Fans Kick As Flying Leaders FC Captain ‘Bubu’ Leaves For The UK Again

In 2015, fans of Flying Leaders FC were sad and distraught about their condition. The team had gone through a tough phase five years earlier when team captain, Umoru Musa battled with a terminal disease. 

Musa’s presence in the team helped the course of the team as the dwindling form steadied under the midfielder. His absence struck the team badly and when he eventually gave up the ghost, the team sought to names for mercy.

Their captain, whom they had signed basically for his grass-to-grace story and the allure of his name, gave a good account of himself. He’d told fans that he played barefooted because he couldn’t afford boots. However, during his time as skipper, the team scored many own goals and gave away careless passes to opposition to wreak havoc. 

Fans soon grew displeased and when the time came to elect a new captain, they found solace in Muhameddan Buharideen.

Buharideen was a midfield enforcer when the team was named “Crusher FC”. With his vice captain running the rings, the team was known to bore fans. Their jerseys were always clean and that was his target, even if they hardly won games. 

The lanky midfielder soon signed a long-term deal with Civilian FC. His time with the club came with less promising periods, where he had to go to local hospitals in place of the big foreign ones he’s known to visit when he was skipper of the side. He lost weight during this period and tended to his bovine.

Fans, majority of whom were tired of former skipper, Jona soon saw a viable replacement in Buharideen, famously known across football circle as “Bubu”. The latter had waited to get his armband back and is popular within the Northern section of the fans. They called on the club management, led by INEC to go all out for Bubu. They soon got what they desired and demanded.

Bubu has die-hard fans across the length and breadth of the Flying Leaders fan-base. A “fantastic asset, great defender, efficient midfielder, excellent attacker and effervescent winger”, he’s seen as the only hope of Flying Leaders FC. They nicknamed him the “Messiah”. They had their hopes up, but their excitement soon got deflated when Bubu went on a 6-month winless run.

The former Civilian FC player encouraged the use of academy prospects in place of established professionals and asked fans to wait for months. He delayed team selection and when he finally allowed the team get him teammates, he was content with seeing players from his Crusher FC days and few of the New Old School FC guys. Their form dwindled and Bubu got injured again. It was a long-term injury and he left for the United Kingdom where he had a deal to always ignore the club’s hospitals. It’s his contribution to the UK economy. 

He spent more than 100 days in the UK and the club seemed to do better without him. In his absence, diminutive playmaker simply known as Yemi took the captain’s armband. He wasn’t respected by many of his teammates and academy prospects but the armband made the difference.

A member of the Board of Directors of Flying Leaders, Bola Ojuyobo also rose to play his part in ensuring the team escaped relegation. Blessed with some of the best resources and academy talents in the world of football, it nauseates fans that Flying Leaders has wobbly-legged players leading its charge.

Bubu soon recovered and he went straight into business. Months rolled over years and the team’s fortunes hadn’t changed. Fans were displeased and distraught. The days of Jona’s captaincy were worse. Bubu’s days have so far proven to be the worst. 

What surprises many is how badly a talented squad like Flying Leaders is struggling for form and consistency. While some people blame the inability of the team to spend on developing good training facilities, a few “I-must-be-unique-by-force” others blame the team’s celebration of arts and culture which invited ghosts and demons. 

Former team captain, Jona has been seen in close quarters with Bubu recently and fans believe a move may be on the cards. He was recently sent to Malian FC to steady the ship as fans forced their underperforming captain out.

Flying Leaders’ current captain, who recently saw to the retirement of the team’s defenders signed a new contract in 2019 against fans’ wishes. If wishes were horses, fans will ride.

Like other members of the league of captains from his part of the world, Bubu has gone to the UK again for his regular tour of their hospitals. Academy prospects in the medical section of the team have been sleeping on empty bellies but the captain, who doubles as the coach has not said a word.

Una no go allow me enjoy my captaincy? - Bubu 2021

One of his teammates and lieutenants, Chris Kangol said the team is good but fans know nothing. He said the prospects that get signed by other clubs are the ones not patient with the what Flying Leaders is building.

As more fans switch their support to other teams, Bubu has been confirmed to stay as captain till 2023. It is the harshest reality of the fans of Flying Leaders FC who are tired of the winless run of the team. 

Many young fans are mooting leaving the club for better clubs abroad but the team, which feeds its fanbase is restricting the airflow of the fans. 

But for music and sport once in a while, these fans would have been choked on the amount of air they had to feed on. They say their mouths are dry like sands in the ocean. 

Omo Iya mi, Nigeria; E sok - Aremu Pokipoki 2021

When you ask them what the fate of Flying Leaders FC is these days, they say “E don spoil”.