Former Green Eagles and Shooting Stars goalkeeper, Raymond King, is a household name in Nigerian football and beyond the shores of the country.
In his playing days, the son of Okon Willie King from Akwa Ibom State came, saw and conquered. Life was really splendid for him in the 1970s and 80s as he could talk fast, do things with ease and convince his mates that he could do what seemed impossible, even when he couldn’t.
Raymond King
In one of those events, he convinced his primary school coach at Seventh Day Adventist School, Lagos, that he was a better goalkeeper than the first choice, though he had never manned the goalpost before. And so from a flamboyant schoolboy striker, he started a career in minding goals. It did not take long before his coach at St. Finbarr’s College, Akoka, Lagos, Mike Malagu, discovered something great in him.
He later became one of Nigeria’s finest goalkeepers, who made a name with great Nigerian clubs and the national teams.
He said: “Coach Malagu made me understand that I could be a great goalkeeper at St. Finbarr’s College. After my secondary education, I joined the defunct Wema Bank FC, and though I was the youngest of the players, I had a regular shirt.
“The coach just loved me and decided to make me his first choice goalkeeper. I loved the challenge because it was like fun to me.”
But what seemed to be mere fun to him then turned into a big deal, as scouts who picked players for the national teams at the time were bent on honing his skill.
In 1979, he was invited to the Flying Eagles, which was the beginning of more recognition of his prowess. But he had a major obstacle in beating another up-and-coming hero when the call came from the Green Eagles in 1981.
“After my Flying Eagles experience, I was invited to the Green Eagles in 1981. The late Best Ogedengbe and Emmanuel Okala were gradually leaving the national team at the time, leaving the fight for the first choice goalkeeper to Eta Igbe from Calabar Rovers, Peter Rufai from Stationery Stores and myself.
“I was at Julius Berger at the time. I am still convinced till today that I was a better goalkeeper than the other two, who are my great friends.
“Rufai had the upper hand; he is the son of a king in Lagos and he was the goalkeeper of the best Nigerian club at the time.
“Stationery Stores was doing well in the league, the FA Cup and the Africa Cup Winners Cup. So it was not a surprise that Rufai was chosen by the technical crew.
“As I always say, I was not envious of him; he is my friend and I respect his achievement. But Rufai knew at the time that I did not allow him to sleep peacefully. It takes a man of honour to accept that and I am sure Rufai is a man of honour.
“We were all between 21 and 22 years, but we were playing beyond our age, which is something we no longer have today in Nigeria,” King told TheNiche.
Rufai excelled with the national team, while King became a hero for local clubs like Abiola Babes in 1983 and 1985, Shooting Stars in 1984, and Leventis United in 1986. These were the best Nigerian clubs of the era.
But it was at Shooting Stars that he became a star of African football, and the name ‘cat’ was added to his name. He was also called a stubborn player. For him, those were rather compliments than criticism.
“To make it as a good goalkeeper, you have to be stubborn, aggressive, take risks and see beyond others. They were features I combined in those days.
“But most importantly, I could leap to an unimaginable height, which was why they called me cat,” he recalled.
He sure had a good relationship with the late Moshood Abiola, not just because he was in the team for many years. The relationship made him to adopt Abiola’s home, Abeokuta, as his second home.
His words: “I am sure many people do not know that I am from Akwa Ibom. I speak fluent Yoruba because I was born and raised in Yorubaland.
“I have adopted Yoruba as my race after Alake of Egbaland pronounced me as citizen of Gbagura in Abeokuta. I am from Abiola’s family. I have spent all my life in Yorubaland and I understand the culture.
“Abiola was a father to me. He loved and fought for the masses. He shared his wealth with the people. As a player of Abiola Babes, I enjoyed everything.
“I remember Abiola for being a father figure. He would never talk to you like a billionaire owner of many companies and the club.
“He had passion for all our problems and related with us like his sons. He was humorous, solving all problems with laughter. We all felt comfortable around him.”
There was a particular story of King’s father, after prophesying the club’s victory, instructing him not to keep his gold medal.
Again, Abiola’s reaction, which he learnt late in the night, was a shock to him.
“In 1985 when we won the FA Cup, my father was on his sick bed. I visited him in the hospital before the semi-final match and he told me that we were going to win the cup. He said I should not keep my medal but give it to Abiola on the podium. I tried to ask him why he wanted me to do so, but I did not want to upset him. I just played along with his wishes.
“I could not reach Abiola after the final to give him my medal. But the then Chief of Army Staff (COAS), the late Augustus Aikhomu, was close to me; so I gave him the medal. The normal practice is that you take a replica of the medal on the podium and receive the official medal behind the scene.
“So when I got the official medal, I went to Abiola’s house immediately and gave it to him, to satisfy the desire of my sick father.
“Around 2am, he sent the late Best Ogedengbe, who was our team manager, to come and call me. I did not know why he asked for me, but I was sure that I did not offend him. Moreover, he was a forgiving and listening father.”
In his house, Abiola asked King why he gave the medal to him. “I replied that my sick father instructed me to honour him by dedicating and giving the medal to the chief.
“He was moved to hear that my father was sick and that he had told me to do so.
“He was unhappy that I did not tell him or any member of the club’s management that I had a sick father in the hospital. He said I should contact the hospital and demand my father’s release.
“He then instructed that my father should be taken to his personal physician, Dr. Ore Falomo. I was moved to tears and that was why I decided to make Abeokuta, Abiola’s hometown, my new home, just to honour him. You don’t get such help from all wealthy men,” he added.
King’s facts file
The goal-tender played for:
•Wema Bank FC of Lagos
•Julius Berger FC of Lagos (1981)
•Abiola Babes (1983 and 1985)
•Shooting Stars (1984)
•Leventis United (1986)
•Flying Eagles
•Green Eagles
•Tonnere Kalala of Cameroon (1989)
•Aris Sportif of Salonika in Greece (1990)
•Lisabi Warriors for eight months before retirement
