Joseph Babatunde, former Nigeria youth international shares his interesting story away from the beautiful game and why he’s passionate about the ‘new Nigeria’ under President Muhammadu Buhari in an interview with MORAKINYO ABODUNRIN.

Joseph Babatunde, a valuable member of the national youth team, Golden Eaglets that won the FIFA U-16 Kodak Trophy in 1985 in China, has gone down memory lane, saying the Golden Eaglets’ conquest in China over three decades ago really opened the eyes of the world to the huge potentialities of African football.
Born July 28, 1969, Babatunde made his U-16 FIFA World Cup debut against Italy; scoring in the 3-0 win over Costa Rica and went on to play in four e other matches including the 2-0 win over the then West Germany in the final match and etched his name in Gold as a member of that historic team that grabbed global acclaim.
“It was a great feeling to have won the FIFA World Cup even though that was at the youth level,” began Babatunde said with a breathy purr in an interview with The Nation Sport & Style. “African teams and players are usually considered inferiors but our victory in China in 1985 changed such perception.”
Soon after the Golden Eaglets’ conquest in China, Babatunde was on his way to the United States of America.in search of the golden fleece and he has transited from being a footballer for the world of medicine where trained as a pharmaceutical chemist.
He explained: “I think my story is interesting; and I’m proud of what I have been able to do over the years as footballer, a researcher and now as a pharmaceutical chemist and so many were surprised about my transmission; and many were saying ‘you played soccer and you be in soccer’ but I’m good with what I’m doing. “Frankly, a lot of people are usually impressed when they had my story of being part of the team that won the |FIFA World Cup in 1985 and that I was able to move to another field which is quite interesting; it’s interesting,” he noted with his trademark smile even as he speaks on sundry issues. Excerpts…
Winning the FIFA U-16 Kodak Cup in 1985
It was a great feeling to have won the FIFA World Cup even though that was at the youth level; African teams and players are usually considered inferiors but our victory in China in 1985 changed such perception. Some of us saw the 1980 African Cup of Nations when we had great players like Segun Odegbami; Christian Chukwu, Adokie Amiesimaka and I think some of them inspired our generation; but we went further by winning the first FIFA World Cup not only for Nigeria but the whole of Africa. I remembered growing up as kid and watching some of these great players especially, Muda Lawal and it was like, I really wanted to be like this guy because he had so much passion playing for Nigeria. There was another player that impressed me; Segun Olukanmi because he was such a great player that was looked after by everybody playing around him. He made everybody around him looked much better and that really made a huge impression on me.
Soon after our victory, there was Coup de ‘tat and the Head of State who actually nicknamed us Golden Eaglets, Muhammad Buhari was overthrown and I felt the country would go spirally down; and I had the opportunity to travel down to the United States and I took the opportunity. We had been drafted to the Flying Eagles and I had the option to stay with the national team or go to the USA; and I chose to go to the USA.
I agreed with you that there is huge money in football these days but honestly, I don’t have any regret leaving football to travel to the USA; The opportunity I had then and which I took has really made me a better person because I went to school. Thereafter, I worked for the United Nations as a Sustainable Development Research Officer for about two years. That was the place I met Dr. Ibrahim Gambari who was then Nigeria’s representative in the UN. Presently, I’m in the Pharmaceutical sector because I was trained as a Pharmaceutical Chemist and I have been doing that since 2008.
As an apostle of ‘Think of what you can do for your county’
Unlike what we have now playing them for the country was all about passion and thinking of what we can do for the country and not what the country can do for us. It was just a great honour to put on the jerseys and played for the country; we were always happy doing that and money was never the consideration. Of course, it was great that the country finally recognised what we did in 1985 and I’m extremely happy that it was the President Muhammadu Buhari who was in charge when we won the World Cup that deemed it fit again to compensate us last year after 31 years when he was over thrown. You know some teams after us that also won the World Cup at the U-17 level were adequately compensated for doing the country proud. President Buhari is a gracious man and he has really done a lot the country; he is indeed a good man. And I personally likes him. I think a lot of us did not understand the kind of vision he had for the county during his term as the Head of State way back in 1985; there was discipline within the system with little corruption. It is unfortunate if you look at the country since then and from 1999 till date because things had gone from bad to worse; those in government has really destroyed our country. I think we would have better off today if we had all embraced the discipline that was the hallmark of Buhari when he was the Head of State. He was not in government to make money and all the lies by the government of the past has really caught up with us. I can’t forget the interview on CNN with the former Finance Minister. Ngozi Okonjo- Iweala where she said there was no oil money missing contrary to what the former Central Bank of Nigeria(CBD) and current Emir of Kano, Sanusi told the world. The Buhari-led government is really facing a tough time because of the monumental corruption of the past regimes.
Being happy with a trad mark smile
Simple things of life actually make me happy; being around my kids and family is one thing that makes me happy. Being around my friends and I was really thrilled when we (I mean the Golden Eaglets of 1985) were brought together last year for the Presidential reception in Abuja. It was really a great feeling to be amongst those you grew up and played with some three decades ago.
My family
Oh, interesting. I’m married to an American and you know I left the country long time ago. I have two boys and one is in the final year in the College. The second boy is about getting admission into College too and we pretty going well. They are great kids and I’m always happy being around them. I don’t want to push them through the path I passed through and certainly they cannot withstand the kind of pressure I went through as kid. There is no way I can force them to what I want and I can always encourage them in their chosen path based on my own experiences in life. My philosophy has always been that you must be the best to do anything.
Oh; what kind of father I’m? I think I’m a very good father to my kids and family. I encourage them to do whatever they want to do but usually, I demand they should always think about doing things much better. That they should never have the mindset of just being in a group but to be one of the best in the group.
My thoughts about Nigeria
I’m in love with Nigeria and I’m proud to be a Nigerian. One of the things I did when we met President Buhari last time in Abuja was that I gave him a letter about my thought for the country under his leadership. It also contained my appreciation to him for deeming it fit to recall us for a presidential reception after 31 years when we won the World Cup in 1985. It was a four-page letter and I hope he found time to read it. I feel he (Buhari) is the first genuinely democratic elected president in the history of our country.
When he hosted us last year, I said ‘it was great to meet you again’ and I gave him the letter. I equally pray that we would be patient with him because so much had been destroyed by past governments. My prayer is that God will give him the wisdom, the strength to do the right things for the country. Nigeria is a great country and I think God blessed this county beyond our imaginations. This is a country blessed with abundant mineral resources as well as human capacity in any sphere of life but the biggest disease is corruption and I will continue to play that God give President Buhari the energy to tackle corruption.
If we can clear away corruption, there is nothing stopping this country. I think it is Godly wisdom that pushed Buhari to be elected as the President of this country; he is the type of person we need to clean the dirty corruption which had been going on probably before I was born. We can’t continue to do the same thing all over again; it is incredible the kind of money that people have stolen from the coffers of this country.
There is no doubt that he’s a man with a mission when you hear the President speak about the problems of the country; he’s an honest person and we just need to support him. Frankly, I have a great passion about this country called Nigeria as well as Nigerians wherever you were born and I think if we are able to do the right things, we shall succeed.