Teslim Balogun
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Tesilimi Olawale Balogun | ||
| Date of birth | 1927 | ||
| Place of birth | Nigeria | ||
| Date of death | 30 July 1972 (aged 45) | ||
| Place of death | Nigeria | ||
| Playing position | Striker | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| – | Apapa Bombers | ? | (?) |
| 1947– | Marine Athletics | ? | (?) |
| – | UAC XI | ? | (?) |
| 1949– | Railways XI | ? | (?) |
| 1951– | Jos XI | ? | (?) |
| 1952 | Pan Bank Team | ? | (?) |
| 1953 | Dynamos Club | ? | (?) |
| – | SCOA XI | ? | (?) |
| 1955–1956 | Peterborough United | 0 | (0) |
| 1956 | Skegness Town | ? | (?) |
| 1956–1957 | Queens Park Rangers | 13 | (3) |
| 1957–1958 | Holbeach United | ? | (?) |
| 1959–1961 | Ibadan Lions | ? | (?) |
| Total | ? | (?) | |
| National team | |||
| 1948–1960 | Nigeria | ? | (?) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 1968 | Nigeria (coach) | ||
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals). | |||
Tesilimi Olawale "Teslim" Balogun (1927 – 30 July 1972) was a Nigerian football player and coach. Balogun played at both professional and international levels as a striker, before becoming Africa's first qualified professional football coach.
Career
Playing career
Balogun played in his native Nigeria for a number of teams, including Apapa Bombers, Marine Athletics, UAC XI, Railways XI, Jos XI, Pan Bank Team, Dynamos Club and SCOA XI.[1] During his time in Nigeria, Balogun won the Challenge Cup a total of five times in seven finals.[1] He was the first player to have a hat-trick in the competition, in Pan Bank's 6-1 rout of Warri in 1953.[2] After originally touring with a Nigerian select team in 1949, Balogun returned to the UK in August 1955 to sign with Peterborough United.[3] However, Balogun never made a league appearance for Peterborough,[4] and spent time with Skegness Town before signing with Queens Park Rangers, scoring 3 goals in 13 appearances in the Football League during the 1956–57 season.[5] After leaving QPR, Balogun returned to non-League football, playing with Holbeach United.
Balogun was also a member of the Nigerian national side for 12 years.[2]
Coaching career
Balogun became the first African to qualify as a professional coach.[1] He was a coach for Nigeria at the 1968 Summer Olympics.[1]
Legacy
The Teslim Balogun Stadium in the Nigerian city of Lagos is named in his honour.[1] The Teslim Balogun Foundation was founded after his death to assist the families of Nigerian ex-international footballers who may have fallen on hard times.[6]
Personal life
Balogun was nicknamed "Thunder" because of his powerful shot,[7] and was also known as "Balinga" for a similar reason.[1] During his time touring schools to coach youngesters, he was nicknamed "Baba Ball."[1]
Balogun died in his sleep on 30 July 1972, at the age of 45.[1] He had eight children.[1]
Honors
- Champion (5):
1947: Marine, 1949: Lagos Railways, 1952: Lagos PAN Bank, 1959 & 1961: Ibadan Lions
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 "Meet Teslim". Teslim Balogun Foundation. Retrieved 5 November 2010.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 http://www.supersport.com/football/nigeria50/news/110613/Teslim_Balogun_Nigerias_first_professional_footballer
- ↑ Phil Vasili (30 May 2008). "The Occluded History of Black Footballers in Britain". Pitch Invasion. Retrieved 6 November 2010.
- ↑ "Profile". Up The Posh!. Retrieved 6 November 2010.
- ↑ "QUEENS PARK RANGERS : 1946/47 – 2009/10". Post War English & Scottish Football League A – Z Player's Database. Retrieved 6 November 2010.
- ↑ "About". Teslim Balogun Foundation. Retrieved 5 November 2010.
- ↑ Chris Green (7 September 2003). "Leaders of the new school". The Observer. Retrieved 6 November 2010.