Nigerian football legend, Chief Segun Odegbami, has revealed the truth behind the widely circulated myth about a match between India and Nigeria which ended 99 – 1.

The ex-international said it was just a mere fantasy, or better called a myth.

A popular myth said the Indian national football team beat its Nigerian counterpart 99 – 1 in a match by using voodoo, which made the world governing body, FIFA place a ban on India from participating in any competitive match.

There are a few versions of the myth spoken about among Nigerian football-loving boys while growing up bequeathed to them by the elderly either in schools or communities.

There was a version that said the ball would turn to a stone when Nigerian players wanted to kick it, while another one said it turned into a lion.

Also, while one version of the myth said it was a courageous Nigerian player – Muda Lawal who defied the odds and shot the ball-turned stone to give the country a goal, another account said it was Teslim Balogun popularly known as Thunder Balogun who netted for Nigeria.

The narrative wrapped it up that the Nigerian player who scored the Nigerian goal died on the field of play and immortalised as a hero.

In his response, Odegbami who laughed when asked to shed more light on the myth, said it was a mere superstition.

In a recent interview with Vanguard, Odegbami said it was not true that he also met the myth while growing up and he made findings to be certain about it.

“It is not true. It is not true. Just leave it. There is no such thing. We (my colleagues and I) too heard it. I have researched it and it was not true,” Odegbami said. (Saturday Vanguard)

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