Paschal Karibe Ojigwe has become the latest ex-Super Eagles player to declare interest run for a position during the 2022 NFF Elective Congress slated for Benin City, Edo State, on September 30, 2022, Completesports.com reports.
But unlike his ex-Super Eagles teammates duo of Peter side I’d at and Ben Akwuegbu who are interested in succeeding Amaju Pinnick as President of NFF, Ojigwe who also holds a German citizenship has made it clear he wants to contest for a seat on the Executive Board of the Nigeria Football Federation.
Completesports.com reports that the Japan 1993 FIFA U-17 World Cup winner with Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets has already acquired the NFF Elections forms to formalise his candidature.
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Currently, the Commissioner for Sports, Abia State, Ojigwe, 45, says he if elected to the Executive Board of the NFF, would work hard towards ensuring that grassroots football development takes centre stage.
Abia State Commissioner for Sports, Karibe Ojigwe
Ojigwe in FC Kaiserslautern colors
“I’m a product of grassroots football”, starts the former Super Eagles defensive midfielder who won bronze with the national team at the 2002 Africa Cup of Nations in Mali, apparently referring to those days he played football at Okigwe Road Primary School, Aba.
“So if I’m elected as a Board member of NFF, I would also work hard to give the youths the opportunity to benefit from the programs through which I was discovered before gaining global attention.
“Call it giving back to the society and you are not far away from the fact”, Ojigwe declared.
Despite occupying an exalted position as Commissioner for Sports, Abia State since October 2021, the former Enyimba of Aba midfielder says he desires a national platform to enable him to contribute more to the game and the society.
Ojigwe would slug it out with the likes of Barrister JBC Obikwelu and Anambra FA Chairman Chikelue Iloenyosi for the sole seat reserved for the South-East in the NFF Board.
Aside from his remarkable stints with Nigeria’s national teams, Ojigwe also had an illustrious career in Europe playing for Bundesliga clubs; FC Kaiserslautern, FC Cologne, and Bayer Leverkusen. He earlier had stints with 1860 Munich and Borussia Monchengladbach.
Ojigwe won the 1997/1998 Bundesliga title with Kaiserslautern and reached the 2001/2002 Champions League final with Leverkusen but lost the title to Real Madrid. He also helped Leverkusen finish second in the 2001/2002 DFB Pokal.
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COMMENTS
I doubt he was involved in this high profile games in the German clubs mentioned above otherwise he would have played a lot of games for the super eagles.
Well, some footballers came at the wrong era. He was a very good player at the junior level but found it hard to break into the first 11 in the Super eagles as the likes of Mutiu and OLiseh dominated that position for almost a decade but Ojigwe was a useful member of the team and did his bit whenever he was called upon.
As for whether he was a regular in the Bundesliga, yes he was. He had a good season with Leverkusen mostly in the league as he rarely featured in the Champion’s league. But then again, he had the likes of Michael Ballack and team Captain, Carsten Ramelow to contend the midfield slot with, which unfortunately limited his appearances. He also a couple of good seasons with Koln when he joined them on loan in the early 2000s.
He was a fantastic footballer during his days and his run of games in the Bumdesliga wasn’t bad. He didn’t get much caps with Super Eagles because he played during Sunday Oliseh’s Era and no Nigerian player could bench Oliseh then, not even Godwin Opara.
I knew how good Oliseh was back in the day notwithstanding had Ojigwe played in this high profile games both in the champions league and bundesliga consistently,he at least would have made the bench for the super eagles and played a part most of our glorious days.
I could remember the likes of Emeka Ezuego who plays in Bangladesh and later India,Moses Kpakor of BCC lions of Gboko Nigeria,Roda JC of Holland’s Garba Lawal,the late Justice Christopher I think of Julius Berger if I’m right this were players who deputised for Sunday Oliseh when he wasn’t available,Ojigwe rarely got involved hence my doubt his involvement in the top bundesliga teams mentioned above.
He probably didn’t make the bench for his club most of the time or was used sparingly.
No,for real he played such a high profile games with those clubes then,but just that we dnt watch German leagues a such like English leagues,yea.Indeed he was fine player