Pa Titus Okere is dead. He died today in the city of Kent at age 94.
Pa Okere was the first Nigerian footballer to play professional football abroad. He featured for Swindon Town FC in England.
Born on the 22nd of March 1929, Pa Okere was selected as a member of the UK Tourists Team that represented Nigeria in 1949.
In the UK., the team played matches with English amateur clubs and later played an international match against Sierra Leone, with Okere scoring one of the goals in a 2–0 victory.
Pa Okere was the last surviving member of Nigeria’s first national football team.
The UK Touring Team that spent two weeks on sea journeying to Liverpool was captained by Etim Henshaw. Their first of nine matches was a 5-2 win over Marine Crosby FC.
The touring Nigerian team will later form the nucleus of the Olympics squad for Helsinki ’52 Games. The touring players were warned by their team manager Capt. O.H Holley that their Olympics participation depends on their performance on the tour.
The second match was against Bishop Auckland FC which the Nigerian side lost 5-2. The third game was a 3-1 victory for Nigerian touring team against Bromley.
The Nigerian Touring Team which spent one month in the UK left Liverpool for Lagos on September 29, 1949
Pa Okere hails from Ngor Okpala Local Government Area in Imo State. He attended St. Cyprian’s Anglican School, Port Harcourt, Kalabari National College and the Okrika Grammar School.
During a tour of Azikiwe’s Athletic Club, Okere impressed Azikiwe and he briefly played for ZAC (Zik’s Athletic Club) Port Harcourt before leaving for Lagos to join Lagos Railways.
Okere captained Railways in 1948 during a successful period where they won trophies inclufing the prestigious FA Cup then Governor’s Cup.
IsHe then moved to Swindon Town F.C. in the UK, but his stay there was not successful. However, he captained the Nigeria national team squad against Gold Coast in 1951.
Adieu legend!!!
Credit: © DESMOND EKWUEME
