Nigerian footballer Ubong Ekpai has revealed how his father beat and punished him for playing football during his childhood, as his family wanted him to prioritise education over a professional career in the sport.
In an interview with Czech outlet eFotbal, Ekpai recounted how his determination to become a footballer developed despite opposition at home, with a schoolteacher playing a crucial role in helping him nurture his talent before his eventual breakthrough into European football.
Ekpai, who later represented Czech clubs including Slovan Liberec, Zlín, Viktoria Plzen and Slavia Prague, said football was not initially his first sporting pursuit.
He began as a sprinter, competing in school races, before a teacher noticed his ability with the ball and introduced him to the school football team.
Although he quickly established himself as one of the standout players in school tournaments, his growing interest in football created tension at home.
“My parents, especially my dad, didn’t want me to play him. He wanted me to be a doctor or something, and he wanted me to learn,” Ekpai said.
“The fact that I would become a footballer was not their decision, but mine. Whenever I went to play at school and then came home, he beat me or another punishment came, because they simply didn’t want football.”
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The restrictions meant Ekpai could only play in school tournaments, with his father refusing to allow him to attend regular training sessions or pursue additional opportunities to develop his game.
A teacher eventually stepped in after recognising the young player’s potential. According to Ekpai, the teacher asked how he intended to combine his education with football, prompting him to explain the difficulties he faced at home.
The teacher offered to organise additional training after school, giving Ekpai an opportunity to improve despite the restrictions. However, returning home late often brought further punishment.
“I promised him that I would make it. So he gave me extra training after school,” Ekpai recalled.
“But as soon as I came home late, my dad beat me up because he knew I was at a football game.”
Losing his father changed his path
Ekpai said he only began pursuing football without those restrictions after his father died following an illness. He subsequently entered an academy, progressed through the development system and earned opportunities with Nigeria’s youth national teams.
Reflecting on the painful period, he said it remained an unpleasant subject but one he believed was important to discuss because life was not always easy.
He also spoke about praying for an opportunity to play football, although he stressed that he never wanted his father’s death to be the price of fulfilling his ambition.
“I certainly didn’t want my dad to die just so I could play, but I prayed. ‘God, if you want me to play, you have to do something about it.’ Then I lost my dad. He was ill and left. It was fate,” he said.
His account offers a glimpse into the personal challenges that preceded a career which eventually took him beyond Nigeria and into European football.
A performance against Brazil opened the door to Europe
Ekpai identified a friendly against Brazil’s Under-23 team as a decisive moment in his career.
He had received an invitation to Nigeria’s Olympic team camp and travelled with the side for the match, where he scored the only goal in a 1–0 victory.
Brazil’s team included Gabriel Jesus, Fabinho and Marquinhos, players who would go on to establish themselves at major clubs and in their national team.
Ekpai said the performance helped attract interest from Maccabi Haifa, with his agent informing him of the opportunity shortly after the game.
“After the match, my agent contacted me saying that he had an offer for me from Maccabi. They acted terribly quickly, it was done within a week,” he recalled.
He travelled to Israel to complete the move, joining one of the country’s prominent clubs in 2016. A change in the rules governing foreign players subsequently contributed to his move on loan to Czech side Slovan Liberec.
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His arrival in the Czech Republic was immediate and memorable. Ekpai recalled flying from Israel directly to Slovan’s training camp in Austria, joining a friendly match after a quick shower and scoring after coming on for the second half.
That opportunity began a European journey which later included spells at Zlín and Viktoria Plzen, where he fulfilled another ambition by playing in the UEFA Champions League against Real Madrid.
Looking back on his progression, Ekpai said hard work and preparation were essential to sustaining a professional career.
“If you want to play in big clubs, you have to work even harder. Friends, parents and agents will not keep you at the top, only your own work will keep you there,” he said.
“I always tell young players that football is all about hard work, dedication and focus.”
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His journey from school tournaments in Nigeria, where pursuing football brought punishment at home, to European competition illustrates the obstacles that can exist behind a professional footballer’s career.
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