Forty-eight years ago, in 1977 to be exact, fate brought a group of young and talented footballers, who were mainly from secondary schools, together, to form a club known as Sparks Football Club, which was famously referred to as Fabulous Sparkling Sparks, nicknamed Phobia.
That togetherness then, which was more or less like a bond, still exists till today, among the then young boys, who are now men of honour and influence in the society today. It’s like one family, irrespective of their different backgrounds. It’s a relationship brought together by the round leather game….FOOTBALL.
The bond has been so established to the extent that that togetherness is now being celebrated annually, as a reunion get-together that rekindles memories of yesteryears. It’s always a celebration of breakthroughs and challenges, especially those that border on welfare and wellness.
This year, they came together, once again, on Saturday June 7, 2025, at the home of one of them, the Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in NHQ, Abuja, Alhaji Sulaiman Agboola Jimoh (Tigana), in continuation of the promotion of that togetherness, and the celebration of that bond, and welfarism.
While welcoming members to the gathering, the Chairman of the great Fabulous Sparkling Sparks, Baba Alausa Ahmed commended them for sustaining the friendship that was established since 1977.
He expressed delight that members have continued to achieve and wax stronger in their chosen fields, and equally making great impacts that has continued to promote the Fabulous Sparkling Sparks family.
The host, Alhaji Sulaiman Agboola Jimoh, popularly known as Tigana in his playing days said that it’s a great honour to host the get-together, which afforded all old friends and playing mates to meet and interact once again.
He described the moment as memorable.
Another member, a Deputy Commissioner of Police in Abuja, Yusuf Lateef, who is one of the founding members of Sparks said that the annual get-together was a good idea.
Yusuf, who was instrumental to the formation of the famous but defunct female football club in the state, Oladimeji Tigress in 1991, said that back in 1977, they were a bunch of young footballers driven by passion and joy, rather than money, pointing out that that background prepared virtually all members to become professionals in their various fields today.
He pledged to host the next reunion party.
Another member, Olanrewaju Abdulkareem Gidado, who came to Nigeria from the USA to honour the re-union party said that the togetherness is very important to him, as it always serves as a point of contact to meet once again, with old friends and mates. He hosted ;last year’s edition of the get-together.
As part of this year’s celebration, a lecture on “Future of active and inactive footballers in Kwara state and Nigeria” was delivered by Coach Issa Saliman, popularly known as Lanky.
Coach Saliman, in his lecture, said that football is a phenomenon that has become a household name across the globe, adding that active footballers must be ready to pool the strings by facing their education and to also train in any field or vocation that they can fall back on after active footballing. He identified that the span of playing as a professional footballer is a maximum of 10 years, in between, a footballer must decide on what to do after their career.
Coach Saliman, a former great footballer became a coach after his footballing career. He coached teams like Kwara United, Shooting Stars, Katsina United, and Water Corporation, among others.
