Golden Eaglets with birthday celebrant, Dr. Ayodeji Olarinoye (in white shirt)

Dr. Lynda Olarinoye on Monday gave her beau, Dr. Ayodeji Olarinoye, the Golden Eaglets’ Team Doctor a surprise birthday get-together.

The event was not without drama as Mrs. Olarinoye made well the saying that ‘suspense is like a woman and that the more left to the imagination, the more the excitement.’

Everything was wrapped in utmost secrecy by the management of Princeville Hotel until players and officials were gathered to the dining hall after morning’s training session.

Mrs. Frances Egharevba, the hotel’s General Manager, after mounting the beautiful cake designed like a football pitch, finally let the cat out of the bag that the ‘party’ was at the instance of Mrs. Olarinoye all the way from her base in Abuja.

“We are happy that God has added another year to one of us in person of Dr. Deji and we are celebrating his birthday on behalf of his wife, Lynda who is unavoidably absent,” said Egharevba.

This was greeted with thunderous applause with rendition of birthday songs much to the bewilderment of the celebrant, who had no prior knowledge of the event that was put together by the ever-smiling Mr. Ekpo Jeremiah Felix-Princeville’s Hotel Operations Manager.

“Frankly, I’m short of words,” declared Dr. Olarinoye, son of Dr. Steve Olarinoye, former Head of International Competitions of the NFF.

“I really thank God for sparing my life to celebrate today and I thank the love of my life for this big surprise. I’m humbled with her outpouring of affection and love for me.

“This is my best birthday celebration and I’m equally humbled by the love shown by the Golden Eaglets’ players and officials as well as management and staff of Princeville Hotel. I’m so grateful to God for this day,” added Deji, who will consummate the marriage with Lynda in Abuja on September 29, 2012 after earlier completing civil rites.