Gidado Toyeeb may not be a household name in the Nigeria Professional Football League. However, the creative midfielder who plies his trade with 2nd Division side, Remo Stars FC, Sagamu, Nigeria is a delight to watch. Speaking to him in an Instagram interview recently, he shared some of his beautiful moments in the round leather game.
Soft-spoken, intelligent, and always smiling, Gidado Toyeeb cuts across as someone with a burning desire. A desire to excel in his footballing career. Unfortunately, his career had not always been smooth sailing. There was a time the attacking Midfielder almost gave up the beautiful game of football.
Tanko, as Gidado is nicknamed thought about giving up the sport he loved after two botched football trials he couldn’t attend. He already got the invitation letters for football trials in Belarus and another one to the United States.
Unfortunately, these trials never worked out, and the pain of missing out on an opportunity to play outside the shore of Nigeria was a huge blow to his career. It was one of the darkest moments in his beautiful career. The last football invitational trial he had was before signing for Calabar Rovers.
Coming over to Calabar Rovers was meant to help fill the void of the disappointment he felt in the botched football trials, but it wasn’t the case. Calabar Rovers of Calabar, a team with so much history and following in Nigeria never lived to its reputation. Gidado’s sojourn in Calabar Rovers wasn’t the most pleasant, as he was owed months of wages.
It is a common feature to see some club sides in Nigeria not paying players wages for months. This impacts negatively on the performance of the players in the field of play. In 2016, it was widely reported that the Management of Warri Wolves FC were owing some of their players more than 8 months of wages. Top-flight clubs in the Nigeria Professional Leagues and the Nigeria National Leagues have been found culpable of this act.
“It was a difficult moment for me back then. After a turbulent time at Rovers, when the season ended, I thought about quitting football”. Despite the tough times he had at Calabar Rovers, he still has some fond memories of the football Club.
“I won my first major honor as a pro footballer with Rovers, as we won the State FA Cup in 2019. We also reached the Semi-Finals of the Federation Cup. We beat the likes of Wikki Tourist of Bauchi, Plateau United of Jos, and Bendel Insurance of Benin, before losing to Kano Pillars on penalties”
Gidado started his professional football career with highflying Stationery Stores of Lagos, where he became the club captain and inspiration. After two seasons with the Lagos-based club, he moved over to Calabar Rovers, before been snapped up by Remo Stars FC. Coincidentally, Gidado Toyeeb had played against them before.
“Remo Stars FC already knew my potential as I played against them in my first season with Stationery Stores of Lagos. Though they won the game 2-1, I scored the only goal of the match. When I came to Remo Stars, the coach and chairman- Hon Kunle Soname already knew me so well and it was just a matter of let’s see you play again and i was signed”
The move to Remo Stars was a turning point in Gidado’s career, as the welfare of players is a top priority. Facilities are top-notch and the serene atmosphere within the training ground helps the players to excel.
For now, the attacking midfielder is enjoying a new lease of life and the future looks bright. The team manager and chairman have helped imbibe a culture of professionalism.
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