EVEN at the age of 31, he was worth his weight in gold.
Former Ba coach the late Josateki Kurivitu best described this crafty marksman for his show of silky skills and deadly precision in front of goal.
"Old is gold and gold is Janeman," said the former Fiji rep after overseeing the Men in Black win the 1981 Battle of the Giants tournament.
Shocking start
Hardly anyone gave Ba a chance in the tournament at Churchill Park, Lautoka after Kurivitu's men were left battered and bruised mentally following Labasa's stunning display where they outclassed Ba 3-0 in the opening round.
The star of that show was the late Gopal Sami and his brother Anand. Midfielder Johnny Williams, young winger Tevita Tukania and Robin Simmons were the scorers in a surprise result.
Reportly, there were heated words exchanged in the Ba dressing room after that and they knew they had to win their next two games against Suva and Tailevu Naitasiri to make the semis.
Janeman show
Cometh the hour, cometh the man. Up stepped "The Cunning Fox" Farouk Janeman. It was all about his vision, anticipation, movement, style, guile and finishing prowess.
Even up against a formidable Suva side, Janeman still strut his stuff. He netted all four of Ba's goals as the Whites were brushed aside 4-0.
Janeman's quality stood out. "He is so crafty and sly, you just don't know what he will do next," quipped Suva midfielder George Samisoni.
Confident Patel
Despite the early blemish, there were signs that the tide was turning the way of Janeman and Ba.
The wily striker was at it again. He scored a brace of goals as Tailevu Naitasiri — 1-0 winners over Suva in another shock result — were well beaten 2-0.
Janeman's six goals in two games ensured Ba a semi-final spot and here's what a confident Ba FA president Vinod Patel said in a preview to the final day's play.
"Do not make a mistake with Ba. See us tomorrow walking away with the $2000," referring to the first prizemoney on offer.
Finals woes
While the Men in Black were hitting their strides on-field, three players, with their team having exited the tournament, were making the headlines for wrong reasons.
Sigatoka trio John Rounds, who was coach/player, Shafique Ali and Atama Waqa were arrested and charged for drunk and disorderly behaviour at the ground. They were later fined $20 each.
Lions down
Janeman kept on scoring. He scored one against Nadi in the semi-final as the Jet-setters were handed their first defeat of the 1981 season, 2-0.
Having being butchered by the Babasiga Lions first-up, local football experts were talking up a mouth-watering prospect of a Ba-Labasa return match in the grand final.
The Lions had won all their three matches and were tipped to beat Lautoka in the semi-final. But a gutsy defensive display coupled with good counter attacking football by the Mike Thoman-coached Blues saw the game go into a penalty shoot-out.
The Blues nailed all their five efforts and the man many did not expect would miss, missed that day. Midfield maestro Anand Sami fluffed his opportunity to gift Lautoka a 5-4 win.
Last laugh
The team that had beaten them comprehensively was out of the tournament and it was left to Janeman and Ba to have the last laugh. That they did.
After Gajend Naidu wasted a simple tap-in chance following a slip up by Ba stopper Bale Raniga, Janeman broke through to net his eighth goal of the tournament.
Ba was up 1-0 in front of some 12,00 fans. With Feroz Khan doing the damage outwide, the late Jone Nakosia holding his own in defence and Meli Vuilabasa commanding the mid-field, it was only a matter of time before Ba killed off the match.
Inia Bola scored via a rebound and Ba, having overcome a disastrous opening round, were on the winning podium (2-0) as champions of the BOG 1981.