This is a tribute I did about a year ago on Ali Abdullahi and Christian Godfrey who both died on May 16, 2010 as we approach their one year anniversary, I celebrate them with this, its touchy for me knowing these two undisputable recordbreakers spent their last one full week with me touring some African Countries. Rest in Peace guys
We had our way around the city, but their music had its way around. By the third day when pressure had mounted at Younde Golf Course and seven of the eight players flying Nigeria's flag had made past the midway cut. Me (a journalist and manager) and Mark Joseph had to work extra hard to cool the seven players after their round, but then we stumbled on a therapy; music.
Ali has just reversed the leaderbord with a 66, six under carding, to set up a last day game that will have two Nigerian players in the final round while a Morocan, Sabi Abdullek joins. No Camerounian; and it was their event.
Just before that, At Hotel Mont Febe, In Yaounde where Abdullahi Ali, Christian Godfrey and the rest of us retreated each night throughout the days of Cameroon International Golf Championship, legendary windpipe, Papa Wemba shared dinning with us.
Nothing strikes like co-incident when we first identified the baritoned ageing Wemba at the breakfast table, where I struggled to explain to the boys, how deep his footprint was on the African music-scene. Little did we know that my description of the musician was proverbial, Ali and Godfrey were stamping theirs feet too; only this time on the golf-scene.
Ali loved music and he had loads of it on his phone. And that kept his idle time on tournament days in check. He never struggled to sing any line of the now increasing symphonic dance halls that Nigeria musician are churning out.
“E no easy ooh! Oh, oh, oh, oh….” And you have himself and Christian miming away.
I actually made a special request to the Disc Jockey at Moanda Open final before he was called to have that track played whenever he is called on to receive his prize when he won the Championship on the night of April 6th, in Gabon.
On the third day of the Championship at Yaounde, Ali raked home six under par, 66 in one of the moment that defined his eventual victory at the championship. He carded seven birdies and one boggey (on the 12th par 3). The tone of the event changed, when he took over the lead of the event from another Nigeria Gboyega Oyebanji (Teko) and the best Cameroonian player Ebela Desire was relegated to the third.
We had a date with Nigerian High Commissioner to Cameroon, Ambassador, Philip Dauda that same day and in a mixture of excitement and expectation the players rollicked a tune that is now becoming part of our day in Cameroun, it just goes: ..”Sala…. sa..sa..sala”.
Back at the hotel, none of the other six players and me could contain the huge expectation that day’s result has bestowed on us. We spent the rest of the day at the basement of the hotel. Oche Odoh was in charge of the billiard board trouncing, Mike Ubi, Mark Joseph and Ali in succession while I surfed the internet at the lounge using the wi-fi.
Soon, Gift Willy will lead us to his new discovery; the same tune “Sala..sa..” which is now bleating from a turn-table nearby.
Was it excitement? Shaking off pressure? Or rehearsal for the real dance on Saturday award night at the Hilton? One or all these drove the boys to one of the most ecstatic night we had at Mont Febe.
That night too, Papa Wemba had a gig at the National Stadium in commemoration of the nation’s 50th independence week.
When play resumed at Younde Golf Club, Ali’s win was never in doubt, while the crowd that walked the rough behind the rope just wanted to be sure that they were part of the story whenever it is told how a certain Ali Abdullahi came from Nigeria to cart away the biggest prize purse that the country has ever staked for a professional golf event in history.
The sedentary animosity that would have trailed a foreigner’s dusting home players evaporated into admiration quickly. Ali’s slender frame coiled as he bombed Titlist pro VI golf balls father than 300 yards with his Ping Rapture nine degree driver. “Wooooow”, most of his new fans will yell.
The President of the Cameroon Golf Federation (FECAGOLF), Dr Ahanda Assiga Yves Martin was one of the admirers, same for some of the pro that failed in the halfway cut. “What do you guys eat in Nigeria?” one of them was forced to ask.
In all the events that Ali won, he established a style of winning. Something like: “No play off no sudden death”. He wins with a big margin leaving no room. When we (all the Nigerian team except Teko) crossed him by the sixteenth on the final day, he already had eight strokes adrift of the second placed Teko, and almost thirteen away from Sabi Abdullek from Morocco.
Everybody he played has a story to tell about his form and he is way ahead.
In the case of Godfrey, the Cameroon event was the first event he was showing up for Africa outside of the Sunshine Tour engagement that he has withdrawn from of late. The Kenya Open that he performed for Nigerian was on the European Tours’ lower league ticket (Challenge Tour).
Back at home, he is simply the ‘king of records’, I was with him on the third day of 2009 CMCL Championship when he stroked home ten birdies in a boggie free round that upturned the course record that hitherto was set by Richardo Gonzales in March 1998.
Coincidentally, it was Ali Abdullahi that was Godfrey’s marker for that round and he signed the card.
Later that same year, at the President Open (the first Professional event that the Le Meridien Golf Course was hosting) Godfrey submitted another record score that is yet to be broken.
So when Godfrey Showed up for the last round of the Cameroon event, there was this air that he is another winner that could turn the applecart on the day. But he did not because he claimed there were problems with his reflexes and did not want to force it and suffer for it later.
Ali putted out at about 3:10pm that after noon and we had a bumpy day. It was quite exhausting because the award night was meant to tee-off by 6pm at the Hilton as it was scheduled.
We had Lunch, banters with friends (Emile Abessolo, Tata Lesley, Marcel Soumahoro, Mahmodu Kone, Thomas Onambele, and Sabi Abdulek), and then journeyed to the hotel for our own shower. And by the side there was a little coaching from Oche Odoh who wanted a perfect winner’s speech from his childhood friend.
When we arrived at Hiton Yaounde for the dinner and award, we later discovered that there was one thing we did not prepare for: and that was the Champions dance.
As we later found out, the popular track we have been inundated with in Yaounde was the hottest track in town and the singer was performing live at the dinner. The hit track was reseved for Ali and the Nigerian team after he has been handed his trophy and his spoil: 10, 000 Euros.
Not a word was understood, but this time, the boys have mastered the steps, the beats and every interjection in the track. So when the victory dance took center stage, the spotlight came on Ali, Godfrey, Teko and Sabi who had taken the show from Lady Ponce and her Makossa troupe.
Nobody had a wind the clock was ticking for two of the jolly lads that were jigging on the floor. Cameroon latest singing sensation and gang versus Cameroon’s Open Golf Champion and his buddies; the die was caste.
We didn’t return to Mont Febe until 3am Sunday morning, with the trophy and Euros in the pocket, but then mindful of memories from the Champions dance.
The death of these two talents in the morning on Wednesday May 19, 2010 is rude reminder that the golf attention has been in wrong direction for too long, in Nigeria.
Who will give us another champion dance and how soon? Or have the dance steps and music left with their exit? Who knows?
