INTERVIEW: Etim Esin on rape, gunshots, earthquake and his role in the Chile ’87 disaster

Etim John Esin, one of the most gifted players in Nigeria’s football history, has opened up on his hugely adventurous career and life.

Esin, who played for Iwuanyanwu Nationale, Flash Flamingoes and Calabar Rovers before moving to Belgium, revealed in this interview with TheCable the amazing details of his controversial career, a highlight being  that saw him got shot on the eve of Nigeria’s participation at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile 1987 Championship.

“Maradona”, as nicknamed by legendary radio commentator Ernest Okonkwo, also spoke on his alleged rape case in Belgium as well as how his his family stood by him in the trying times.

YOUTHFUL EXUBERANCE

It was difficult and I was young then. I was in the glare of spotlight at an early age with youthful exuberance. With that, one will make one or two mistakes. That’s why sometimes I give speeches in some academies in the country. To give motivational speeches to the young ones coming up. As young kids that they need to face their football career. To handle fame at a very tender age is not easy at all. I was very exceptional. Iwuanyawu National Football Club gave me a 505 car (Evolution) at age 18. Fame came and I did not have a manager at that time. You don’t have agents. Even when I went to Europe I was on my own. I had no manager or agent. Nobody to look after me as a young man. So, I just derailed with youthful exuberance I just made a lot of mistakes.

NATURAL TALENT

I grew up in Oron, Akwa Ibom state. So, I started from home with Oron Youngsters before I moved to Calabar Rovers. Then we were playing with natural talent and not because you know this man or that man. So, when you have natural talent everybody can see, everybody can say your call-up to the national team is by merit and that is it. I was the highest goal scorer with Flash Flamingoes and we played against Iwuanyanwu Nationale then.

You know that whenever I played, I played well. I think I scored two goals against them. That was what got Iwuanyanwu Nationale interested in me. In fact, it was not only Iwuanyanwu that showed interest in me then. Interest came from Leventis United and Abiola Babes. MKO Abiola was even my mentor then. Abiola wanted me to sign for them. Leventis wanted me to sign for them because those were the two biggest clubs back in the day. Everyone was promising me things then. It was only Iwuanyanwu that gave me a car. He said this is your 505, take your keys. That was why I signed for Iwuanyanwu.

EUROPEAN SOJOURN

I never went for trial in Belgium. A club came to Nigeria for a playing tour, AA Gents (in 1986). They played against the Flying Eagles. I think I scored three goals against them in Lagos and I also scored against them again in Benin. That was how they gave me a contract. It was not really an official thing then. Putting into consideration, how many footballers were playing in Europe then. Just Stephen Keshi who left from Côte d’Ivoire. We were the first crop of Nigerians players to play in Belgium. I think before me it was Stephen Keshi followed by me and I think Austin Eguavoen also. My best moment in Belgium club side as a player was in Lokeren. Peter Rufai was with us then. It was a good experience for me and that is why they cannot forget me there because I made my mark for Lokeren.

U-20 WORLD CUP DISTRACTION

I think the distraction from my gunshot and my inclusion in the team affected us because no one expected me to recover on time and also be able to make the team. (Esin left camp at night, unauthorised, and was shot by robbers in Surulere, Lagos). My making the team was a very big distraction for the others. We had one of he best squads then but cohesiveness wasn’t there. So, we lost to Brazil, we lost to Italy and drew with Canada. It was the best team in Africa then. The junior national team. Everyone hoped on us. We even thought we would come back with the cup. The incident with me I think destabilized the team psychologically. You know, jealousy, envy and all that came into play because the media was always on my issue. Etim Esin will do this, Etim Esin will do that, Etim Esin the Maradona and all that.

It is a team sport and not an individual sport like tennis, for you to shine you need your team mates to play along with you for you to shine. For you to be able to deliver what you are suppose to do. I think if I had not been included in that team, maybe my team mates could have performed better. Because when I got included, psychologically they all were like let him play alone and lets see what he can achieve alone, you know something like that.

AIR OF INVINCIBILITY

You know that when you are young, you believe that you are invincible. It is after making the mistakes that you will realize you are not invincible. And that is why I am writing a book now, so that the young generation can learn from my mistakes. I made lot of mistakes. I went through a lot. I have been through gunshot, rape case, drug case, earthquake. I almost died in an earthquake in 1999 in Turkey. That was why I hanged my football boots. Saying I should rest before I die.

MISSING MAJOR COMPETITIONS

I was never lucky to have been able to play at the Nations Cup though I played six times for the Super Eagles. In 1988, when in Lokeren, it was two of us, they had to let one go and I had to stay. They could not afford to let the two of us leave for that long period for the tournament. Then the club will deny you going to play. That was the problem then. They released Samson Siasia to go for the Olympics and the Nations Cup but refused me to go. Because I was their golden boy in Lokeren then.

THE RAPE CASE

My girlfriend then was a minor, 16 years or so, I didn’t know that she was just that age. We were naive about things like that then. I never even knew what a peodophile was then. The girl’s father was even sleeping with her. The father, knowing that this girl is now going out with a black man, that was when racism came into play. The father now instigated her to go and report a rape case against me. Mumuni Alao of Complete Football came then to cover the case and it was a white offspring she gave birth to.

Lots of players pass through rape issue. Even Celestine Babayaro had a case if not that he was playing for a big club, Chelsea then that they just cleared the case. White people easily can set you up because of racism if you are a black man and you are not careful. I was naive about the white people’s lifestyle. Even in Europe, they have their rules. They have their own laws. I didn’t even know about all that. But I knew I was not guilty of the offence I was been accused of. I never knew that if you sleep with a minor that it is a crime. At the age of 16 you will even think that she is 20. So, I never even bothered asking on that level. I never knew all that.

MY WIFE, MY STRENGTH

My father wanted me to go to school. He never wanted me to play football. He accepted only when I started playing for Nigeria. My family was very supportive during that period. They were my strongest supporters.My wife is the only woman that stood by me. I have two kids, a boy and a girl. We met in Paris. She’s a Malian. She’s a daughter to a Malian ambassador. She’s a God sent to me. And I keep thanking God for that.