Like father, like son: The Aiyenugba goalkeeping dynasty
After leading a successful goalkeeping career in Nigeria and Israel, former Super Eagles goalie, Dele Aiyenugba is not retired yet, and he already has the task of helping his up-and-coming son, Daniel, become better than him, writes ABIODUN ADEWALE
When former Super Eagles goalkeeper and Kwara United man, Dele Aiyenugba, shared the phone number of his son with our correspondent, the name on it was ‘Dan Goalie’.
The expectation was that Aiyenugba would either type out the number by heart or perhaps the name on the contact would be ‘Daniel Aiyenugba’, ‘Daniel’ or even more expectedly, ‘My Son.’
“Aside from being my son, that’s the way I see him,” Aiyenugba explained why he tagged him ‘Dan Goalie.’
“I see him as a mentee or a junior colleague who is in the same profession as me. It doesn’t take away the fact that he is my son, it makes the bond even stronger.”
In a career that has spanned 25 years, Aiyenugba needs no introduction in Nigerian football.
After spending six years with Enyimba in the Nigerian league, where he won two CAF Champions League titles in 2003 and 2004, two CAF Super Cups in 2004 and 2005, one FA Cup title in 2005, as well as four NPFL titles in 2002, 2003, 2005 and 2007, Aiyenugba moved to Israel in 2007.
There, he made a combined 402 appearances for Bnei Yehuda (294), Hapoel Ashkelon (62), Hapoel Iksal (34), Hapoel Afula (13), before returning to Nigeria in 2020 to join local league side Kwara United, where he currently plays.
His contributions to Enyimba was recently appreciated by the club, who honoured him with a jersey plaque, before an NPFL game between Enyimba and Kwara United in Aba in January.
After over two decades as a goalkeeper, it’s about time the 39-year-old either left the stage or shared the spotlight with his 14-year-old son, Daniel, who has been making waves recently, after helping Remo Stars’ youth side, Beyond Limits FC, gain promotion from the Nationwide League One — Nigeria’s third-tier — to the Nigeria National League, the second division.
The proud father was among the spectators in Osogbo, Osun State as Daniel was in goal in Beyond Limit’s 4-1 win over First Bank FC to secure their promotion to the NNL.
“Daniel was superb with some impressive saves for his team. I’m a proud father because he is boldly taking over the big gloves from me. With his display, I’m very confident he has a bright future ahead of him,” Aiyenugba said after watching the crucial playoffs game in Osogbo.
Aiyenugba is not the first footballer to have his son toe the same path. Worldwide, there are numerous names of football stars whose sons are now playing the game. However, the goalkeeping department has few names and Aiyenugba could well be reckoned in no distant time.
A perfect example is former Denmark international and Manchester United goalkeeper, Peter Schmeichel, who won five Premier League titles, three FA Cups and the UEFA Champions League with the Red Devils in eight years. Schmeichel was also part of the legendary Denmark side that won the European Championships in 1992.
His son Kasper Schmeichel also had a brilliant run in the Premier League and was part of the Leicester side that shocked the world by winning the EPL in 2016. He also won the FA Cup with the Foxes in 2021 and led Denmark to the European Championship semi-finals, where they were narrowly beaten by England in extra-time.
Experienced and European Cup winning Spanish goalie, Pepe Reina, is the son of former Barcelona and Atletico Madrid shotstopper, Miguel Reina.
In The Netherlands, Joe Van Der Sar is the son of former Dutch international and Manchester United legend Edwin van Der Sar.
Joe is aged 25 and and is also waiting for his big break to reach and surpass the heights and achievements of his father as a keeper.
In Nigeria, the Dosus are also exemples, although theirs is a brotherhood line of goalkeepers. Aside from Atlanta 1996 Olympic gold medallist, Joseph Dosu, his elder brother David and younger ones, Abbas and John were also goalkeepers. Before them, there were the famed Okala brothers, Patrick and Emmanuel, who both represented Nigeria at international level.
Back to Aiyenugba, one of the similarities between father and son is how young both of them were when they ventured into football. While his father’s record shows that he began amateur goalkeeping with Kwara Stars in 1998 – at the age of 15 — Daniel started making the news in 2021, when he was 12.
This was after winning the goalkeeper of the tournament award at the Ramat Cup in Kano.
Interestingly, the lad started football as an outfield player.
“I started with a football club called Future Stars in Ilorin. That was when I started thinking of becoming a goalkeeper because I was formerly a striker. I played for Future Stars before I joined Kwara Football Academy, where I met my trainer, coach Oluyori,” the young Aiyenugba told The PUNCH.
Transitioning from an outfield player to a goalkeeper, especially among young players, could mean a smart way of finding space for oneself in a star-studded team.
But Daniel insists he was a very good striker who was inspired to try goalkeeping after watching video clips of his father and watching him train while he was in Nigeria.
“I watch a lot of video clips of my dad, even up till now. After watching him too, anytime he comes home during their off season, he does his goalkeeping training on the same pitch with me and my brother.
“So, I had to stop playing sometimes so I could pay attention to his techniques. That was how I took interest and decided to become a goalkeeper too,” he said.
His father wasn’t blind to Daniel’s curiosity.
-Punch
