At 17, I Was Already Paying My Siblings’ School Fees

His dazzling moves on the left wing, going past defenders like hot knife through butter, prompted late ace commentator, Ernest Okonkwo to nickname him ‘Elastic Elaho’. In this interview with this former Super Eagles ace speaks on his football days, how he

Like other children of his time, Friday Elaho started playing football on the streets of Benin City at a very tender age, and went on to play for his secondary school. At the age of 17, Bendel Insurance recognised his talent and he played for the team until he left for Denmark, where he played for Brumby. He also had a stint in Saudi Arabia before ending his career.

“Most parents wanted their children to be educated and mine were no exception. As a result, I got beaten everyday by my parents for going out to play football, insisting that I get good education. But I thank God today for what I eventually came out to be, because when I began to make it as a footballer, my parents started cooperating with me.

Asked how he was able to weather the storm of his parents, he said: “It was not easy then, but I was not discouraged by the scolding I received from my parents. My senior brother, who himself was a footballer really encouraged me to continue, with a condition that I face my studies. With his encouragement, there was no stopping me.”

Playing for Bendel Insurance as a 17 year- old form five boy, Elaho did not allow his ego to override his sense of reasoning, most especially amongst his school mates. “Though I was playing for a great club, I was still keeping my school friends and I shared the money I earned with them. I felt very great playing for a big club; I never neglected my friends, we were still moving together. Even at home, I was already responsible for paying the school fees of my younger ones and even contributing to my parents’ upkeep with the money I was earning from my club. I can buy whatever I wanted during that period because the money was there. For me, it was a great honour playing for Insurance then,” Elaho said.

The former junior international joined P&T Football Club of Benin while still at Edokpolor Grammar School, Benin and won the admiration of the locals.

"It was from P&T that my parents started reading about me in the newspapers but their insistence on concentrating on my education never diminished. Though, I still receiving lots of beatings from my uncle who said I should just forget about anything that has to do with football and concentrate on my studies, but after a while he too gave up when he realised I was not ready to shift ground. I thank God that at the end of the day it paid off", he explained.

Elaho however did not break into the national limelight until 1984 when he was invited to the Flying Eagles. From P&T he joined Bendel Insurance of Benin and it was from there that he was invited to the Flying Eagles camp.

Reliving the rivalry between Bendel Insurance and New Nigerian Bank, Elaho said it was one of the biggest rivalries in Nigerian football. He vividly recalled the Boyo Cup final between the two teams where many Bendel Insurance players left the club to join New Nigeria Bank.

"Those of us then that remained with the club were relatively young and Coach Alabi