Memory Lane

This Is What Happened To Africa 🌍
The Berlin Conference of 1884 - 1885

Titus Okere made history as the first Nigerian to sign with a European club when he joined Swindon Town FC in February 1953. Prior to this, he had a remarkable football journey, starting with Ziks Athletic Club Bombers in 1938 and later moving to Lagos Railways, where he captained the team.

Born in Owerri, Okere achieved another milestone on October 8, 1949, when he scored Nigeria’s first official international goal (deflected into the net by captain Ashman) in a 2-0 victory over Sierra Leone in front of 15,000 fans in Freetown.

At just 20 years old, Okere was also one of the 18 pioneering members of Nigeria’s national football team, known then as the UK Tourists, which toured the United Kingdom in August 1949. The team would later become known as the Red Devils.

Titus Davis Okere, often called “the last of the first," passed away on June 14, 2023, at the age of 94.