China-based Nigerian striker, Peter Utaka, in this interview with ’TANA AIYEJINA talks on his Chinese adventure, european sojourn and his absence from the Super Eagles

How do you feel ending the Chinese topflight league on a high note by winning an Asian Champions League ticket for Beijing Guoan?

I feel great and fulfilled because one of the reasons I signed for Guoan was to help the club perform better. So, I am excited, happy and fulfilled when I see myself as one of the turning points.

Your brace in the 3-1 defeat of Shandong last season actually sealed the Champions League spot for Guoan. Would you say you have justified your signing with that fantastic performance?

I don’t think so. I was signed because of my ability and the coach has confidence in me. I believe that the team could have picked the ticket without me. However, I was signed to add more value to the team. Gouan have talented players with experience, like the highly respected Frederick Kanoute.  As a matter of fact, I have not justified my move because I didn’t settle well on time on my arrival due to the transfer stress and sickness but I thank God I was able to find my feet at the right time. I am only hoping to get better next season and that is when the fans can see my best. But I am happy to have made an impact in my first season with Gouan.

Your coach in Dalian Aerbin, Aleksandar Stanojevic, is also your coach at Gouan. Did he play a role in your tranfer to Beijing?

Well, it’s all about understanding. He (Stanojevic) was instrumental in my move and I am happy that I didn’t disappoint him with my performance. He has so much confidence in me. Again, he encourages and respects your personality.

What is your view about Gouan’s vociferous fans?

They are lovely people. When I joined the club, there was so much expectations from the fans. Sometimes they would tell me they want me to score two, three goals in a match. The most important thing is that even when the goals were not coming, I still got applause from them and that was quite amazing. I think the fans and coach made me rediscover my scoring form because of their belief in me.

Why did you opt for China despite interests from EPL clubs West Ham and Fulham?

I am not crazy about playing in England. I read the reports about these clubs but I think it was not concrete enough for me. People say England has the best league but it may not be the best destination for every player. China was the right move for me and I have no regrets. I scored 20 goals in my first season in China, which is not bad. I also had offers from top clubs in Germany, France and Italy but I wanted the Chinese adventure after paying my dues in Europe.

But there is this widely held belief that the Chinese league is for players close to retirement. Do you agree?

Everybody is entitled to their opinion. If you can measure the ages of foreign players in China, you should get the answer. I totally agree that old and very experienced players play in China but it is a matter of option. We are here to make name and help develop the league.

In Dalian, you played alongside Malian Seydou Keita and now you are playing with Frederick Kanoute at Gouan. How influential have these great players been on your Chinese sojourn?

When you mention these big names, you are talking about my family. They are my family because we live together as one. I knew Keita way back from France when he played along with John (Utaka); ever since, he has been my friend. He contacted me when he wanted to join the Chinese league and we talked about it and he made the best choice by coming here. He’s just a lovely guy you can always find around you anytime. On the part of Kanoute, he’s a nice brother and friend too. I have so much respect for him. He is an experienced and technically gifted player. And both players are the major reason why you can see the African flair in Chinese football.

In your last game for Dalian, you scored four goals against Yakubu Aiyegbeni’s Guangzhou R&F. What did he tell you after the game?

Yak is my big brother, we didn’t discuss about the match in detail but he congratulated me and wished me well in the subsequent matches. Yak is one of the star players lighting up the Chinese league and the fans love him. Now you can see why somebody like Sven Goran-Errikson said the Chinese league is growing very fast.

You are a fighter in front of goal…

Yes. I always want to score goals and justify my pay. It is not every striker that fights for goals. I score goals with ease and that is why I was once called a Gentle Killer by my teammates.

During the last transfer window, it was speculated that your brother, John would join you in China but he opted for the Turkish league instead. Did it come as a big blow to you?

Honestly, I wanted John to come to China because of his wealth of experience in Europe. He’s really needed here but he opted to play in Turkey, which is not a bad option either. John is a player with class and would have helped a great deal in developing the league here. But I think the option of playing in China lies with him.

Was it a coincidence seeing you and your brother playing football?

We come from a family where we believe in what we intend to do. I and John got the right support from our family to play the game. And I think John made things easy for me because I tried to follow his footstep. If John didn’t show promise when we were younger, I guess it would have been difficult for me to keep playing.

Your first European club was Dinamo Zagreb but it seemed your foreign career actually blossomed when you moved to Belgium in 2003…

Yes. All I wanted at that time was enough playing time and I laboured hard to achieve that. When I joined KVC Westerlo from Maasmechelen, I was eager and the coach saw that I was ready to play. I gave my best in training and my performance on the field opened the door for a move to a big club like Antwerp.

There were reports that you once considered playing for Belgium when you were shunned by the Super Eagles coaches. How true is this?

To be candid, I was never desperate to play for Nigeria while I was in Belgium. All I wanted then was to make a name for myself and keep my head straight. John was already in the national team doing well. So, I wanted to emulate him by also playing for my country. I was only loved in Belgium; I never considered playing for them. Though I have Belgian citizenship, my dream has always been to play for Nigeria right from my playing days on the streets of Enugu.

In your first season in Denmark, you had instant impact in the league. How easy was it for you?

I heard a lot of good things about OB Odense. So, when I joined them, I felt at home immediately. The fans showed me love and that was the secret of my success. There was a day I told the coach that I wanted to lift the club with my goals because that was why they signed me. The next day, the coach said in a press conference, ‘Utaka is here to lift the club.’ I saw it as a big challenge, which helped me to work harder. My first season was just a tip of the iceberg. When we qualified for the play-offs, everybody commended my efforts and they told me that I could become the top scorer in the league.

Would you say you had a better time in Denmark than in Belgium?

No, Belgium was actually better for me because I built my career there. I was already mature and exposed when I joined OB Odense.

How did you feel scoring on your Nigeria debut in a 5–2 win over DR Congo in 2010?

It’s always a special feeling for most players because it is a great thing to represent your fatherland and I thank God I was able to justify the call-up even if my stay in the national team didn’t last long. The camp was thrilling, everyone knew each other. In fact, we were one family.

But some felt you should have been called up earlier before then…

Of course I can’t decide for myself; the coach knows when best to invite any player. But I believe it came at the right time because I was able to show what I was capable of doing like my brother. It was a wonderful experience playing alongside Joseph Yobo, Mikel Obi and Nwankwo Kanu, who I cherish so much.

What is your assessment of the Eagles under Stephen Keshi?

We have all seen the wonderful work the man is doing and the players are ready to play for him.

You scored three goals in seven appearances for the Eagles but you have been left out of the team by Keshi. Do you feel bad?

No. I tell people who tell me that I deserve to still be in the national team that there is time for everything. Being out of Eagles does not mean I am not capable. And it is not that the coach does not know everybody’s ability. All of us cannot be there at the same time; the coaches are really doing well. And I understand their decision in sticking to the winning team. I could have done the same thing because result matters.  In my clubs, I wear Nigeria wristband. That is a sign of patriotism and support for my country.

You almost made Lars Lagerback’s team to the 2010 World Cup but instead John made the squad. Was it a bad moment for you?

I was not there but my brother was there and the name ‘Utaka’ was represented. That means I was there. I always respect coaches’ decisions. No matter how big a player is, he can never be bigger than the team and his coach. The moment I knew I was not going, I went straight to congratulate my brother. The same thing happened to the Uche brothers. Of course everybody wants to play for the team but it is not a do-or-die affair. So I don’t hold any grudges.

Do you think you still stand a chance of playing for Nigeria?

I don’t want to talk about it because the focus now is on the 2014 World Cup and I don’t want people to think otherwise. But I will keep supporting the team.

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Former Nigeria midfielder Ademola Adeshina reflects on his time as a player, life in retirement and more in this interview with ‘TANA AIYEJINA

What are you doing at the moment?

I am doing a course at the National Institute for Sports, Lagos. I was the Technical Adviser, Prime FC before I came here. Taiwo Ogunjobi actually encouraged and supported me to come for this course and I am happy with what I have learnt here.

A lot of Nigerian players have found life difficult after retiring from the game. Are you passing through the same situation?

Honestly, a lot of the players didn’t use their money wisely. I am okay and I give thanks to God for whatever I am today.

How would you describe your career?

I enjoyed every bit of it because I had passion for the game. I never had any regrets.

But in 1984, you lost a penalty as IICC Shooting Stars lost the final of the then elusive CAF Champions Cup in Lagos. Didn’t it affect you?

It was a very sad day for me, I actually wanted to commit suicide that day. We dominated the game from start while Zamalek were comfortable to seat behind and defend. Let me make one thing clear here: some people still believe that we lost the first leg of the final in Cairo to Zamalek but that is not true. That match ended 0-0 and all we needed was just a goal in the second leg here (National Stadium, Lagos). We had the likes of Segun Odegbami, Tunde Bamidele, Ogbein Fawole, Wakilu Oyenuga, who joined from Stationery Stores, and other big players. But I still feel things would have been different if Felix Owolabi had played that game but he was on suspension after bagging two yellow cards in the semifinal. Nevertheless, we had a great game but we were unable to score, even though we tried as hard as we could. In the second half, we were given a penalty after a foul on our player and I stepped forward to take the kick. I positioned myself well but my shot hit the bar. The referee ordered that the kick be retaken because the Zamalek keeper had moved before I played the penalty. I wanted to take the kick again but Big Seg (Odegbami) came to me and said, “Ademola, you are shaking, let Wakilu take the kick.” And so Wakilu stepped forward and kicked the ball over the bar. It was truly a very bad moment for all of us. We pressurised the Egyptians more and more after that but the goals just refused to come. Then they had their only chance of the game. They played a long a long ball into the Nigerian area and our defender mistakenly headed it past Raymond King, out keeper and it was all over for us. I cried after the game; I actually wanted to commit suicide.

How true were stories about the club using voodoo as part of preparations for the match?

There were a lot of things that went on that I don’t want to talk about. You know this was a trophy that Nigeria had never won then. There was so much expectation. Again, I believe if we had won that match, the careers of a lot of the younger players in the team like me would have ended because we had several promises from state governors and even individuals. We were promised houses, cars and money just to win the cup. If we had won, we probably would have been carried away by those things.

In 1990, you were one of only three foreign-based players that made the Eagles squad to the 1990 Africa Cup of Nations in Algeria. What happened?

The new coach, Clemens Westerhof, had just arrived Nigeria and he opted to go for younger players based at home. You know a lot of the players were actually ageing and Westerhof needed to build a new team. Rashidi Yekini, Andrew Uwe and I made the squad to the Nations Cup. The so-called mafia was not happy that I was invited and they even pressurised my wife, Doyin, to stop me from going to represent Nigeria in Algeria. But I refused because there was no way I could refuse a call to honour my country. When we lost the first match 5-1 to hosts Algeria, they called her (wife) and said, “Did we not tell you not let your husband go to the Nations Cup?” But the team proved everybody wrong, got to the final and lost narrowly to the hosts. I even had a chance to win the game for Nigeria but I thought I was offside but the referee waved play. I had already hesitated and before I could regain myself, the Algerian keeper had caught the ball. The then President, Ibrahim Babangida, sent a chartered plane to pick us home after the final. He said whether we won or not, we had made the nation proud. I cherish that moment because that was the first time I entered Dodan Barracks. If not for that, I probably wouldn’t have had an opportunity of visiting the President’s office. They gave us some money, which was okay then and we were all happy.

