Goodnight, Bassa-Djeri

On June 14, the shocking news broke on the sad demise of Sabirou Bassa-Djeri, a former Enyimba FC goalkeeper and Togo International. A swift check on his former club’s X page to confirm the veracity or otherwise of the news yielded no results, as the last post on the club’s page was on June 8. After some credible sources confirmed it. I let it sink in as I reflected on the brevity of human existence. One minute, you are here doing big things , the next minute you are gone, leaving behind memories and most notably the work you have done. 

This line of thought reminded me of the lyrics of the hymn  – ONLY REMEMBERED, and sang thus; “Only Remembered ,Only Remembered, Only Remembered by the works, we ‘ve done.” Written by Horatius Bonar with the lyrics reflecting on how our earthly deeds will be our lasting legacy. Although I’m not fit nor in a position to document Bassa-Djeri’s life’s work or the entire body of his work in football. However, this piece is an attempt at placing his four -year stint at Enyimba FC on record for posterity and honour his memory with the enduring memories he created at Aba.

Bassa-Djeri spent four eventful years at Enyimba FC, where there is an annual turnover of quality players in all positions,and standards raised so high in gauging performance at the end of every season to determine names on the lists of retained or released players at the club for the next season. To have survived and thrived at the club amid stiff competition for one position in goal in the period under review (2020 – 2024) meant he brought real value to the table.

The 2020/21 season posed a difficult and transitional time at Enyimba FC, with the ground-shaking departures of club icons in the persons of Club captain Andrew Abalogu, Defense lynchpin – Ifeanyi Anaemena, Safe hands – Theophilus Afelokhai, Talisman – Stanley Dimgba and other notable names. The goalkeeping position was worst hit and gave fans serious cause for concern because of the towering influence of Afelokhai, whose legendary status in the NPFL preceded his time at Aba but was remarkably deepened in Enyimba. 

The void he left was further widened in the same transfer window by the exit of the young and promising Stanley Nwabali. Enyimba FC, left with Olufemi Kayode as the custodian in the main to prosecute the domestic and continental campaigns, swiftly bolstered the options in goal with the double acquisition of John Noble from AS Kara (Togo) and Bassa-Djeri, formerly of Coton Sport Garoua ( Cameroon). 

The 2020/21 season at Enyimba FC is arguably the most competitive for the personnel between the sticks. With the undisputed no1 , Afelokhai out of the way, the three contenders – Kayode, Noble and Bassa-Djeri threw everything into the healthy battle to emerge no1. The intense rivalry saw all three goalkeepers clock double-digits in starts in the 38 -game NPFL season with Noble amassing 17 starts, Bassa-Djeri locking down 11 starts and Kayode not far off with 10 starts. 

The trio carried on in the same manner in the CAF Champions league and later in the CAF Confederation Cup, after exiting the former. Kayode left at the end of the season. Opening the door for the signing of Olorunleke Ojo, to join the retained duo – Noble and Bassa-Djeri for the 2021/22 season. Noble’s frequent international call-ups to the Super Eagles camp limited the competition to Bassa-Djeri and Ojo. Bassa-Djeri improved on his number of starts to 15, with Ojo pipping him to 18 starts, while Noble settled for 5 starts in the league.

With no exit or addition to the goalkeeping position ahead of the 2022/23 season, the club witnessed the most stable period, with the same set of goalkeepers in successive seasons in the club’s history since the 2002/03 and 2003/04 seasons when Vincent Enyeama, Dele Aiyenugba and Abdullahi Isa provided protection in goal, in the club’s most successful era, culminating in back-to-back CAF Champions league triumphs.

The goalkeeping stability in 2021/22 and 2022/23 provided by Ojo, Noble and Bassa-Djeri bore fruits and brought with it, the 2022/23 NPFL title. Bassa-Djeri did put in decent shifts between to posts in the regular season enroute to the club making the cut for the Super 6 Championship playoff, where he started in the opener against Remo Stars. A 2-2 that did set the tone for the league triumph,despite sitting out the remaining four matches as Enyimba swept to the title via the championship playoff. The 9th league title in the club’s history, hence when the roll-call of the players that made it possible are reeled out, the name SABIROU BASSA-DJERI will sound loud on the public address system. 

His final season (2023/24) was preceded by the exit of Noble, but the addition of Ani Ozoemena to the goalkeeping pool ahead of the season, saw Bassa-Djeri’s game time shrink to 4 starts,with Ojo’s 20 and Ozoemena’s 14 ahead of him in the pecking order. The curtain on his Enyimba FC career was drawn after four full seasons, playing in about 40 matches in all competitions,under three successive coaches – Fatai Osho, Finidi George and Yemi Olarenwaju. Bassa-Djeri also most remarkably earned 15 international caps for Togo Senior National Team, playing in FIFA approved friendly matches, AFCON and World Cup qualifying matches under the legendary coach Claude Le Roy.

We at ThatEnyimbaFan wish to place on record the bravery Bassa-Djeri brought to bear in the defense of the Enyimba badge and cause in domestic and continental campaigns in the four memorable seasons he had at Enyimba.
We extend our condolences to his family and pray for his soul to find eternal rest.

Dor Bien Sabirou Bassa-Djeri!