83.
He will be buried on Friday in his home town, Ogidi in Anambra.
Okala, who spoke to newsmen in Awka, described Achebe as an encyclopaedia of Nigerian football.
He said Achebe had contributed his quota to the development of football in the old Anambra and Nigeria as a whole as the secretary-general of NFA.
He noted that Achebe was associated with the country’s victories in the 1970s and 1980s, particularly the second All Africa Games in 1973 in Lagos where Nigeria won the football gold medal.
“Achebe tried his best, he was well respected, and he travelled far and wide in pursuit of excellence in Nigerian football.
“He helped Nigeria in the successes we had in those days more particularly during the second All Africa Games, where we won gold in 1973.
“We shall miss a lot in such an encyclopaedia of Nigerian football.
“He has gone to join his ancestors, it is so painful, but it is the will of God that must prevail and what can we do?”
He expressed the hope that both the Federal and Anambra Governments would give him a befitting burial and immortalise him.
Also, Okagbue lamented Achebe’s death, saying he would forever be missed in Nigerian football circle.
Okagbue, who also coached Udoji United FC Awka and El Kanemi Warriors of Maiduguri, said the late administrator knew football very well.
He said Achebe contributed immensely to the exploits of Enugu-based club, Rangers International, noting that his demise remained a “huge blow.’’
“He was administratively in-charge of Rangers International; it was during his reign that laurels were won by Rangers.
“People admired him, and he was good everywhere, physically fit all the time, mentally alert and he could  advise well.
“It baffles me that Nigeria failed to send people to understudy seasoned people like POC Achebe.
“If somebody had understudied him and got three quarters of what he knew, Nigerian football situation would not have been as it is.
“But nobody is around to take up from where he stopped, Nigeria should develop a culture of understudying people who are good so that there could be continuity, we will miss POC,” Okagbue said.