Why then were you dropped from the squad to the US ‘94 World Cup by the Dutchman?

I actually stayed away. I didn’t want to be like some players who were stoned and driven away from the national team. New players were coming up and we needed to give way for them to also get an opportunity to represent the country. I was a creative midfielder like (Sunday) Oliseh and if I had been part of the team till 1994, Oliseh would probably have been on the bench. So, when I got the invite, I declined and faced my club career. Even my wife was surprised because she knew I never rejected Nigeria’s call but for me, it was time to call it quits. I served my country well from 1982 to 1990 and I will forever be happy for the opportunity given to me to serve a big country like Nigeria. I didn’t want to be stoned or told to leave before I knew my time was up.

In 1998, you were given a red card in the semi-final match of the Nations Cup between the Eagles and Algeria. You were seen protesting the decision, with the Algerian players trying to force you out of the pitch. What went wrong?

I was not the person that committed that foul that I got a red card for. It was actually Samson Siasia who committed the foul but the referee instead sent me packing. And I tried to tell him that I was not the person who should have been sent off but the Algerian players were pushing me out of the field. Abderrazak Belgherbi had scored an own goal in the first half and we were leading 1-0 when I was expelled in the 84th minute. As I was walking to the dressing room, I was watching the TV and behold, the Algerians equalised. I was demoralised. I just wasn’t myself but thank God, we won the penalty shoot-out to proceed to the final. Before then, Bright Omokaro had tackled an Algerian player and the game became balanced as both sides had 10 players left on the pitch because the Algerians had completed their two substitutions. Don’t ask me if it was deliberate (laughs) because it happened after I was sent off. But Omokaro got his nickname ‘10-10’ because of that tackle.

Would you say your absence cost the Eagles the cup in the final?

I sat out the final and I will tell you we won that match against Cameroon. Henry Nwosu had a good goal disallowed while the Cameroonians were awarded a penalty, which they converted to win the tournament. I think it was the politics of the African game that worked against Nigeria.

Can you recall your Nigeria debut?

A lot of people think that Coach Adegboyega Onigbinde discovered me but that is not true. It was actually Eto Amaechina and Otto Gloria that first invited me to the national team. I made my debut in 1982 at the Africa Cup of Nations in Libya against Ethiopia and I scored. Stephen Keshi scored the other two goals as we won 2-0. It was a memorable game.

As defending champions, the Eagles crashed out in the first round in Libya…

There was so much going on then. The team that won the Nations Cup two years earlier was ageing and Otto Gloria decided to build a new team with players like myself, Keshi and other up-and-coming players. But we had players like Sylvanus Okpala, Okey Isima, Tunde Bamidele and Felix Owolabi from the 1980 squad. You know you just can’t wipe away a full team like that. It has to be a gradual progression. It was like starting over again.

Were you at any point racially abused while playing in Europe?

One thing an African player should have in mind is that you must give your all to be able to play constantly. A typical European player who puts in just 80 per cent work rate will be picked ahead of you who put in 120 per cent. This is because it’s their league. So, for me, racism should inspire you to work harder. That is what I did while at Lokeren. A good player like Humphrey Edobor couldn’t fit in because his style didn’t work with what the club wanted and he had to relocate to America. The same thing happened to my late friend, Uche Okafor. But it didn’t happen to me. That was why Onigbinde kept using me. He was justified because the other coaches that came in Manfred Hoener and Westerhof also kept inviting me.

What was a typical IICC versus Enugu Rangers or IICC versus Leventis United match like in those days?

It was war! The stadium could be packed with supporters cheering on their teams. A game between Rangers in Ibadan or Enugu was always explosive and we looked forward to the games. Playing Insurance also was a difficult task; we enjoyed the games. Then you would find people saying they are supporters of foreign clubs because Nigerian clubs had the quality; we played very good football unlike now that you have empty stands in stadiums.

Leventis had so much money then and they were doing well. Why didn’t you join them?

I would never had tried it. There is no way I would have left IICC to play for Leventis. I wouldn’t succeed there. That is why the club went to other parts of the country to scout for players and they had a very strong team eventually but Ibadan fans’ hearts were always with IICC.

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Poland-based defender, Ugo Ukah, has been excluded from the national team after just one game for the Super Eagles. In this interview, the 29-year-old, who holds Italian citizenship, tells ’TANA AIYEJINA that he has no regrets committing his international future to Nigeria

 You were born in Italy to Nigerian parents but you chose to represent Nigeria internationally. How did you feel making your debut in 2011 against Zambia in a friendly game in Kaduna?

It has always been a great feeling and pleasure to wear the green and white jersey of Nigeria. I love Nigeria as a country. Even though I was not born in Nigeria, my dad resides there and he always updates me on life and other things about the country. Apart from that, I was a fan of the Super Eagles ever since I knew what football was all about. I was privileged to watch the Eagles at the 1994 World Cup, which incidentally, was their first appearance and ever since, I have had the passion to play for the team. Playing for Nigeria means a lot to me; it means I am a legitimate citizen of Nigeria and it also shows that I am patriotic. My dad was very happy with my decision. Before my arrival in Nigeria for my first cap, I had already spoken with him and the family in the United Kingdom and they were so happy to see me fulfilling my childhood dream. It’s a nice feeling and I am ready to do more.

What was the motivation behind your decision to play for Nigeria when you also had the option of playing for Italy?

My father instilled in me the passion to play for Nigeria. Whenever he came down to the UK, where some members of my family are based, he always told me that he would like to see me play for Nigeria. My father is much engrossed in Nigeria sports. So I started dreaming of playing for the Eagles and I began to monitor the likes of Ben Iroha, Uche Okechukwu, Stephen Keshi and Austin Eguavoen. It’s  been long since I knew Keshi and Eguavoen would coach Nigeria. Any player that shows passion and aggression on the pitch, instructing his teammates, such a person is already preparing for a coaching job. Italy was never a first option, Nigeria was. Though there was a debate that I would achieve more with the Italian national team because of my physique but my undying love for Nigeria was always there. In football, I think Italy is bigger than Nigeria but I never regretted my decision, and I will not.

But you have managed just one cap for Nigeria. Do you regret your decision?

I don’t regret my decision. I have never given up; I know will still get my chance soon. I just need to keep doing well. The best place to tell your coach you are good is on the pitch. Maybe my best is not good enough yet, so I will keep on working hard. I hope to be in the team again but that still depends on the coach. I think the coach knows my ability.

What was the experience like during your first time with the team?

It was a nice experience; the coach (Stephen Keshi) was happy to see me and he told me he has watched videos of my games and would be happy to see me using my wealth of experience well in the team. I was so happy when he told me that because it showed that I was wanted in the team. I also have a great relationship with my teammates like Joseph Yobo; he received me well and gave me words of encouragement. The camp was like one family and I realised why players always want to be part of the team. It was a thrilling experience.

Did you feel pained after being left out of the victorious 2013 Africa Cup of Nations side?

Somehow, I felt bad. It’s not because I was left out, but because I wanted to win something with Nigeria (laughs). Going to the competition would have been another dream fulfilled but I still remain a Nigerian and hope to return to the team.  The Nations Cup was a tremendous achievement for Nigeria as a whole and the players wrote their names in gold. It’s really great seeing Nigeria move forward in football; right now, we are the undisputed giants of Africa and I am very proud of the team’s achievements. So many players, not just me alone, wanted to be on the plane to South Africa but I think the coach chose the best players at the time. However, that does not mean that the players left out are not good. They were encouraged to wait for their time. On my part, I am waiting for my own time and I am really working hard to get the attention of the coaching crew.

Have you be in touch with the coaching crew?

I have been in touch with the coach because of what he did in the past. He called me about three times while I was injured. He called to ask me how I was feeling and when I would return back to action. He didn’t call me because I want to play but to encourage me and know how I was feeling. And I tell you, that is why players are loyal to him.

The Eagles have been drawn against Argentina, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Iran at next year’s World Cup in Brazil. What is your view about Nigeria’s group?

I think the group is 50-50 for Nigeria. It won’t be a surprise if Eagles top the group but Argentina are seen as the favourites in the group. We just need to prepare well, the World Cup is a big competition every player wants to play in. Nigeria will qualify from the group but only with hard work. We all know the qualities in the Argentine team, we also know few about the Iranians but not many people know Bosnia, and that will be a tricky and difficult game for Nigeria. To me, Argentina are not a threat but Bosnia and Iran are. We just need to pray for luck and total concentration from everybody going there. The World Cup is different from the Nations Cup. Players from all over the world will compete in Brazil, the experienced players will tackle new players, underdogs will meet favourites and there will surely be shock defeats.

The Eagles showed the stuff they were made up of last month when they were held by Italy in a thrilling 2-2 draw in England. What is your assessment of the team ahead of the 2014 World Cup?

I watched the match and I was thrilled with what I saw. From that game, I see the Eagles as a potential force come 2014. If you will agree with me, I will say Keshi has turned the Eagles to world beaters. Italy played against a young and very good side. But still, the Eagles can do better than what they have done so far. The players understand Keshi so much. I think the Eagles could have defeated Italy but they showed too much respect for the Azurris. However, these Eagles can compete against top teams next year in Brazil.

As a defender, how would you rate the team’s defence?

Those guys are a bunch of hard working fellows. That is the best way to describe them ; they are very good. It’s not easy stopping the likes of Mario Balotelli, (Daniele) De Rossi and others. But the Nigerian defenders did wonderful job that night. Of course they were jittery initially, but the guy from the local league (Azubuike Egwuekwe) showed lots of promise against Balotelli and then kudos to Godfrey (Oboabona). These are players whom Keshi has turned to assets. The defence is really doing well and with the return of Yobo, I believe it will be even stronger. And if I also get another chance, I will do everything possible to contribute my quota in building the team’s defence line.

You have received rave reviews in the Polish media over your fantastic form this season. What has been the secret?

I would say the secret is determination. I am happy with my form and I am happy that my coach believes in me. The fans and my teammates have been also helpful towards my fine performances this season. So far so good, it has been a great season. I believe this is the best age to show what I have learnt over the years. I am really happy for the rave reviews and I intend to work harder.

You scored the equaliser for Jagiellonia Bialystok in the recent 1-1 draw with Pogoń Szczecin and you were also named Man of The Match. How do you feel?

It’s always special for me to score goals and win individual awards. I have won the awards several times this season and it spurs me on to do more for the team. Honestly, that is why I always move forward to help the strikers.

Jagiellonia are currently in eighth position in the Polish Ekstraklasa (topflight). Do you think the club can still climber higher on the table?

Of course, we are really doing well right now; we defeated Widzew 1-0 in our last game and hopefully, we will keep doing well so that we can move up the table. We have good players in the team who are really doing well for the team.

Nigerian players Emmanuel Emenike and Victor Moses have been nominated for the 2013 African Footballer of The Year along with Ivoirian, Yaya Toure. Do you see a Nigerian winning the award 14 years after Nwankwo Kanu won it?

 Personally, I think all the Nigerian players nominated for the award stand a chance of winning it. Emenike is the best striker in Africa for now; he won the Nations Cup and he was the highest goal scorer. He scored two great goals that virtually gave the 2014 World Cup ticket to Nigeria (Nigeria versus Ethiopia in Addis Ababa) I think he deserves to win it. Also, Mikel is another candidate for the award with his performances for the Eagles and Chelsea. He led with with example as Nigeria won the 2013 AFCON and he also helped Chelsea win the Europa League. Moses also had a fantastic year as well, so I think the award should go to a Nigerian player.

