Tyler Adebisi, the 13-year-old in love with Rivers Utd
Published on Saturday, 11 June 2016 17:40- Hits: 609
Sam Nnaji
writes of his encounter with 13-year-old schoolboy, Adebisi Tyler
inside the Media Tribune of the Yakubu Gowon Stadium, home ground of
Rivers United."That's Okiemute Odah, isn't it?".
"Yes, that's him!" came the reply.
"OK, so he's now with Lobi Stars".
"Yes, he is. He joined them at the start of the season" the second voice replied.
"Oh, OK. I know he left Sharks to join Warri Wolves."
The conversation was coming from my left, as I sat at the press stand of the Yakubu Gowon Stadium in Port Harcourt. Engrossed with official responsibility, I could hardly cast them any glance, because there really was nothing uncommon about the chat. It falls perfectly within the category of what fans yarn about in the course of the game.
"Enyimba is losing?"
"Yes." the second voice answered
"Good!" came the delightful outburst.
At that point it was impossible to ignore the duo sitting close to me. Turning and looking in their direction, a bigger surprise awaited me. The second voice was that of SuperSport Pidgin commentator Benjamin Okenna but it was the first voice, the one steering the conversation that caught my attention. Not the regular and everyday NPFL follower you can meet at match venues, he was a younger fellow. 13-year-old Tyler Adebisi smiled as I gawked at him.
Stunned and with the words stuck in my mouth. "How? How do you know Okiemute Odah?" I managed to say. "I knew him when he was at Sharks before he went to Warri Wolves. He's a very good goalkeeper," came the confident reply. I was still puzzled. Okiemute Odah left Sharks for Warri Wolves in 2013, Tyler was 10 at the time. So invariably, this youngster had keenly followed the league before he was a teenager. "I'm originally a supporter of Dolphins Football Club," Tyler revealed in a chat after the game. "After they were merged, I am now supporting Rivers United".
"I started following them in 2013 when I just entered secondary school" Tyler continued. "I started following up, started reading newspapers. Sometimes I watch their matches on SuperSport and I come to the stadium when I'm not in school. I knew I have to come to the stadium today because this is a very important match for us as Rivers United fans and I'm proud that we won". Tyler said.
Tyler is of Ogun State origin but his mother, Mrs Margaret Adebisi, an On Air Personality who lives in Port Harcourt is from Rivers State. He not only supports the club, he also is familiar with a few of the players. "I've always followed Stanley Eguma, Tyler says. "I know some of their players, Sunday Rotimi has been here since. Daniel Israel who just came in not too long ago. I know Christian Weli who scored the goal".
Christian Weli's 78th minute strike which broke the deadlock produced the anticipated exuberant reaction from Tyler but it was short lived as it was quickly replaced with frustration when Wikki Tourists scored a late winner against Ikorodu United in Lagos.
"Right now, the gap between Wikki Tourists, Rivers United and Enyimba is just one point (before last weekend's fixtures)," the youngster said, fully aware of the significance of the results and he is keen that the Rivers club win the title.
"The two Rivers State clubs just merged and we have been having issues with payments but now we have started winning matches and we are doing very well. I want us to win the League. It will make the club get bigger".
Evidently, coach Stanley Eguma and his lads have one more fan who they cannot afford to disappoint at the end of the season.
Tyler loves to play football and he says he is proud to support the Nigeria Professional Football League. In his words, the NPFL is "a very great league and we have our own stars here in the league."
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