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Teslim Balogun

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Nigerian footballer (1931–1972)

Teslim Balogun
Personal information
Full name Tesilimi Olawale Ayinde Balogun
Date of birth (1931-03-27)27 March 1931
Place of birth Lagos, Nigeria
Date of death 30 July 1972(1972-07-30) (aged 41)
Place of death Nigeria
Position(s) 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
International career
1948–1960 Nigeria
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Tesilimi Olawale Ayinde "Teslim" Balogun (27 March 1931 – 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.

Playing career

Educated in Port Harcourt and graduating from St. Mary's Catholic School, 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. During his time in Nigeria, Balogun won the Challenge Cup a total of five times in seven finals. He was the first player to score a hat-trick in the competition, in Pan Bank's 6–1 rout of Warri in 1953.

After originally touring with a Nigerian select team in 1949, Balogun returned to the UK in August 1955 to sign with Peterborough United. However, Balogun never made a league appearance for Peterborough, 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. 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.

Coaching career

Balogun became the first African to qualify as a professional coach. He was the coach for the Nigeria football team at the 1968 Summer Olympics.

Legacy

The Teslim Balogun Stadium in the Nigerian city of Lagos is named after him. 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.

Personal life

Balogun was nicknamed "Thunder" because of his powerful shot, and was also known as "Balinga" for a similar reason. During his time touring schools to coach youngsters, he was nicknamed "Baba Ball."

Balogun died in his sleep on 30 July 1972, at the age of 45. He had eight children.

References

  1. Teslim Balogun at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
  2. "Teslim Balogun". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  3. "'I Came 4,000 Miles to Score the Greatest Goal of My Life' – Tesi Balogun – Independent Rs". Independent Rs. 11 June 2015. Retrieved 14 May 2018.
  4. ^ "Meet Teslim". Teslim Balogun Foundation. Retrieved 5 November 2010.
  5. ^ "Teslim Balogun, Nigeria's first professional footballer". Retrieved 14 May 2018.
  6. Phil Vasili (30 May 2008). "The Occluded History of Black Footballers in Britain". Pitch Invasion. Retrieved 6 November 2010.
  7. "Profile". Up The Posh!. Retrieved 6 November 2010.
  8. "QUEENS PARK RANGERS : 1946/47 – 2009/10". Post War English & Scottish Football League A – Z Player's Database. Archived from the original on 19 December 2013. Retrieved 6 November 2010.
  9. "About". Teslim Balogun Foundation. Retrieved 5 November 2010.
  10. Chris Green (7 September 2003). "Leaders of the new school". The Observer. Retrieved 6 November 2010.
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