Do you see Emenike making an impact at next year’s World Cup?

He (Emenike) is a player that has shown that he can always rise to the big occassions; he’s in the class of Balotelli and co. So, I believe he will deliver at the World Cup.

The year ended on high for Nigerian football as the Golden Eaglets won the U-17 World Cup for a record fourth time. What does this mean for Nigerian football?

In 1993, Kanu, (Wilson) Oruma and co won the U-17 World Cup in Japan and the following year, we won the Nations Cup and participated in the World Cup for the first time ever.  To me, this is another era of success for Nigeria football and I must commend the Nigeria Football Federation for a good job. They have really done well for the team.

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Mr. Universe Musclemania (Pro division) 2013 champion, Tyrone Tseye Ogedegbe, is proud of his roots: Nigeria. In this interview with ’TANA AIYEJINA, the 29-year-old talks about growing up in the UK, winning the world title and more

You are a British citizen born to Nigerian parents. Can you tell us about your family, what part of Nigeria are you from and how was growing up in the UK like for a young black boy?

My father is based in the US, Nashville Tennessee precisely and my mum resides in London. They believe in travelling as a very effective form of education, so from my childhood I’ve lived in Nigeria, the US and now in the UK. I am from Warri, Delta State and I am proud of my roots even though I am a British citizen. Living in the UK as a black British boy has been educational for me; I learnt a lot about being political and diplomatic in various situations and also to strive hard to prove what your worth is and not to settle for stereotypical views of the public.

Your love for wrestling and cartoon figures made you go into bodybuilding. Were there initial challenges you faced?

Yes there were initial challenges I faced. For instance, I found it hard to coordinate my training patterns in order to get the best results, but as time went on and with the right guidance, it became second nature to have a structure that fits well with your goals in the gym.

After just two years as a bodybuilder, you emerged Mr. Universe. How did you manage the feat?

I was quite shocked at my rapid progress and can only say God blessed my hard work and gave recognition for the dedication I had for the sport; it’s something I’m most passionate about. The opportunities and awards were welcomed and spurred me on as motivation for bigger and better things.

When you got to the US for the competition, did you ever think you were going to win?

Yes, all I thought about was winning. Personally, I believe that in order to be a champion, you need to first believe and envision that you’re one before others can do the same. So I believed I had already won even before travelling to Miami.

Now, you are a global figure, how have you been able to handle your new personality?

It’s still something new and exciting to me. I find myself giving more advice about what to do to help others achieve their fitness goals and even motivate them through discipline because this is a key ingredient in bodybuilding. My followers grow on a daily basis and I am even more excited about what 2014 will bring.

How difficult is it combining banking duties and bodybuilding?

It is quite difficult if you’re not organised because managing your time becomes highly crucial: from the start of the day to your lunch break and to the end of the day. I sacrifice my lunch break for gym sessions, and work my butt off while at work. It’s a juggling work but I try not to drop the ball.

You come from a football family that produced legendary Nigeria  goalkeeper Best Ogedegbe and Nathaniel Ogedegbe. How did these great stars impact on your life?

My uncle in particular, Nathaniel Ogedegbe is a great inspiration to me; this is because I’ve had the opportunity of getting to know him better. He’s passionate about what he does and his success in his football career is credit to that. With this, I can apply the same views and mentality to my own sport of bodybuilding.

With muscles everywhere, what kind of reaction do you get from people on the streets and in public places when they see you for the first time?

The reaction varies; some people appreciate it and give great comments, while some are intimidated. So, I will tell anyone like that out there, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” I might just be the friendliest person you ever met!

Don’t your muscles scare women away from you?

I’ve been fortunate enough for it to actually have the opposite effect. It tends to be okay with women I meet, maybe that’s why I work extra harder when back in the gym. So all in all, my relationship with the opposite sex has been quite positive; there’s no Mrs. Ogedegbe yet, but who knows what the future holds?

You will be visiting Nigeria next year for the Okoku foundation. What does this home coming mean to you and what are you going to do during the trip?

Yes I’ll be supporting the inauguration of this event and I am a great admirer of Paul Okoku for creating such an opportunity for less privileged kids. It is something I’m proud to be associated with and as a result, I will be giving an extraordinary performance. In other words, some flexing won’t be far from sight.

The Okoku foundation helps kids in the US and Nigeria. Are you planning to have such in Nigeria as well?

Yes, eventually this could happen, but for now I’ll be supporting the Okoku foundation and watch it rise to greater things. I’ve always supported the progress and motivation of the youths. I have held motivational talks in London at the Damilola Taylor Youth Center. The late Damilola is a kid that was victimised by gangs in London, so I’m keen and inspired on what Okoku is about doing in Nigeria. In addition, I’ll be organising a fitness program that will help Nigerian athletes and anyone interested in getting fit and looking good. Special appearances will also be made on TV stations and events to promote fitness in my motherland. At the Paul Okoku Greater Tomorrow event, I’ll be making a guest appearance, flexing muscles and performing to wow the crowd. My motivation is to promote a positive message for the kids; give them something they can aspire to and support a movement to inspire the youths.

In Nigeria, bodybuilders are oftentimes used as security personnel in night clubs and public places. Does this suit them?

I think simply because a bodybuilder has acquired a physique that demands authority, he is automatically seen fit for such jobs. I also think every individual is different and it’s their own prerogative to decide what they want to use their physique or achievements and awards to become. The world is your oyster.

Diet is important to bodybuilding. Do you think Nigeria can produce a home-grown Mr. Universe?

Nigeria can definitely produce a home grown Mr. Universe, as long as discipline is their number one priority.

What are your best and worst moments?

My best moment will have to be when I won the overall title as a world champion. As for worst moment, I can’t seem to think of one as I am a strong believer in counting your blessings, as these overshadow any negativity in your life

What is the most embarrassing moment you’ve had as a bodybuilder?

I went on stage without my number in pure excitement (laughs).

What is your normal training routine like?

A couple of hours per day and six days per week, I train each body part on separate days and I devised a plan that allows quick recovery. I also ensure that I do not over train a specific muscle group in the body.

What are the secrets to a successful bodybuilding career?

You need to stay focused, disciplined, do your research, don’t be scared to experiment new things that might work better with your body, stay clear of drugs, live a healthy life and walk the talk.

How do you relax?

I relax in the gym. I can’t think of a better way of taking out all the frustrations on a pair of weights. It works quite well for me and has proven to do the same for others. Alternative ways of relaxing for me would be chilling at home watching a movie, some red wine to cool me down, listening to good music; jazz would be an ideal choice.

There have always been issues of racism in the Western world. Have you been a victim? If yes, can you share your experience with us?

This is an issue that fortunately I haven’t witnessed much of. Might be that I keep a forward thinking attitude and do not look for it, because if you do, you will definitely find it and will continually use it as an excuse for not moving forward. In my books, there are no excuses, so if you want something badly and work hard for it, no man can dictate what you rightly deserve. In the end, you’ll be holding the longer end of the stick.

Who is Tyrone Tseye Ogedegbe?

I’m religious, I have a strong belief in God and I’m forever thankful for His blessings.

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Nicknamed African Messi because of his similarity of play with the Argentine megastar, Ukraine-based Nigerian midfielder Michael Babatunde admits that he is nowhere near the Barcelona maestro but he maintains in this interview with ‘TANA AIYEJINA that he can also carve a niche for himself

How would you describe your first season so far with Volyn Lutsk?

I feel very proud of my instant success with the club. I have been given the chance to prove myself and I haven’t disappointed. The coach has always looked forward to seeing me in his team. I think what helped me was the astounding debut I had; I was named the Most Valuable Player.  From that moment, I knew I had a bright future in the club. I was happy not just because of the honour but because I was able to show the fans my potential. It’s been a very exciting season so far.

How did you seal the deal from Kryvbas to Volyn?

I saw the Volyn move coming after Kaparty failed in their bid to acquire my services. It was a perfect move for me especially as it came when I made my debut for the senior national team. I knew much about the club before I joined them. I played against them while I was in Kryvbas and I have been the target of their coach, as well as their president for a long time. So I felt wanted and playing there now is a dream come true. I had three offers before me and my agent settled for Volyn. I decided to join Volyn so that I could enjoy first team football. I know it is not easy to sign for a club and join the first team right away but I was told by the club management that I was needed in their team and that was what really thrilled me. As a matter of fact, the coach has so much confidence in me and that is why he gave me my debut two days after my medical.

It seems you’ve been at home with the Ukrainian league right from when you first there in 2011…

Yes, that is where I started in Europe and I have adapted to the style for a long time now. I had settled down in my career in Ukraine right from when I was in Kryvbas. I have had a wonderful time in Ukraine, I must confess. I love the country because the fans, coaches and players have shown me love. Coming to Ukraine at a tender age to start my football career was a right decision, I don’t regret it any bit. I have learnt a lot and I have been able to rise to the big occasion when I am called to.

Will you say your success in the eastern European country has translated to national teams’ success for you?

I thank God for the way things have gone. I had the honour of being invited to the U-20, U-23 and senior national teams since I moved to Ukraine. It is not because I am better than other players in other leagues. However, I want to thank the coaches for the call-ups because playing for Nigeria at different levels gave me the opportunity to showcase what I can do. Even though I have had a great time in Ukraine, I will move when the time is right but I am happy in my present club. I remember vividly an encounter I had with coach Austin Eguavoen. He said every Nigerian was eligible to come and fight for a place in his team and he maintained that he would pick his team based on merit. And that is how it has been. So Ukraine has given me the platform to earn Nigeria call-ups and I am happy that I have been able to improve my games through the national team experiences.

How did you feel when coach Stephen Keshi gave your first senior call-up for Nigeria?

It was a great privilege playing for Nigeria. My biggest achievement last year was making my debut at senior level. It was amazing when I received the call-up and even though I couldn’t prove myself much, it was a fantastic experience for me. Keshi has done a lot of good things in the lives of so many African players, not just Nigerian footballers alone. He made an impact in my career; in fact, he has touched the lives of so many promising players. It has been a wonderful and exciting experience all through. I feel good and happy because I once dreamt of putting on a Super Eagles shirt one day but I never knew the call-up would come so soon. I won’t rush anything with the national team because I know my time will come. I have been told to learn fast and prove myself but to be candid, I am still looking forward to the day I will prove Keshi right. I don’t see him as just an ordinary coach; he is like a father. He has been wonderful trying to boost careers of young players with inspirational talks and advice; I will call him a rare gem. One of my encounters with him in Abuja showed me that Keshi meant well for the national team. He told me I was invited to gain experience for the future. He said, “Michael, you are here as one of the stars of tomorrow and you must learn fast.” All these things are really working well for me and I am grateful to him.

How would you describe your Confederations Cup experience?

It was a blessing I must confess. It has built my confidence and now I can play at the highest level. I enjoyed every bit of my stay with the team; we all saw ourselves as one big family. I so much believe that I will go places with what I have been exposed to in the national team. Playing against some of the best players in the world is an experience I will always cherish.

What is your most memorable encounter in Ukraine this season?

