Felix Owolabi is a great Nigerian footballer who has left his footprints on the sands of time. A sprinter and middle runner who turned footballer, he was born on November 24, 1954 in Inisha, Osun State.
Playing in the left wing, he featured in the national team, the Green Eagles, at the 1978 African cup of Nations, where Nigeria finished third; and the 1978 All-Africa Games, where Nigeria finished second. He was also a member of the national team that subdued Algeria and conquered African football in AFCON final in 1980. He was selected to play for Nigeria at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow.
Nicknamed Owo-blow, he played his club football with Kaduna Rocks, Raccah Rovers of Kano and the IICC Shooting Stars of Ibadan. He spent 15 years with the Shooting Stars, helping the club to win the African Cup Winners Cup (now CAF Confederation Cup). He was part of Shooting Stare that won the Challenge Cup (now Nigeria Federation Cup) in 1979.
Owolabi is a holder of a doctorate degree in physical education. As to why he decided to take a PhD, Owolabi believes that “Education is the greatest legacy any parent can give to his children, and that legacy is what I look up to.”
Since his retirement, from active football, he has been engaged in diverse activities, including sports administration. Speaking on what he has been doing since retiring from active football, he told PMparrot that:
“Even before I retired, I had already been in business, I ventured into supplying and selling of sporting
equipment, and it was not very profitable before I jettisoned it. I later went into animal husbandry such as
piggery and poultry farming.”
In October 2023 he was appointed by the Osun state Governor into a 9-member committee to revitalize sports in the state.
A recipient of the national honour of Member of the Order of the Niger (MON) Owolabi is enjoying his retirement in Ibadan, doing what he knows to do best.
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