Many Nigerians may not
be aware that Samuel Sochukwuma Okwaraji, aka: Sam Okwaraji, was a trained
lawyer who played professional football for Nigeria. Samuel Okwaraji was born
on the 19th of May, 1964 in Orlu city of Imo state, Nigeria.
Sam Okwaraji was one of
the dedicated and exceptional players who ever played for Nigeria at the
International level. He is one person who can be cited anytime, any day, as example of the fact that
football can be played not leaving education out of it being that he had a very
good educational background.
Sam Okwaraji attended
WTC Practicing School, Enugu for his primary education and then the Ezeachi
Secondary School, Orlu, also in Imo State for the secondary education. He also
attended the Federal Government College in Orlu after which he went to study Law
in the University of Rome, Italy. He thereafter bagged masters in International
Law in the Pontificial Lateran University. He, however, did not practice law as
he chose to abandon practice of the law and play football for Nigeria. His love for education was such that even at
his dead, he was a PhD student.
Samuel Okwaraji was
said to have played for top European football clubs, which includes the likes
of NK Dinamo Zagreb, VfB Stuttgart and SSV Ulm 1846. He played with the Green Eagles squad of 1988,
and then played in the African Nations cup and was said to have scored one of
the fastest goals of the competition against Cameroun.
As stated in Wikipedia, “he
collapsed and died of congestive heart failure in the 77th minute of
a World Cup qualification match against Angola at the Lagos
National Stadium in Surulere, Lagos State on 12 August 1989. He
was playing with Belgian side K. Berchem Sport at the time of his
death…”