Beating a big club like Shaktar Donetsk is it. I had an assist and I was named the Man of The Match despite copping an injury during the game. I was commended by everybody after the game, even by some of the Shaktar players.

Is it true that Shaktar actually wanted to sign you while you were at Kryvbas?

The only thing I can say is that I signed for the serious club that came for me. There were lots of news back then, but you don’t need to listen to everything you see in the news because it will distract you. It is only my agent that can speak further on the number of clubs that wanted to sign me then.

You were also reportedly linked to Celta Vigo in Spain…

I don’t know anything about that. For now I am just focusing on Volyn. And I doubt if my coach will listen to any offers for now. My priority now is to keep my first team place in the squad. I just want to be consistent on the pitch. It’s always a thing of joy for every player to be on the pitch week-in-week-out. I am in Ukraine to play regularly and contribute to the team’s effort.

Was it true that you were clubless after the Confederations Cup after Kryvbas went bankrupt?

I think some people were just trying to be mischievous then; they wrote what was not true. There was a time they wrote that I would be deported from Ukraine because I didn’t have a work permit. The same person even wrote that I had a visa problem. But I thank God and my agent for the help they have given me.

How did you get the nickname African Messi?

The name came through my friends and fans in Nigeria. It was all down to the way I moved with the ball. Lionel Messi is a phenomenon, I like him as a person and also as a player but I think his boots are still too big for me to step into. And maybe in some years to come, I will start weighing the size of his boots but for now I am still far off from his achievements.

Nigeria will be playing against Argentina at the 2014 World Cup. Do you think Nigeria will triumph?

Without sentiments, Argentina have a bunch of talented players. Even without Messi, they can still wreak havoc on opponents and we can only underrate them at our own peril. As it is now, we need to embark on serious preparations; everybody should be ready for war. As we are preparing, we should always be praying for luck because a lot of upsets will happen in Brazil. I believe in Eagles because we have players who can really do well on a good day.

What’s your impression about the Eagles’ other group opponents Iran and Bosnia?

I don’t want us to be focused on Argentina alone. We have to be careful with little known teams like Bosnia and Iran, so that things don’t go the other way round.

How do you view your chances of making the trip to Brazil in June?

I will keep doing my best. I know the task ahead and I am aware of how tough the fight for places in the World Cup team will be. So, it will take a lot of hard work and prayers to make the cut.

Can you recount your days in your first club in Nigeria?

Irrespective of where I am today, I always remember where I come from. I am a proud product of Water FC, Abuja. The academy made me what I am today because they treated me exceptionally well. I grew up from the academy, which I believe is one of the best in Nigeria and I am very proud of it today.

Who is Michael Babatunde?

I am a shy person but when I’m around my friends, I feel comfortable. Wherever I find myself, I take things easy. I am not keen about the flashy life but I like to look nice with a good haircut and good colour combination.

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Atlanta ’96 Olympic gold medalist, Emmanuel Babayaro, talks about his time as a footballer and his sojourn into the entertainment industry in this interview with ’TANA AIYEJINA

Not much has been heard about you in the football sector since you retired from the game. What are you doing now?

I have always been around but I guess because I am not a noisemaker, I probably have not been heard. I am now an actor, producer and music recording artiste. But I can never leave football; it made me who I am today. Right now, I own one of the most successful football academies in the country. Between 2006 and now, we have produced 12 national team players. So, I am actually involved in football. If they don’t hear about me in football, they definitely do in the entertainment world.

Which do you enjoy better, your time as a footballer or as an entertainer?

To be quite honest with you, I am enjoying my time in entertainment more than football. Entertainment was in me even before I became a footballer.  But God gave me the game to climb up the ladder. While I was about 12 years old, I and my younger sibling Celestine, then about eight, used to entertain people during wedding ceremonies and public occasions. I also performed individually and I got paid for that. My teammates in the national teams will tell you that I got into trouble because I was always singing and dancing while in camp. In fact, that was why I had problems with Fanny Amun, my coach in the Golden Eaglets. I will say I am in love with what I am doing now than when I was playing football, but the game brought me the success, on which I am riding on now in the entertainment industry.

Would you say you have made the desired impact in your new field?

I don’t think my impact is strong yet but I can say it is enviable. It’s actually not where I want it to be. The reason is because if you were a footballer before, people find it difficult to identify you as an actor. It’s enviable because I have received love from people in the industry and I have been able to discover talents that I am nurturing. I am not coming to the industry because I like it but because I have something to offer. It’s a slow movement but I am gaining grounds gradually, especially in the film industry. The acclaim has been as good as I would like it to be although the music aspect is slower but moving steadily.

You once released an album. Did it sell to your expectations?

I didn’t sell it; it was a deliberate act not to put it in the market. I remember my first video and how a TV station didn’t want to air it because they thought it was a one off thing. So, it was deliberate not to put it in the market and we distributed copies to friends and families. I wanted people to know that it was about the music first; what I have got to give to the world and not the money. And that is why it was never sold. The response I have received has been awesome especially the track I did with Cobhams titled Role Model. People say it could have won a Grammy. I am working on a new project and doing collaboration with notable Nigerian artistes. I am systematically trying to break that impression of what can a footballer do in music?

Did your parents support you and Celestine’s involvement in entertainment and football at very tender ages?

Don’t forget that we come from a ghetto; after school at 1pm, we got home and knocked ourselves around. We went play acting but we were also very good in school. And that had to do with our upbringing. In the ghetto, there is abundance of talent. So, ours was a case of talents being discovered.

When did you actually switch to football?

Even though we (with Celestine) were entertaining, we were still playing football but it wasn’t at a professional level. Football has always been an attraction for kids in the ghetto. I was a Mass Servant, a member of the Legion of Mary and several other groups in the Catholic Church. My mother was responsible for this. Due to this, I worked towards becoming a Catholic priest but football got the better of me. My mother used to sell bread in a small kiosk and every morning, I had to get to the bakery early or there would be a long queue of buyers. So, I always got to the bakery around 6am before people came. The bakery was not actually opened then, so I would go to Highlanders Academy, owned by Babayaro, to watch those playing. I used to stand behind the goalkeeper but I was active even though I was not part of the action. Whenever the keeper missed a ball, I caught it and they clapped for me. One day, when one of the keepers was absent, Babayaro simply said, “Come enter net.”  That was how it began but I was actually discovered by Alhaji Sani Kotangora; he saw my talent and took me to Prof. Ajakaiye, who was then head of the Nigerian Agricultural and Co-operative Bank. The bank owned a club but he didn’t take me to the club because he said the coaches would say I am too young. So, he told Ajakaiye to sign me immediately and there in his office, I was given an employment letter. My first salary was N200. Next day, I reported to the team as a player and not someone who came for trials. That’s how everything started.

Then why did you adopt Babayaro as your surname instead of Kotangora?

I lived with Babayaro like a son and younger brother. We were about 12 kids living with him and he took care of us without discrimination. He had his biological brothers among us but you won’t know. I will never forget when I signed for NACB. I had an interview with a New Nigeria journalist and I spoke about how Bababyaro helped me. Because of that I told the reporter that I had adopted Babayaro as my trademark surname. He (Babayaro) didn’t even know about it until the newspaper was published. Babayaro is actually not his real name. He is Mohammed Sabo but Babayaro was a nickname given to him because he was always in the midst of young people. Any other Babayaro was after I started. Celestine took it up when we were invited to the U-17 national team. I told him, “How would they know we are brothers if we used different surnames. So, he agreed.

In 1993, you were part of the Golden Eaglets that won the U-17 World Cup. What was the preparation like on the way to the competition in Japan?

It’s funny how things turn out especially when you are much younger. We thought about horrible things because of the way things were going. Now we are older and now realise that was the best training we had. It was long term. Coach Fanny Amun sent my name as far back as 1991. He saw me doing amazing things in training with NACB during the Bankers Cup in Owerri and he told me he would invite me when he became U-17 coach. Amun is one personality I respect so much but the truth must be told; he lacked the coaching expertise at the time but what he lacked in expertise, he covered up with hard work. I know I may get a few knocks for this from him when we meet again but that’s the truth. He was more mechanical; we did more of running and running and little tactics. Musa Abdullahi took care of that aspect. But give it to him, Amun went everywhere in the country to get talents and we were together for close to two years before the competition. So, we were like brothers. Our success was due to more of planning and recruitment exercise than expertise.

How did you feel winning the U-17 World Cup?

We had officials giving us pep talk. A day before we left for Japan, I remember I and Celestine sat together after we had our medicals. We didn’t know we were thinking about the same thing and then we uttered, “So by tomorrow, we would be made for life? All those babes wey dey show, we go show dem when we come back.” That is how amazing it was. Then sports minister, Alex Akinyele, was a motivational speaker and he said we would be ‘made’ if we win the competition. After he spoke to us, we just wanted the competition to start so that we could just go there and pick up the trophy. We were all from the ghetto and wanted to be ‘made’. Winning the U-17 World Cup was even more thrilling than winning the Olympic gold medal.

You were first choice for the U-23 team ahead of the 1996 Olympics but coach Bonfrere Jo dropped you for Dosu Joseph when the competition began in Atlanta. What happened?

Dosu is my brother and whatever I say now won’t change anything. A problem I had with Bonfrere caused it. There are certain actions you take as a youngster and you are not guided. I will speak as I felt at that time based on my maturity and intelligence. I had been the first choice all through; I kept all the games we played before the Olympics. I’ll say what I thought happened. Sunday Oliseh was very influential in the team and Bonfrere had a lot of respect for him. Oliseh is like a brother to Dosu; Dosu was influential in making Julius Berger sign Oliseh before he moved to Europe. At the time, Dosu was to sign for Reggiana and what stopped him was a national cap. Everybody in the team was very good. So, when Oliseh tried to influence Bonfrere (to use Dosu), it was easy because whoever was in goal, would do well. Before our first match, Bonfrere called me to his room; Musa Abdullahi and Willy Bazuaye were there. You can enquire from them what I am about to tell you. This is what he told me and I quote, “Due to reasons best known to me, I’ll prefer to use Dosu. I don’t owe any player for inclusion and exclusion from the team.” He said he owed me that much because I was mentally and physically prepared. I felt slighted as a young man and I asked him, “If performance is criteria for being in the first team, have I failed in this regard?” He said, “No.” I am not going to lie to you, I started insulting him. I told him to go to hell. Tijani Babangida got wind of what happened and he said it was for team interest. He was privy to what was happening. I called Dosu to my room and told him, “I want you to know that I will never hate you and undermine you in any way. I want you to know that I am human but my anger won’t be directed at you but Bonfrere. If I were in your shoes, I will take the chance too but I have everything against the coach.” He was okay with my explanation and we sat together after every game to analyse his performance. He told me to help him out in areas of improvement. After the Olympics, Sani Toro told me that Bonfrere told him that I was the best keeper but he kept me out because I was not disciplined. There are no hard feelings. I did what I did because of what I was at the time. If it was now, I wouldn’t have reacted the way I did then. I use these experiences to train my players now.

What are your best and worst moments as a footballer?

