Many Nigerians have forgotten set the of football players who played in the 70’s and 80’s especially the present generation of football partly due to lack of proper documentation and flexible media
In this Article, I attempt to discuss with nostalgia about one outstanding player and a Legendary personality in Nigerian Football history; I grow up hearing so much about him.
He is no other person than Baba Otu Muhammed of defunct Raccah Rovers of Kano.
In Africa and especially Nigeria, it is very easy to forget football players who contributed their quota of making the game what it is today.
There are many who have faded into the background or not getting the attention they deserve, disregarded in conversations concerning the best footballers or position in which they played because there is no much written history or record about them.
In Europe or even North Africa many stadiums, stands and statues were erected and named after great players, from Kubala of Barcelona, Alfaredo Di Stefano, Real madrid, Beckenbeur Bayern, down to George Best of Man Utd all were honored of what they achieved during their playing days.
Long before Kano Pillars FC was created, there was a popular club in Kano that made their mark in the annals of Nigerian football history with their outstanding entertaining playing style; they are called Raccah Rovers.
Raccah Rovers was originally known as Darma United. They are the second team from Northern Nigeria to win Nigerian league in 1978, they went on to reached quarter final at 1979 African Cup of Champions which is equivalent to CAF Champions league today.
Their most famous game was a friendly march against Fluminense FC of Brazil in Kaduna in 1978 were they loss 2-1. The legendary Pele was featured in the march.
Baba Otu Muhammed was the most famous star player of the team in those days. He is a great dribbler and has strong football skills.
His biological father was from Bebeji, in Kano state. It is Kolanut trading that took his father to Ghana where he settled.
Baba otu was born and brought up in Ghana among his four other sisters; he is the only male child.
It was Alhaji Isyaku Muhammed, Executive Director, Afro International Group of Companies that discovered Baba Otu while playing for Ghana Academicals against Nigeria.
Academicals was then an inter-secondary Schools competition between Nigerian Secondary schools and Ghana Secondary Schools.
Alhaji Isyaku was a sole sponsor of Mighty jets of Jos, so he took Baba Otu to play for Mighty jets.
He played for them for some years. Later, due to some internal crisis within the club, Alhaji isyaku withdrew his financial support to Mighty Jets. Baba Otu has no option than to look for greener pasture elsewhere.
Raccah Rovers capitalized on that and send Late Anas Muhammed and Salisu Yaro (present Kano Pillars welfare Officer) to seek for his service, and he didn’t hesitate to join them.
The team at that time consist of vast number of well talented footballers among which are; Iliyasu Yashin, Abdulwahab Haruna, Ado Ebenezer, Mai Yawo, Godwin Bankole, Ayiye Muhd, Grandson Abbas, Abubakar, Abubakar Baka wasa, Anas Muhammed, Kalalah, Willie Cabis, Hussaini Alibi, Felix Owolabi, Ahmed Dangogo. Akawu Kofar Wanbai, Nazifi Muhammed, under the management members and officials consist of Alhaji Ma’arruf, Alhaji. Tadada, Alhaji. Nasidi Boka, Alhaji. Musa Kallah and Alhaji Abdulmumini.
Baba Otu Muhammed was part of the Nigerian Football Olympic Team in Montreal, Canada 1976. He took part in two Nations Cup with the Green Eagles of Nigeria in Ethiopia 1976, and Ghana 1978 where Nigeria finished in the third position of the tournaments. Baba Otu was voted the best right winger in 1976.
Presently, there are quite a number of young football players who bears his name in Kano.
