Ahmed Abdulrahman proves his point However, the longest serving player in Nigerian Football has not been with his club for three years, or four or maybe fiver years, but wait for it- fourteen years. In a system like the one in Nigeria, such should go into the record books as the longest serving player in the history of Nigerian football. Captain of Dolphin FC of Port Harcourt, Ahmed Abdulrahman joined Dolphin in 1992 as a fledging seventeen year old from National Bank of Kaduna. A year later he was made captain of the side and has remained with Dolphin ever since, save for a six month stint he had in Saudi Arabia in 1998. Skippo as he is called by his team mates draws respect from the players and management of the side who have recognized his immense contribution to the cause of the club. Ahmed Abdulrahan spoke with nigeriasports.com recently from his base in Port Harcourt. Nigeriasports.com: You are the longest serving player in Nigerian Football. Perhaps only Ambrose Duru of Julius Berger got close to you. What is it about Dolphin that kept you with the club all these years? Ahmed Abdulrahman: Well, the club has been an ambitious side right from the days of Eagle Cement and I felt they are the kind of side I want to associate myself with and that is why I have been with them all these years because they are an ambitious side. NS: You are not the only one who has stayed long with the club as others have been here for between four to eight years. Surely there must be something with Dolphin that keeps players together. AA: It’s the same thing I said about ambitions. The players see Dolphin as an ambitious side and when they come they do not want to leave. That is why you see a lot of players in the team have stayed here, some as much as eight years. We don’t have problems with our welfare and since we are professionals we have to think of our future and this is one team that takes care of that so we do not look at any other club, at least not in the country. NS: Dolphin has won the double. The last time it happened in Nigeria was nine years ago with Shooting Stars. After this, what is next? AA: Next is the CAF Champions League. That is what we are gunning for. We want to make sure we represent, not just Rivers State, but the country as a whole well, by bringing the CAF Trophy to Nigeria, most especially to Rivers State because the people of this state deserve it. NS: You have played top class football at least twelve years. How much longer do you have in the game? AA: Well, I really can’t say. Every thing is the will of God. Eagle Cement was my first pro league team, and after twelve years in the top class I still feel I have a lot to offer to the game.
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