I have several but I will choose an incident at the local wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos. I wanted to board a flight to Kaduna and a woman with an infant less than a year old, said, “Emmanuel Babayaro, place a hand on my child and bless him.” I said I wasn’t the Pope, how could I do that? After that, I went inside the toilet to shed tears. Another incident was when someone drove on top speed along Ogunlana Drive in Surulere. The car drove past and there was a loud screech. The driver reversed, sighted me and said, “Emmanuel Babayaro, God bless.” And he drove off. I never knew him.  I wouldn’t really say I had worst moments but I would have loved to feature at the Olympics after doing so well in preparation. Two days before the Olympics, I was in goal for the team, so it was a little bit disappointing.

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Former Super Eagles defender, Abdul Sule, in this interview with ’TANA AIYEJINA, talks about his time with the national team, Stationery Stores and stint abroad

You returned from Denmark to pick up a job at Kogi United. How would you describe your experience at the club?

Actually, things are okay. The people I met at the club are people who want to work the way I work. The sole administrator of the club wants the players rights protected and that for me is the ultimate for any footballer. All they just need to do now is go out there and play football.

What are your immediate ambitions at the club?

My ambition is to get them to the Premier League and we are fighting to achieve that already. We’ve been doing well in games but there is need for improvement. It’s going to be difficult getting to the Premier League but we are not relenting; we are giving it our best. I believe with the team management and the support of the Kogi State Governor, Idris Wada, the team will gain promotion to the Premier League.

You left the domestic scene in the 1990s as a player. Do you think there is an improvement in the league now that you have returned in a managerial role?

I don’t think the Nigerian league has improved the way it should. However, in terms of publicity and being shown on SuperSport, I think it has. The pitches are getting better. But the standard and way the players are treated is not improving at all. As a professional footballer, you should play football to take care of yourself but that is not the case in most clubs yet; they owe their players. Players should be given their entitlements for them to play well.

You hardly find fans at match venues these days. What was the secret behind the huge crowd that attended matches during your time as a player on the domestic scene?

The players were performing; they were doing very well and the supporters were into the league. They knew the league inside out. But nowadays, the influx of the foreign leagues has not helped. If a game is being played at Liberty Stadium in Ibadan same time with Arsenal game, fans will prefer to watch the English team. While I played for Stationery Stores, we had an average of about 40, 000 fans watching our games. They will come in with Stores flags and handkerchiefs; it was amazing.

Was it true that Stores fans and players washed the handkerchiefs with charms before coming to the stadium?

That’s not true. It was just the passion; there was nothing like charms. It was amazing to see about 40,000 fans waving the white handkerchiefs all over the stadium. It spurred us on; the supporters played the game for us unlike when you have just 1,000 people watching a match; it will be difficult to play football.

In your time, there were great traditional clubs like Insurance, BCC Lions, Stores and others but they are no more …

It’s really very sad to see such great clubs going down and they are nowhere to be found today. I think it is as a result of lack of proper management. We have to put people who know the game in the right positions. In Kogi United, we have people with passion for the game and so, we are trying hard to change the club. The players are given their dues; they play while we take care of the technical and managerial issues. We still have a long way to go but we’ll keep trying.

There have been complaints about the performances of the home-based Super Eagles at the ongoing African Nations Championship in South Africa. Do you think the squad is a reflection of the best players the domestic league can produce?

I don’t really think these (players) are the best we have in the league. I think their best is coming out gradually. If you give a player confidence, the experience will come. We lost one, then bounced back to win the next game. Countries are no longer pushovers as far as the game is concerned, so we shouldn’t criticise the players but support them.

Did you play football by accident or was it what you wanted to become?

I started playing early, while in primary school. There were a lot of football competitions then and I was appointed as a prefect in school because of my reputation as a footballer. That was when I decided to become a player. When I finished from secondary school, I was contacted to work in a bank (New Union Bank) as a footballer. Luckily, I got my big break when I signed for Stores and from there, I got into the national team before I moved abroad to play the game.

Can you recall how you first broke into the Eagles?

It was a game between Stores and Plateau United in Jos and I played very well. (Clemens) Westerhof was there and he invited me to the national team. My first game for the Eagles was against Uganda and I can’t really describe how I felt; it was amazing.

What led to your exclusion from the squad to the 1994 World Cup, having played in the qualifying series?

I remember I was called by Westerhof and he told me he was willing to include me in the 22-man list for the World Cup but unfortunately he could not because of one reason or the other. It was at the Eko L’Meridien Hotel. It was devastating but what could I do?

Was it true that there was mafia in the team, who dictated for the coaches?

There is always mafia but we didn’t know the mafia. We were just home-based players who didn’t know what was happening. We just played football and didn’t bother ourselves with anything else.

Some people feel the Eagles would have gone farther than the second round stage had Westerhof taken you, Nduka Ugbade and some other players that were dropped…

The team was destined to get to the stage it got. The players that made the squad were equally very good.

How would you describe your sojourn abroad?

I first moved to Qatar before I left for Denmark. When I got to Denmark, the equipment there gave me so much confidence. I was top scorer for Qatar SC and a year later, Akademisk Boldklub bought me and I became highest paid player in Denmark. I was there for five years before I moved on. I also played in Malaysia. I have decided to come back home and share my experience with my people.

You played as a striker for your club and defender for the national team. How were you able to build this versatility?

It’s just hard work. If you want to achieve something, you have to work hard. When I played as defender for Eagles, I worked harder and when I returned to Stores under coach Abdullahi Bebe, I worked even harder as a striker. Sometimes I played central defence for Stores when we had problems. It was an added advantage then. We had strikers like Rashidi Yekini, Daniel Amokachi, Samson Siasia and Emmanuel Amuneke and I think it would have been difficult to break in as a striker. So, because of my overlapping and speed, Westerhof converted me to a defender in the national team.

Who was the toughest player you played against?

I always had problems with Ajibade Babalade, I must confess. He was a very tough player and if you were unlucky to play him when he partnered Bright Omokaro, then you had some serious problems in your hands. They were both very strong defenders.

African players have been abused racially in Europe. Have you been a victim as well?

Actually I was in Denmark for 15 years but I didn’t encounter anything like that. Of course there are always racists but I haven’t met any. Denmark is a country where everybody is welcome.

Who is Abdul Sule?

Abdul Sule is concentrated on himself, believes in what he does and takes others out of their difficulties. He believes in hard work. That is Abdul Sule.

What are your best and worst moments as a footballer?

My best was when I first represented Nigeria and the worst would be when I was excluded from the team to the 1994 World Cup.

Having played for a lot of club sides, which of them did you enjoy your time most?

I enjoyed my career tremendously at Stores and Akademisk Boldklub. It’s a very sad story that Stores are no more today. They are doing something on Facebook to bring back the club. I will be happy to see such a great club back to life again.

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One of Nigeria’s most accomplished and long-serving players in the domestic scene, Victor Ezeji, tells ’TANA AIYEJINA in this interview about his illustrious career and more

Having played over 18 years in the domestic league, what are your impressions about Nigerian football?

From my perspective, the game has improved compared to what we had when I started playing in the league. But we need to improve on many things. When I started, things were not like this but if we had improved on what we had then, we probably would not have been where we are now. The league should have been far better than it is now.

What areas need improvement?

Maybe we need to improve on the administration because the league is not properly organised. Football is not just about a player’s ability on the pitch. If we had a properly organised league, Nigerian football would achieve more. It’s my personal opinion. I believe we can get there with the right people in the right places.

Do you think our league can compare with those in North Africa and South Africa, which are the best on the continent?

Not at all. The only way we can compare with these other leagues is the raw talents that abound in Nigeria. We have an amazing number of talents at our disposal. The North Africans are not better than us in terms of players but their leagues are better organised. It’s the same thing with South Africa. But they are far ahead and better than us. Over here, it’s a different ball game. These countries don’t have the money we have but they have structures in place. There is sponsorship money and there are facilities there comparable to the best in the world but majority of our clubs are run by the government.

If you say the Tunisian league is better than what we have in Nigeria, why then did you leave there after just one season at Club Africain?

I had a three-year contract with Club Africain but I had domestic problems back home that needed to be solved. I just got married then and in less than three months, I was away from home. All I wanted was a loan back to a Nigerian club but they (Club Africain) were adamant. I still don’t regret leaving them after just a season because I returned home and I was able to solve the problem on ground.

Having played for some of Nigeria’s biggest sides and winning laurels, which club did you have the best time?

I will tell you this: my best time was while at Dolphins not minding the fact I won the CAF Champions League with Enyimba. I won so many awards as a player at Dolphins.

How did you feel helping Enyimba win the CAF Champions League for Nigeria in 2003, a trophy that had eluded the country for decades?

I think it was our time to win the CAF Champions League. If you look at Enyimba then, everybody was in one national team or the other. We had players in the U-20, U-23 and the Super Eagles. Even the foreigners in the team were also playing for their countries. Then, we had an experienced coach in Kadiri Ikhana and a wonderful governor, Orji Kalu. He was highly motivational, he gave us all we needed and we were so relaxed. That was why we were able to come back after losing 6-1 to Ismaily in our first group game to win the trophy for the first time.

After that 6-1 defeat to Ismaily, most people didn’t give Enyimba any chance of winning the trophy. What went wrong in that game?

I don’t think anything went wrong. We had a good run in the qualification series before we advanced to the group stage. We didn’t lose any game and we were winning our matches home and away. We thought we were on top of the world. Honestly, we felt we had arrived. So, when we lost 6-1 to Ismaily in Egypt, it was a wake-up call. It was that game that gave us a turn around.

How did the team manage to get itself back to beat Ismaily in the final to claim a historic first title for Nigeria?

They (Ismaily) thought that since they had beaten us 6-1 in the group stage, they would be able to beat us again in the final. We won the final first leg 2-0 but they felt they could beat us by a bigger margin in the return leg and claim the trophy. But they were shocked; they saw a different Enyimba on the day. They managed to score a goal in 90 minutes and that was how we became champions. But they were not happy and started throwing things into the stadium. None of us was injured though.

How did Orji Kalu reward the team?

I think after the 1980 Green Eagles were given a 504 car each for winning the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time, we were about the next set of players in a team to be given cars as reward for winning the CAF Champions League. He (Kalu) gave us brand new KIA Rio cars each.

You won the domestic league and FA Cup double with Dolphins in 2002/03…

Yes, I moved over to Dolphins from Enyimba and I won the league and FA Cup double, I was named the Most Valuable Player in the league and the FA Cup. Things went so well for me. It’s difficult to achieve such, even in Europe. People were wondering why I left Enyimba after winning the Champions League but at Dolphins, I had a great time winning everything at home. That is why I said earlier that Dolphins is the best club I have played for.

In the 2001/02 season, you were also joint top scorer in the league with Joetex Frimpong, with 17 goals. How did you achieve that?

I worked very hard that year and I was banging in goals but towards the end of the season, I got injured and couldn’t play more matches. So, Joetex caught up with me but it was a fantastic season for me.

People refer to you as Nigeria’s Ryan Giggs, having played for over 18 years in the Nigerian league and scoring in each season you have played just like the Welsh star. Do you think you share any similarity with the Manchester United midfielder?

I think the only similarity we share is that we are both left-footed and he has scored in every season he has played, just like me. But he is not my role model. I have always looked up to the Brazilian Romario. He was a great player.

You are an accounting graduate from the University of Port Harcourt. How were you able to combine football and education?

