Organisers of the Africa Illustrious Award will on Friday, honour President of FC Ebedei, Barrister Churchill Oliseh, with the prestigious African Lifetime Leadership Award.
Early in his football management life, Oliseh was confronted with the dwindling and failing state of Nigeria’s football that was responsible for Nigeria players’ inability to neither attain the pinnacle of world football nor sustain such where they achieve same. He has now been found worthy of the award.
The said award is revered and conferred on individuals and organizations who have excelled in leadership, philanthropy, community development, business, academia, technology, education, agriculture, and entrepreneurship across Africa.
Since 1995, Churchill Oliseh has contributed players to all trophies, medals, and laurels won by Nigeria national football teams including the Atlanta Olympics gold medal where he brought in Dosu Joseph, who never participated in the qualifiers.
Presently, there are hardly any Nigeria Premier league teams without a graduate of his FC EBEDEI or in the recent past.
Recall FC Ebedei came into the limelight in 1998, but the actual events that led to its formation came as far back as 1993. Barrister Churchill Oliseh had ventured into players’ representation as a legal practitioner and an astute sports businessman, one of the few successful in Nigeria.
Churchill is the elder brother of former Super Eagles coach, Sunday Oliseh. Apart from Sunday, Azubuike and Eguatu were also professional footballers. So we can understand where the vast knowledge and exceptional vision came from.
His interaction with European football investors and administrators convinced him that the most powerful and influential position in the development of football was that of the club president.
The job of Churchill is straightforward; he discovers outstanding raw talents from the most remote parts of Nigeria, including the security challenged areas. Develop such a player in FC Ebedei and promote thereafter. He is the largest sole contributor to the pool of Nigerias exceptional football players.
Notable among such are the fast rising Super Eagles striker, Paul Onuachu (GENK), and Eagles’ new invitees, Frank Onyeka (BRENTFORD), Raphael Onyedika Nwadike (BRUGGE), midfielder Ajilore Oluwafemi, David Babajide Akintola, Sylvester Igboun Izunna Uzochukwu, OBAFEMI MARTINS just to mention a few.
FC Ebedei also produced Razak Omotoyosi for the BENIN REPUBLIC national team and Sekou Jabateh OLISEH for the LIBERIA National team. Malta senior and the Spanish national youth team included.
His recognition for the prestigious award is in line with Africa Illustrious Award vision to project and promote excellence in Africa, not as an exception, but as a consistent pattern in the modern African experience.
After due diligence; the Africa Illustrious Award team, made up of seasoned professionals, distinguished researchers, a special panel, and the public found Oliseh worthy to receive the AFRICAN LIFETIME LEADERSHIP AWARD for his contribution and development of football in Africa.
This prestigious award, first of its kind to be awarded a club President in Nigeria’s football family.
