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By John Egbokhan, Benin City The wish of late Thompson Oliha to rest in peace seems a dream too far going by dramatic events that unfolded yesterday during his burial ceremony here in the ancient city of Benin. After the lying-in-state held at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, which featured a novelty match between selected former Eagles teammates and the Kwara Football Academy, his place of last appointment, not a few persons who proceeded to his Upper Sakponba residence for the interment, had a premonition of the confusion that was to come. After the convoy of vehicles navigated through the traffic-littered roads of Benin and got to the house built by the former Super Eagles midfielder, the drama of what to come started unfolding as the mourners, comprising family members, ex-teammates, friends and relatives disembarked to discover that the grave for the deceased was close to the toilet outside the premises. [caption id="attachment_401410" align="alignright" width=...

Benin - The officials of Nigeria Football Association (NFA) and ex-internationals on Friday in Benin paid tributes as their late colleague, Thompson Oliha, was buried in Benin. The final journey of Oliha, who died on June 30 in an Ilorin hospital after a brief illness, followed a lying-in-state ceremony at Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin.  Edo and Kwara states as well as and NFA ex-internationals in their eulogies, described Oliha as a humble gentleman and a dedicated player during his lifetime. Leye Adepoju, the representative of the association, said Oliha ``was a disciplined gentleman and a patriotic Nigerian, who the present crop of players should emulate’’. There was a novelty match between an Edo selected side of ex-internationals against the Kwara Academy, Oliha’s last employers. Some of the players who featured in the match were Austin Eguavoen, Aloy Agu, Emeka Ezeugo, Ben Iroha and Baldwin Bazuaye. The Edo and Kwara governments pledged one million naira each to Oliha’s childre...