Five games into the 2022/23 Nigeria Professional Football League season, newly promoted Bendel Insurance have taken the league by surprise with the help of a relatively unknown name until now, Osarenkhoe Imade. ABIODUN ADEWALE caught up with the player and brings you the journey of the UNIBEN graduate into football
Barely 16 hours after scoring his fourth goal of the season for Bendel Insurance on match-day four of the 2022/23 Nigeria Professional Football League, top scorer, Osarenkhoe Imade, arrived church around Oza Street, off Sakponba Road, Benin City, at about 8am for Sunday service.
It’s another day in the presence of God for the Benin-born striker, who doesn’t skip the Sunday service anytime the league schedule allows him to.
Due to the agreed location for the interview, Imade is unable to attend his own church, The African Apostolic Church. So he joined his friend, Gideon Okhomina, who is also a footballer, but unattached, to worship at Risen Life Mission International Church, where he met with our correspondent.
After an energetic praise session and of course, the sermon, Imade stepped out to honour the interview.
“Right from my childhood my life has been built on God. So, I always raise my hands up giving glory to God when I score because the little success I’m getting now is not because I’m that fantastic. When God is with you, you can do exploit and moreover anytime we don’t have home games on Sunday I never miss church. I’m not just a churchgoer, I believe in God, that it’s only Him that can take us to next level,” Imade said.
Born into a family of 11, Imade is th e sixth among nine children and the second son.
According to him, football runs in their family, as they all grew up watching their father support the Nigerian national teams religiously. As a result, coming from a humble background and nursing the ambition to play football didn’t appear as a luxury in Imade’s case, because he could afford it with the support of his immediate family.
As he came of age, he was sure of the liberty to choose football as a career, but one thing had to come first. Imade’s father rang the bell of education into his ears and that rekindled his childhood passion of becoming an engineer.
He attempted JAMB twice before he secured admission to study Petroleum Engineering at the University of Benin — a five-year journey that gave him the opportunity to play collegiate football at the NUGA Games, as well as the Higher Institution Football League.
In fact, following his recent success in the NPFL, he is widely ascribed as a product of the latter competition, even though he didn’t reach full potential with UNIBEN Royals during the maiden edition of the competition in 2018.
Being an integral part of the UNIBEN football team didn’t stop Imade from being the leader of his mates; he was also his Class Rep and his eventual graduation with a Second Class Upper degree speaks volume about how well he combined his academics with football as he graduated in 2019.
“It all began in my 100 level, I was jumping from class to the field for training and I broke into the school team immediately. In fact, it was so good that the coach found it difficult to drop the senior striker in the team then, so he had to play the two of us,” Imade added.
“At the same time, I was the Class Rep and I had to be up and doing. It wasn’t easy, but I eventually graduated with a strong 2:1.”
Imade wouldn’t agree that he had a remarkable season in the 2018 HiFL, because UNIBEN were disqualified for fielding an ineligible player. But his involvement and two goals during the knockout stages were enough for him to attract offers from NPFL clubs and he settled for home side and boyhood club, Bendel Insurance.
Imade might be new to the attention in the topflight, but this is not his first season in the NPFL. Upon signing for Insurance in 2019, he played in the abridged league that season, but they were relegated again, having only returned to the topflight that year. That season might have come too early for him in terms of competition and fighting for places, but he took his chance in the FA Cup and that was all he needed to be given a trial in the league.
After lnsurance were relegated in 2019, Imade played with the club in the second-tier NNL in 2020 and already bagged three goals before COVID-19 truncated the season. Signs of what he was up to were beginning to show, with more offers from interested NPFL teams ahead of another season.
He made a loan move to Lobi Stars in 2021 in what was his first time away from his comfort zone. There, he rubbed shoulders with the likes of Ossy Martins and Austin Ogunye for a place in the team. He also made another loan move to Wikki Tourists in 2022 and perhaps it was coincidence or likeness, Kabiru Dogo was the coach of Lobi Stars and Wikki Tourists between those times.
In terms of exposure, the loan moves were rewarding for Imade, but they were halted by contractual issues which saw him return to Insurance on both occasions.
After starting the season with Wikki Tourists in 2022, he teamed up with Insurance for the remainder of their campaign in the NNL and there was enough time for him to make his mark with three goals in five appearances as the club gained promotion to the NPFL again.
With promotion back to the topflight in the bag for Insurance, Imade need not look further again, but this time he had to make sure he could be trusted to lead the line for the Benin Arsenal, who added more experienced legs to their squad.
Insurance didn’t survive the abridged league in 2019 and this time again on their return, they were grouped with heavyweights and former champions Enyimba, Akwa United and Plateau United, as well as bitter rivals Remo Stars and others.
Perhaps their underdog status softened the ground for them, as they hit the ground running with a stunning 2-0 win against Akwa United on match-day one, before beating Plateau United dramatically, and then to Kwara United away from home again as well as a comfortable 3-0 win over Remo Stars in Benin on Saturday, before another away win over El-Kanemi Warriors in Maiduguri. This incredible run of five consecutive wins has seen them score eight goals and conceding one and are the only side with a 100 per cent record this season.
Imade stood out in the process, grabbing the headlines for scoring on all first four occasions to top the league’s scorers chart.
Mathematically, his four goals so far makes up for fifty percent of his team’s tally. His striking partner, Ismael Sarki comes close to him with three goals while Austin Ogunye and Deputy Etheta have the other two goals.
In his fourth season in the topflight, Imade is now enjoying all the attention locally and nationally. As a matter of fact, even his UNIBEN mates are quick to remember his prolific days for the university.
“Recalling all those fond memories in UNIBEN watching Imade score powerful goals on Education field to Main bowl, I’m glad I saw the making of a star. Long may this form continue ‘Black Bullet,” Pelumi Abiara wrote on Twitter, after the striker scored his fourth goal of the season.
For a striker of his stature, who has earned the nickname ‘Black Bullet’ due to his energy, it’s hard to look away from Imade in team selection. And when he keeps delivering like this, keeping him also becomes another task.
In response to the possibilities of offers from home and abroad, Imade says he is fully focused on helping Insurance achieve their objective this season.
“For me it’s not about being the highest goals scorer, it’s about the target of the team. Yes, we are on top now, but it’s too early to tag us as challengers. We just want to stay in the league and I also want to help the club achieve that.”
Back to church, where the sermon focused on applying God’s wisdom in one’s career, Imade also confessed he was touched.
“When the pastor was preaching, I felt this was my message. So, I’m still going back home to ruminate and tailor my ambitions so I don’t make wrong decisions and so I don’t fall into wrong hands,” Imade said.
With four goals already in five games, Imade is on a potential career propelling path, and the decisions he makes in the nearest future will become part of his NPFL story.