It was really challenging. All my elder brothers were in higher institutions and my parents said I had to go to school as well. I gained admission into the university, when I was invited to play for Sharks. But my parents made it clear that there was the need to balance education with any other endeavour I was involved in. It was very difficult but then Sharks chairman, Adokiye Amiesimaka, was very helpful. He faced the same challenge during his time as a player. He was so supportive; he was there for me and that made things so easy. I also had support from my lecturers, course mates and teammates.

Why do players find it difficult to combine education and football?

I have said it repeatedly that it’s possible to achieve both. All they need is focus and they won’t regret it. You can’t play football forever. Education is key because after the game, you will need your education to pursue other things.

Will you pursue a career in accounting after you quit football?

I don’t know yet. I will wait till then.

You seem to enjoy playing in Port Harcourt but there have been complaints by players that they are oftentimes extorted by the city’s fans. Is this true?

I don’t think it is true. Most times, these boys (fans) are their friends. I see most of the players hanging out with these fans. So, I don’t think there is anything like that.

Can you recall your Nigeria debut?

It was against Angola in a Nations Cup qualifier in Luanda in 2002. The match ended 0-0. I was a young player just coming up. I got to camp and I scored a hattrick in a friendly game and that impressed the coach. I played eight times for Nigeria, scoring four goals. I scored my first goal against Namibia in a friendly game.

Did you notice anything like mafia in the national camp?

I don’t have to say what I don’t know. There was nothing like that whenever I was invited.

Who is the toughest defender you played against?

It is Kennedy Okogba, then with Iwuanyanwu Nationale. He has always been a problem. He was a very fast player, who played in virtually all the positions. I used to have difficulties playing against him.

What are your best and worst moments?

My best moment was when we lifted the CAF Champions League in Egypt while my worst was in 2004 when I was captain of the U-23 national team that failed to qualify for the football event of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games. We lost to Tunisia but all we needed was a draw. I was not happy about that.

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US-based ex-Super Falcons striker, Nkiru Okosieme, talks about her childhood, early days of Nigerian women football and more in this interview with ‘TANA AIYEJINA

What are you doing now?

I am a coach in Atlanta Georgia, United States.

What is your opinion about the poor performance of the Super Falcons recently?

The last performance of the Super Falcons at the African Women’s Championship wasn’t really good but the younger teams like the U-17 and U-20 seem to be doing well, although we have not been able to transfer the success at the junior levels to the senior team in recent times.

What do you think is responsible for this?

I won’t say I know the cause for sure but it could be a variety of things. One of them could be lack of preparations; nobody knows the level of preparations the team had before going to competitions. Poor preparations lead to poor performances. It can also depend on the state of the women league. Is the league good enough to produce good players for the national team that can hold their own in Africa? Coaching can also be a problem. So, a couple of factors could be responsible for the reason why we slumped to the fourth position at the last AWC. Again, not taking the women’s game seriously could have caused it. Sometimes we can get comfortable and say, ‘oh we are the champions.’ And then we forget about the things that made us champions. Now, the game is taking a different dimension, other teams are coming up, they are working hard, they are training. If we are not doing the same thing, giving our players the level of exposure and training that they need, those teams will catch up with us at the end of the day. Think about it, the United States have been on top since the inception of women football. How have they been able to maintain that position over the years? It’s all about hard work and having the right progamme in place. They are not waiting for the last minute to prepare; once one tournament is over, they are preparing for the next one. They have phases and phases of preparing. And that is the keyword; you have to prepare to get the right results. Gone are those times when they say Nigeria is a superpower and we defeat all other teams in Africa. It’s not happening anymore because teams are catching up, they are working hard, putting different programmes into place and pumping money into their programmes. And if we don’t do the same thing, if we just relax and just fold our hands and say, ‘oh, we have the experience’, we are just going to continue going down. I think those are some of the factors that contribute to it.

We have ex-Falcons stars like you and Florence Omagbemi coaching in the US. Are you hoping to return home to manage any of the women national teams?

I have tried to apply for the Falcons coaching job. Before Kadiri (Ikhana) became the coach (of the Falcons), the position was open. I applied for the job but I didn’t hear anything from them. Right after they lost the last AWC, I applied again and I spoke to a couple of them (Nigerian Football Federation officials). I actually called (Aminu) Maigari, spoke to the NFF Secretary-General, Emeka Inyama, when they came over here for the Nigeria-Mexico game last year in Texas. I went over to Texas to watch that game and I was with the NFF officials but I haven’t heard from them. There is so much more one can do; you can force a horse to the river, but you can’t force it to drink water. You can put in for the job but you are not going to force them to give you the job.

What were the challenges you faced as a pioneer of women football in Nigeria?

It wasn’t easy but it was fun. Not everybody thought women could play football, so, people came out to mock you, laugh at you and show surprise. A lot of people resisted the idea. The Nigerian Football Association came into women football in 1991 but we had been playing before then through the Youth Sports Federation of Nigeria. YSFON was the organisation that opened the door for women football because they welcomed the idea; they had competitions and tournaments and we were able to go to these tournaments. They had clubs. We struggled to get sponsors for tournaments, we struggled to get accommodation and transportation to come back home after competitions. But I guess we just loved the game; we just played. We didn’t have a whole lot but we had the love for the game. We had the opportunity to do something that we really liked and I guess that was the driving force that kept us going. We were able to mix with the boys and play. And then also, people who hadn’t heard or seen women play football were thinking it was crazy. It was tough and there was a lot of resistance; there was mockery, but at the end of the day, we were able to show them that the sport had come to stay for the women. In 1991 when FIFA started the Women’s World Cup, the Nigerian Football Association already had a crop of players because YSFON had already laid the foundation. We just went straight to the World Cup. It was tough but we made it.

The first two editions of the World Cup in China and Sweden were nightmarish for the Falcons, as they lost all their games with a bagful of goals…

A whole lot we faced in China and Sweden wasn’t because we didn’t have a good team. It was more about organisation and that has always been our biggest issue when we go out for international tournaments. If we get our house together, we can do a lot of things; actually, when we get our house in order, we always do well.

At the 1999 World Cup, the Flacons reached the quarter-finals, the best ever achievement by the team but you lost your second group game 7-1 to hosts USA despite scoring first…

I laugh whenever I look at that game. We also suffered from lack of experience. I am not putting all the blame on the goalkeeper, Ann Agumanu, but the number of goals she conceded, some of them shouldn’t have gone in. Playing against the US in front of their home crowd also affected us; they were screaming.

How was the team able to stage a monumental return, beating Denmark to reach the last eight?

It was down to hard work and the will to succeed. We wanted to redeem ourselves by qualifying for the quarter-finals. The games were tough but we put up spirited performances to win and qualify as the second best team in our group.

Against Brazil in the quarter-final, the Falcons fell behind 3-0 but staged a comeback, only to lose 4-3 to the South Americans in extra time. How did you feel?

It was a memorable game. Every coach has his plans but when keeper Judith Chime was brought in for Ann Agumanu, things stabilised for us. I feel Chime deserved to be first choice keeper anyway. Prisca Emeafu scored our first goal, I added a second and Nkechi Egbe the third late on in the game. We fought gallantly in extra time but Patience Avre was sent off; we conceded a free-kick, which the Brazilians converted and we lost the match. It was really devastating.

Did your family’s sports background play a role in your becoming a footballer?

My mother had netball experience and my father played football for Nigeria. At a time, he was an assistant to Coach Sebastine Brodericks at Bendel Insurance. He used to bring back home balls from the club. He would tell us to wash the balls, which were very colourful. We will then take the balls to the back of the house and play. My father didn’t want us to play football on the streets of Benin City, where I grew up because of the red sand. We ended up stained with mud from head to toe. We went on to play on the streets but we got whipped when we were caught. There were competitions between streets and we were involved, it was fun.

What are your best and worst moments?

I would tip when we qualified for the first ever FIFA Women’s World Cup in 1991 in China as my best moment. We had played Cameroon and Guinea before we met Ghana in the final qualifier. We beat the Black Queens in the first leg in Lagos and we went to Accra for the second leg. That day, I wore a very tight boot and my feet were hot. I would go to the sideline to pour water on my feet just to cool them. It was painful. Then, you were entitled to just one pair of boots and it was the boots you would use all through until they got spoilt. It’s unlike now when players have the luxury of wearing as many boots as they want. The beauty of everything was that we qualified as the first African team to participate in a FIFA Women’s World Cup. My worst moment was at the 2003 Women’s World Cup. It was not that I didn’t perform well but the team put up a very poor performance. For me, it was one of our worst performances at the World Cup.

You represented Nigeria for over 12 years. What was the secret behind your long stay in the Falcons?

I actually played at four World Cups and one Olympic Games and I will remain grateful for my country for giving me the chance to serve. For me, it was hard work and dedication to duty.

What’s your opinion on lesbianism in Nigerian women football?

It’s something that I actually don’t want to talk about because it’s an issue that should be buried by now. I don’t support it but I think it is the personal lives of those who are involved. It’s not my business to interfere in other people’s private affair.

How did you feel scoring at the World Cup?

It was amazing, awesome. I scored thrice at the 1999 World Cup; I scored the Falcons only goal in the 7-1 defeat to the US and then also scored against Denmark and Brazil in the competition. It was a wonderful moment for me.

What did you do with your first big money in football?

Big money? It was not money that could buy a house or a car but it was okay to buy good clothes and look good. I gave some to my parents and I made myself okay with the rest.

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Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi, spoke to ’TANA AIYEJINA on his experience at the recent CHAN in South Africa, World Cup preparations and his time as coach of Togo

How would you describe the performance of your team, winning the bronze medal at the just concluded African Nations Championship in South Africa?

It was a very good experience for me and I am happy with the performances of the boys. The competition gave the home-based players the opportunity to represent their country. Prior to this competition, it was very difficult for them to represent their country. It’s not only in Nigeria alone but most African countries. So, it was a great experience for me, the technical crew and everybody in the team.

The highlight of the entire competition was the home-based Eagles coming from 3-0 down to beat Morocco 4-3 in extra time in the quarter-final. How did you feel when your team was down by 3-0?

I didn’t feel anything. I just felt that if the Moroccans could score three goals in 10 minutes in the first half, then we had 45 minutes in the second half to score four goals and move ahead to the semi-final.

What did you tell your players in the dressing room during the break?

Just what I said earlier, “We have 45 minutes to score four goals and win the game.” And the boys gave their best and we won.

Nigerians were already expecting the team in the final of the competition but rivals 10-man Ghana defeated your team in the semi-finals…

I will say that is football. They came out kicking at us and using negative means to play us but I think football is not about fighting; we need to enjoy the game. You don’t have to kick your opponents just because you want to frustrate them. However, they won through penalties and it’s okay.

What is your reaction to Libya winning the third edition of the competition?

I tell people that it is not always the best teams that necessarily win tournaments. The Libyans were destined to emerge as champions of the competition and they did. I think it’s commendable if you take into perspective the crisis that has engulfed the country. I believe this big win will help foster unity in their country.

During the medal ceremony, FIFA president, Sepp Blatter held on to you and didn’t want to let you go. What did he tell you?

You want to know what Blatter told me? I don’t want to discuss that with anybody. What he said is for me and not for the media. So, I will keep it to myself.

Was he trying to inspire you to perform well at the 2014 World Cup?

Of course yes, what he said would inspire me but I am not revealing what he told me.

As the World Cup draws closer, what are your plans for Nigerian players with dual nationalities, who would want to play for the country in Brazil?

