Kamala Harris is known globally as the first United States female Vice President. Nigerians knew of a female Kamala long before the emergence of the American Number Two. Judith Chime was Super Falcons Number Two goalie.
Chime is the real name but Kamala, the nickname, is her gate pass. Not many know that Judith was not born with that sobriquet. And she cannot do anything about the name change.
“Soccer is crazy, because no one remembers Judith, but Kamala,” the veteran goalie told me from her base in the US state of Georgia where she runs KC Sport Marketing Management.
I was curious about how Judith became Kamala. “I was playing for Eleven Planners, Lagos against Kakanfo FC (Simbiat Abiola Babes). Rachel Yamala was trying to score and when I came out of my post, all she said was, ‘who is this Kamala wey stand for my face’. That’s how I got the name.”
Yamala could have been referring to American wrestler, Kamala, for Chime’s frame is enough to frighten any bashful striker. What Rachel did not realise was that if one removed Y from her surname and replaced it with K, she would automatically become Kamala.
Yamala was one of the Super Falcons that graced the inaugural FIFA Women’s World Cup, China 1991. The Nigerians neither scored a goal nor won any of their three matches. One notable squad member, Chioma Ajunwa, later picked Nigeria’s first Olympic gold medal, in 1996. It happened in Atlanta, Georgia.
Chime had her World Cup experience in the same United States. She featured in the 1999 edition. The 1999 Falcons dwarfed the 1991 bunch, winning two games against North Korea and Denmark, respectively.
Falcons qualified for the quarter finals and were unlucky to fall 4-3 to Brazil through a Golden Goal by Sissi. The Africans were three goals down by the 35th minute. Then coach Ismaila Mabo withdrew Ann Chiejine for Kamala.
Super Falcons literally rose from the dead. Prisca Emeafu struck in the 63rd minute. Nkiru Okosieme increased the tally in the 72nd. Five minutes to time, Nkechi Egbe hit the equaliser. Unfortunately, Patience Avre was sent off in the 87th minute.
During extra time, Sissi’s Golden Goal broke Falcons. Remarkably, some of Chime’s team mates in 1999, were Yamala’s team mates in 1991. Agumanu, Okosieme, Emeafu, Rita Nwadike, Mavis Ogun and Florence Omagbemi played in both editions.
I asked Kamala how she felt when Mabo sent her into the field. “The feeling was good but it was long overdue. Either way, I was happy for the opportunity.”
In 1991, the United States were world champions for the first time. They became champions again in 1999. In those two editions, there were names that sounded Nigerian.
In 1991, Japan paraded Yumi Obe. Italy had Adele. In 1999, there was a Brazilian called Nene. That was the name of Jimmy Omagbemi’s grandmother. He was a Nigerian star sprinter who in 1960, beat European champion, Armin Harry, in his German backyard.
Japan came with familiar names like Suzuki and Honda in 1991. Brazil used Fanta. Both teams did not play against Nigeria. There would have been time jump unto Suzuki motorcycle, speed away in a Honda and make merry drinking Fanta.
Kamala was in Sydney for the 2000 Olympic Games. Super Falcons could not go beyond the Group stage. They lost 3-1 to China, 3-1 to Norway and 3-1 to USA. When the Chinese beat them in Canberra, the Colombian referee Martha Toro, reminded me of Hon. Sani Toro, the NFF scribe, in 1999.
At Sydney 2000, Kamala wore jersey number 18. That the jersey number attached to Yamala at the the China 1991 FIFA Women’s Championships.
Judith Nneka Chime is always thinking home. Having also played for Rivers Angels, she knows what it takes to support female players and is doing just that through an an award for the best goalie of the the Women’s League.
For some time, Kamala sponsored the Ifeanyi Chiejine Memorial Cup in honour of her late USA 1999 team mate. This year, she plans to organise one to celebrate self. “I have moved on to the an annual tourney to be hosted by the Judith Chime Foundation in my Enugu homeland in December 2024. I am calling on my state government, corporate organisations and friends to support this initiative.”
Her first love was ping pong (table tennis) but “my friends and older brother got me into playing soccer and I have come to love it more than anything else. And I am grateful to GOD for that,” she added.
*Emeka is a sports enthusiast and an iconoclastic historian.
