TRIBUTE TO MUDASHIRU BABATUNDE LAWAL AGBOLUAJE, 25 YEARS ON...

"I be Muda, I be Welder. I no dey play 4 before, na Father Tiko put me for 4.When he see say I dey good for 4, he come permanent me for 4"

   If you never saw him play live, either for his soccer club IICC Shooting Stars of Ibadan or the national team- The then Green Eagles, it's an unpardonable infraction- the type that could haunt a curious mind till eternity. Close to missing the growing years of a child- it's a grievous oversight for any decent parents to live with.

The above statement purportedly credited to the late soccer dynamo, was widely abused in Ibadan. It was nevertheless attributed to the one and only late Muda Lawal. Whether he delivered the crude statement or not; in itself, an acquired impairment in erudition to outlandishly denote his illiterate status. He was a classic genius on the soccer field.

TWENTY FIVE years ago, exactly July 6, 1991, when the news of the death of ex-Green Eagles midfielder, Mudasiru Babatunde Lawal, filtered through, most people, at first, did not believe that the ever-smiling Muda could be dead. He was young, hale and hearty, neither was he involved in any automobile accident, but before the dusk of that fateful day, the news of the demise of the midfield maestro was confirmed.

 Mudashiru Babatunde "Muda" Lawal was born 8 june 1954 in Abekuta, He worked as a mechanic before his football talents were discovered, and made his national team debut in 1975. The same year, he joined  Shooting stars FC, Ibadan, where he would play for many years. In 1976, he helped the club to their first continental title, winning the African Cup winners cup - the first Nigerian team to do so. In 1985 the club side was disbanded by a military governor. Muda returned to the side four seasons latter as an assistant coach/player.Muda won 86 caps and scored 12 goals for Nigeria. Lawal guided Nigeria to its first African Nations Cup title, at the 1980 African Nations Cup. The team also competed at the Summer Olympics the same year.

Though known as Mudasiru Lawal throughout his playing career, the late midfielder’s name was actually Mudasiru Babatunde Agboluaje. The name Lawal came from his mentor, who introduced him to football. When he started playing football, he was referred to by fans and playmates as Muda, Lawal’s boy (Mudasiru omo Lawal). Hence, the adoption of Lawal as his surname; the appellation that stuck to him till his death.

Known for his creativity, composure in the heart of the midfield and knack for goal scoring, Haji Shiru as he was fondly called never went to any football academy before he broke into football limelight in Nigeria. Formerly an automobile mechanic, the late Muda Lawal began his football career with the then IICC Football Club of Ibadan at the age of 21 and had his playing career span 16 years. He started his career in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital with IICC, and then moved to Stationery Stores FC of Lagos, and Abiola Babes FC of Abeokuta, before returning to his first club which had been rechristened Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) Football Club as player/ assistant coach.

According to football analysts who had the opportunity of watching him live, Nigeria has not produced another player in his class. His contribution to the game made the Confederation of African Football (CAF), in 2003; confer on him a posthumous award for football development on the continent. Then, he still held the record of five consecutive appearances at the African Cup of Nations, the biggest biennial football showcase in Africa. This simply means that Muda was on top of his game for 10 years that he usually made the list for Nigeria's final team in the days when selection of players into the national team was based purely on performances.

Lawal died in his home in 1991, aged 37years. The Ashero Stadium in his hometown Abeokuta was named after him upon his death.

CLUBS

1975-1984    IICC (NOW SHOOTING STARS)

1985-1986     STATIONERY STORES     

1987-1988      ABIOLA BABES  

1989- 1991    SHOOTING STARS (AKA 3SC)