Any of them willing to play for Nigeria will be welcome. Like I have always said, we will extend invitation to any player who is doing well and wants to play for the country. I want people to help with information concerning such players. Do you have any?

There are so many Nigerian  players in Europe with dual nationalities. A player like 21-year-old defender Kenny Otigba is doing very well at Dutch side Heerenven. He has played for Hungary, his mother’s country, at junior levels but still eligible to play for Nigeria at senior level…

Thank you for the information but since he has played for Hungary at junior levels, FIFA will have to clear him before he can play for Nigeria. But if he and others are willing to come to the team and fight for places, then the door is wide open for them to come and prove themselves. I want the very best for the World Cup.

What about the likes of Haruna Lukman, who is doing well at Dynamo Kiev and Victor Anichebe, just back from injury in England?

The Super Eagles is open to every Nigerian player but you have to prove that you are good to be in the team. If I could, I would want all the players in the team, but that is not possible. Everybody cannot be in the team. Even if I have to invite between 200 and 300 players to the team, all of them cannot go to the World Cup. So, we must understand that only a specified number of players can be on the flight to Brazil.

Some Nigerians feel that Ejike Uzoenyi, Man of The Championship in CHAN, has played his way into your World Cup team…

Well, that is their opinion but for me, nobody has a place yet. When you say such things about a player, it means he is doing well, which is good news for every coach. But the team is still wide open to anybody who is ready to prove himself. He (Ejike) had a great tournament in South Africa no doubt but nobody has secured any position yet.

What have been your challenging times?

There are lots of them. Right from training to match situations, there are always challenging times.

Can you share some of these challenges with Nigerians?

Coaching the home-based players is not an easy task; you just have to be patient while coaching them because that is how you can get the best results from them. Then some people feel coaching is about putting the ball on the pitch and getting 22 players to kick the ball around. It goes beyond that. But I try to cope in every situation I find myself.

Winning the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations will surely be your best moment so far as a coach…

Is it because I won the Nations Cup with Nigeria? I will tell you that my best time as a coach was with Togo. I qualified the team for the 2006 World Cup without a superstar. And we had in our group Senegal, who had played in the 2002 World Cup, defeated defending champions France and reached the quarter-finals. We also had Mali, Zambia, Liberia and Congo. My player, Emmanuel Adebayor, was the highest goal scorer in the African qualifiers for the World Cup with 11 goals. My team also scored the highest number of goals (20)in our group. In fact, we lost just one game out of 10 and we won seven, drew two. That performance was amazing and it was achieved with a bunch of virtually unknown players. I will always cherish that moment of my career.

You were Eagles captain under Dutchman Clemens Westerhof, regarded as Nigeria’s greatest coach. You have won virtually everything he won. Would you say you took after him?

Not really. I didn’t play under Westerhof alone. I played under coaches in Africa before I moved to Europe in the 1980s, where I also played under a lot of coaches. These coaches inspired me too. I learnt a lot from all of them, even though I actually didn’t want to become a coach. So it’s not only Westerhof I learnt from.

You just said you didn’t want to become a coach. At what time did you change your mind to become a coach?

Let’s leave that aside and concentrate on the Super Eagles and the World Cup. It’s personal to me.

When was your best time as the Super Eagles coach?

Anytime I come out with the team is always the best moment for me. I am happy to do what I am doing and it’s a great honour to coach my country’s team. So, anytime I am out with the players in Nigeria’s green and white colours, I am always fulfilled. It gives me joy to serve my nation.

The national team begins preparation for the 2014 World Cup with a friendly match against Mexico on March 5. Who are the new players you are hoping to call up to the team for the game?

You will see my list very soon. Any new player who is doing well at club level would be given a look-in. It applies to the old players too. If you are not doing well and you feel you have an automatic place in the squad, then you are making a mistake. Anybody called up should merit his place.

The 2014 World Cup would be the first time you would participate in the Mundial. How are you looking forward to your debut at the event?

It’s just like the next game. I work hard before any match and that is how we are going to prepare for the competition.

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Former Nigeria sprinter and Athens 2004 Olympic Games bronze medalist, Deji Aliu, in this interview with ’TANA AIYEJINA, talks about his upbringing, winning the All Africa Games and more

 How is life in retirement?

Life has been very interesting; I have been doing fine trying to adapt to not training and doing things differently. I think it’s good so far.

 Do you feel like returning to the tracks again?

I always think of that because I love running. I ran for the love of it, not for the money. Most of the time, I still get myself fit but not at a competitive level.

 Why did you chose running above other sports?

I love running, it was like a hobby. There were so many other sports. Because of my height, some said I should play basketball but track and field was my choice.

 Did your parents encourage you?

I started running at an early age, when I was still in primary school. So, I started representing my secondary school at a very early stage. I was in the junior class when I was representing my school because I was far better than my seniors. Somehow, it was affecting my studies, they gave me a letter for my parents because I was missing classes but I was able to prove my parents wrong.  I made them understand that this was what I wanted to do and I was lucky because they had a rethink at an early stage. They gave me the go-ahead  and that was what propelled me to the height I attained.

 Did you ever think that you would become a household name as an athlete?

Sincerely, I never thought of that. I was just running for the fun of it and I was not even thinking of representing my state or the country. Anytime I ran, I felt fulfilled. I was not thinking of anything.

 When was the first time you were invited to run for Nigeria?

It was in 1992, after I had won the National Junior Open. I didn’t know what I had achieved then. Due to people’s encouragement, I started feeling I could go places. After the junior open, I was invited to the national camp and I represented the country at the World Junior Championships in South Korea. That was my first international competition.

 What was the experience like?

It was fun because a young boy from high school was representing his country. For me, it was like a big party; I just went there to enjoy myself, although I was blessed because I got a bronze medal in the relay race. The team was one family and that first experience propelled me to work harder. It was remarkable.

 How did you cope when you first got to camp with big names like Chidi Imoh, Ezinwa brothers and others?

One thing about me is that I love learning from people that know better than me. So, it was easy for me to adapt because I was more like their baby, willing to learn. I went close to them, talked to them and they received me with open arms. I think I was the only one that could talk to them. I didn’t let them rest; I always talked to them and that gave me a solid foundation. Their reception was overwhelming. It was the tonic I needed then.

 In 1999, Nigeria won a bronze medal in the 4x100m relay race at the World Championships but got stripped after one of the athletes failed a dope test. How did you feel?

Naturally one would feel bad but I tried to move on. It was not an individual thing. I was not really bothered and I moved on immediately.

 Nigerians love the 100m event. What was the mood like when you won the 2003 All Africa Games 100m gold medal on home soil?

Winning the AAG gold medal was the icing on the cake. That was my career high. Winning at home made it amazing. I couldn’t sleep; I was so happy. I prayed all day and thanked God after I got to my hotel. It’s not that I had not won bigger competitions but winning at home made it special.

 How did you celebrate the feat?

I am not the party type. People were, celebrating but I just kept praying inside me with few friends. Before the final, I was sure I was going to get a medal but I was not sure about winning gold. When I won, I didn’t know how to celebrate.

 A year later, you won a bronze medal in the relays at the Athens Olympic Games…

That bronze medal on my neck in Athens was a parting gift from God to me. He used that to bless me; I never thought we were going to win a medal because that year, I was nursing an injury. The team was made up of some young guys, not too experienced. I and Uche (Emedolu) were the only experienced ones. So, I said, “Let’s just go there and do our thing.” But God has a way of blessing people; He blessed us with that medal. The team deserved that medal because that was the second time I saw love and unity in the Nigerian team. Relays go beyond practicing baton exchange. The minds of the four athletes must be together. The first time I noticed that love was in 1999. There was love among the quartet; team spirit was there and everybody had same focus and that is why we got the medal.

 We are a strong force in relays. What is responsible for this?

It’s high time we started looking beyond winning medals at competitions. I think we should start appreciating athletes that get to semi-finals and finals of their events. Relays are where you know countries that are strong collectively, but it’s not that we don’t have good individual athletes. It’s just that we don’t get the support other countries we are competing against get. I think that is where we are lacking. If we can match them in terms of preparations, we will win medals. Look at what Blessing Okagbare is doing; the support she is getting is overwhelming. You don’t expect a businessman that invested with N1m to make the same profit as the man who invested N100,000. It’s not possible. So, if we are to win medals, we have to match them in everything. If we can’t do that, then we should stop stressing the athletes. That is the truth.

 What were the challenges you faced and how did you overcome them to become a top-class athlete?

The challenges were enormous but the spirit we had then is no longer in our present athletes. I have been going to the stadium for a while now, but the spirit is just not there. Back then, we didn’t think of the benefits. The challenges were there but there was nothing like impossibility. You can make anything possible if you want to. We were rugged and more determined; we were hungry. Now you can see the laxity in our athletes; nothing is motivating them. I don’t know what the problem is.

 Do you think we can win medals in the short sprints at the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games?

Athletics is not like football where a team can just spring surprises. A football team might not do well in one match but win the next match but that doesn’t happen in track and field events. By March, April, we will know who will win medals. That’s the truth. By June, I will be able to tell you athletes that will contest for medals. That’s how open track and field is. It’s not a sport where you sit down and start hoping. I have to be patriotic but honestly I don’t see anything happening right now. For now, maybe Okagbare, Ajoke Odumosu and some female quarter-milers.

 What has happened to our male athletes?

I really wish I had an answer to this question. Back then, it was the men dominating: the Ezinwas, Adenekens. Even when these guys left, we were able to take over but I think it’s the same old problem. Apart from Okagbare, I can’t see anybody else. We need a stakeholders meeting where we will rub minds. They need to do proper overhauling. There are so many things to be done to bring back the lost glory but I doubt they would want to do them.

 Can you tell us your best and worst moments?

I had so many great moments. But my best moment was when I celebrated the most. I danced azonto. That was the first time I ran under 10 seconds at the Athens Grand Prix in 2003. I was not expecting to run that fast. So, I did so many crazy things. My worst was at the World Indoor Championship in 2002 in Paris. I was sure of a medal. Everybody knew it, I was the fastest man in the world then and I was just cruising but I beat the gun and I was sent out in the semi-final.

 What did you do with your first big money?

Was there a first big money? What I did was very personal. Despite the fact that the person I did it for likes telling people, I won’t tell anybody what I did with my first big money. But I didn’t spend it on myself.

 What is your advice to up-and-coming athletes?

I want to see the hunger in them. They should bring back that passion; that spirit. I am not seeing these things anymore. They are too casual with training. There is so much to be made from track and field events. Don’t look at today, look at the bigger picture. They are just contented representing Nigeria and that limits them.

 Who was the toughest athlete you competed against?

There were so many of them but while I was still at home before I turned professional, there was this guy, Nnamdi Anozie. That was the best guy in the world. He made track and field so interesting; he made me enjoy running. Despite the fact that he was beating me before I started doing the same to him, he was a very good competitor. He would tell me, “Deji are you ready? If I beat you this time, I will take your girlfriend.” But after running, we would still go out and eat pounded yam together. Nnamdi was one competitor that I will not forget in a hurry.

 Who was your role model?

I don’t like saying this because I had so many people that encouraged me as a young athlete. They used to tell me, “You run like Carl Lewis, you look like Carl Lewis.” It used to make me feel good, so when I was growing up, my role model was Lewis. Even when people said I was tall and couldn’t sprint, I told them, “No, if Lewis can sprint, I can.”

 You were not involved in drugs as an athlete. How did you do it?

I will give credit to my coach, Abel Akhigbe; he made me rugged. He didn’t just teach me as a coach, he taught me as a father. The first supplement I took was Supradyn, when I was going for the world juniors. My coach would tell you even if you were feeling pain, don’t take Panadaol. He would say it would go away. The terms I use now were what he used. So, I grew up with that.

 How are you giving back to the society?

A lot of people have asked me this question. Honestly, the atmosphere is not conducive. People that don’t have the opportunity to get close to me say I am arrogant, pompous and snobbish and I don’t mind. I am a very principled person. I am not the begging type; I don’t beg for anything. That is why I give glory to God. I just felt if I keep waiting, the waiting game might never end. The athletes I train are my athletes and among them are two of my coach’s kids. I just want to push, contribute my own quota and impact the knowledge I have gathered in them.

 Can you tell me about your family?

I am married with two daughters, one is in England and she is competing already.

 Would you encourage your daughter to run for Nigeria?

Definitely. Despite the shortcomings, there is still so much passion representing Nigeria. I don’t know if the present athletes feel this way. I felt it when I was competing. There is so much prestige that goes with running for Nigeria. I always advised my daughter not to look at the financial aspect. We need to look beyond that.

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Widely travelled former Super Eagles midfielder, Garba Lawal, tells ‘TANA AIYEJINA about life in retirement, winning Olympic gold, playing at two World Cups and more in this interview

 How is life in retirement?

It’s been great and everything is going on well. I am doing very well after playing professionally for a very long period without serious injuries to my ankles, knees or any other part of my body. I was never operated upon, so I am very fine.

 How have you coped with managerial duties at Kaduna United?

I have been in the Kaduna United board since 2010/11 season and it’s great to still be around football.

 As an ex-international, how have you been able to impact on players of the team?

I think seeing them around me is massive. I am someone who started playing from the amateur level and went on to play internationally. So, I think I am like a role model to them.

 You are also a member of the technical committee…

I have been there since 2008 and it’s been an experience I relish. I think it’s a great achievement. Everyone wants to work in the federation or at the national level after retirement, so it’s good to give back your experience while playing. Life is all about ups and downs but I am so grateful to God for the way things have gone for me.

 You were always criticised for your style of play but successive national team coaches kept using you. How did you feel then?

I love to play under pressure. You don’t have to like my game. I achieve what I want to achieve. Whenever I was criticised, that was when I doubled my efforts. Even those criticising me knew my worth. The same people tell me now, “Since you left the national team, we haven’t seen a replacement for you.” I am happy that I left legacies behind me. Whatever they say don’t matter; what is important is that my legacies are still there. Playing at the 1996 and 2000 Olympics, the World Cup in 1998 and 2002 and playing at the Nations Cup from 2000 to 2006 is massive. I am grateful to God; millions of Nigerians are looking for this kind of opportunity but they don’t have. I am one of those that had the opportunity and I grabbed it with both hands. I thank God and the coaches I worked with in the national team. I played under about eight coaches in the national team. It was a great experience and I was happy playing under everyone of them.

 Did you think the U-23 side would win the football gold medal at the 1996 Olympic Games?

No one thought about that but we were confident we could beat anyone. We didn’t know how far we would go but we were sure if you could score against us, we could score against you as well. Brazil scored three goals in the first half in the semi-final and the coach told us we could score three goals in the second half and we did. He didn’t trade blames for the goals we conceded; he didn’t say it was a player or the goalkeeper that was responsible for the goals.

 How did the players celebrate that massive 4-3 semi-final win over Brazil?

Let me tell you, it was a miracle from God. No one can explain that.

 The team also came from behind in the final to beat Argentina 3-2 and won the Olympic gold…

It was a continuation of the miracle and it felt great winning an Olympic gold medal. It was amazing beating the likes of Brazil and Argentina on the way to winning the medal.

 You scored against favourites Spain in the Eagles historic win over the Europeans at the 1998 World Cup. How did the players make it happen?

The World Cup is a different ball game entirely because all the top stars all over the world want to take part in the tournament. I think that was the best squad Spain ever had; I have never seen any squad like that again but they didn’t have luck on their side. Bora (Milutinovic) said we should play 4-5-1 but the players on the pitch saw the danger in playing that formation. If we played 4-5-1 with one striker upfront, Spain would kill us. So we (the players) decided to change to 4-4-2. We changed our style. Spain were very good in every department. Even their bench was packed full with stars. At the end of the day, we were lucky to beat them 3-2, that is football for you.

 The Eagles were favoured to beat Denmark in the second round of the ‘98 World Cup but fell 4-1 instead. Is it true that there was division in camp before the match?

It wasn’t about division but about overconfidence. We thought Denmark was going to be an easy game. I remember Michael Laudrup making fun of us and telling us, “Take it easy with us guys. We know you are going to beat us but don’t score too much goals.” They called (Tijani) Babangida and (Sunday) Oliseh; both of them were in Ajax then while I was also playing in Holland for Roda JC. So we were already thinking of playing Brazil in the quarter-final. But football is not like that. If you get carried away, you get flogged. That is how it all happened.

 How did the team feel after the heavy defeat?

That is football for you; if you lose, you lose. You can’t come back and play that same game.

 Two years later, expectations were high that the Eagles would win the AFCON trophy for a third time on home soil but the team lost on penalties to Cameroon in the final…

Victor’s (Ikpeba) penalty clearly went in but the referee watched Victor’s reaction in taking his decision.  The ball did not touch the net, but it bounced behind the line. That is what happened. No hard feelings. That is football.

 Was it true that a mafia, who decided how the team was selected, existed then?

I don’t know. I didn’t know anything about mafia. I only played for my country anytime I was invited. I play my football and leave.

 What were the challenges faced by players during your playing days?

It was very challenging because in a particular position, you had about three very good players battling for a place. We had good quality players then; players who could make the difference. Now we no longer have such players. Then we played as a team, not as individuals.

 Do you regret not winning the Nations Cup?

No. I reached the final once and won bronze three times. There are no hard feelings, afterall I won the Olympic gold, which is a big achievement too.

 How do you feel when you look at your Olympic gold medal?

I feel good but sometimes I even forget that I am an Olympic gold medalist; I forget that I have an Olympic gold medal. But when I remember, it’s still like a joke to me. I keep asking myself, “Am I the one that won this medal?” So, I am very grateful to God.

 Is it with you or in a bank?

Yes I have it. It’s with me. Where do you want to go and take it? If you don’t participate at the Olympics, there is no way you can have it. Even if you take it and tell people that you are the won that won it, people will ask, “Who are you?” They can give you the names of Olympic gold medalists from Nigeria.

 Can you recall your competitive senior debut for Nigeria?

I was first called up in 1995 ahead of the 1996 Nations Cup in South Africa, but we didn’t attend it but my first game was against Kenya in January 1997. It was a 1998 World Cup qualifier in Nairobi, Kenya. I felt great. I had been wearing the green and white colours in friendly games but the World Cup qualifier was a massive one. It was after the Olympics. Wearing Nigeria’s colours was an ambition for me and I have never regretted my decision. I always stood by my country first before my club. I always told my teammates and officials that one day I would return to Nigeria. I didn’t go to Europe to stay. I am an African, a Nigerian and I am proud.

 You were very powerful and hardly sustained injuries during your time as a footballer. What was the secret?

I always try to give myself enough rest. After trainings and games, I always go back home to relax. I gave myself so much time to rest. I was lucky not to have serious injuries. Sometimes I had some knocks and would be out for one or two months but I never had long injuries that would keep me out for eight months. I never experienced anything like that.

 What are your best and worst moments as a footballer?

I don’t have worst moments; you win some and lose some. But my best moments was winning gold at the 1996 Olympic Games and playing in two World Cups.

 Who was the toughest player you played against?

I don’t recall if there is any. I only play against an opponent who comes to me and I don’t think there is any particular player who gave me any tough time.

 After a career that saw you play in three continents, where would you say you enjoyed your football most?

That is definitely Holland. I was there for a very long time at Roda and I enjoyed my time very well.

 What is the difference between your generation of players and those in the national team now?

We had collective play. When we played, we were one, like brothers. We had individual talents, we had a lot of quality players but we played as a unit. Sometimes players didn’t even want to be substituted. Everyone wanted to give their best.

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Not many Nigerian players would let an opportunity to represent their country go, even if it means reducing their ages. But former Julius Berger captain, Ambrose Duru, tells ’TANA AIYEJINA that he shunned a national call-up because he was above the age limit

 There is no more sign-on fee for players while the least amount a player should earn in the Premier League is N150,000, says LMC. Are you comfortable with this arrangement?

That plan has been on ground for a very long time but it hasn’t been implemented. It started about three years ago. How many teams can afford to pay players N300,000, N500,000 every month? If they can afford it, then the players have no cause to complain if they save very well. That will now serve as their sign-on fees. I think implementing it is the problem. My last team in Uganda, Vipers Sporting Club, where I coached, you don’t owe a player for just one month. If you do, the player automatically becomes a free agent and can wear another club’s jersey the next day. That is why they don’t owe. Here, some players will tell you they have not been paid for four, five months. How can they survive without sign-on fees? If they can implement it and make sure any club that is owing doesn’t play their next game and forfeit the three points, then the clubs will sit up. Players rely on sign-on fees to invest. Having bulk money is different from monthly salary.

 What do you think Nigeria can learn from the Ugandan league?

Their league is not better than ours but over there, the win-at-all-cost syndrome is not there. I lost the league at home because we couldn’t win our home games. We came second. In Uganda, there are shocking results; there are away wins. I still follow the league here. The home teams all win at home while the following week, the clubs who lost away and are now playing at home, win all the matches. That will not improve our league. This is where the issue of security comes in because most of the referees complain that they are not well secured. After the first half, they send thugs to beat them up in the dressing room. Once these men in black are secured, they will do a perfect job.

 After coming second in the Ugandan topflight league, why did you part ways with the club?

They have a rule; you don’t owe a player but you can owe the coach. They were owing me for four months and for me, that was not a problem. The problem was that they were expecting me to recruit from a school because the school belonged to the owner of my club. They said I must win the league and I told them if I must win the league, I need two foreign players and two players from the league. But they refused and I told them I couldn’t guarantee them the league. How can you expect me to play with secondary school children and win the league? That was where we started having problems before we parted ways. It was in week six of the league.

 What you just stated is a case of interference, which is against FIFA rules. What message do you have for officials who interfere in the coach’s handling of his team?

The message is that if you want to dictate to coaches, then you write an undertaking that if the coach fails, everybody including the club chairman, team manager or any other official involved failed. Because you cannot force me to use a player then fire me because I didn’t win a match you imposed a player on me for. There was a match they told me to field a player and I told them, “Write an undertaking that it is you who fielded this player.” They thought I was joking but I insisted that if they don’t write an undertaking, I won’t use the player. I stood by my word and I didn’t use the player. That was where my problem started from. Some ex-players who handle positions in some clubs after retirement tend to influence coaches to play certain players because they once played the game. It’s happening in the Nigerian league. Coaching and management are two different ball games; they should face the management of the club while the coach does his job. Then if he fails, he knows his letter is waiting for him. The job is hire and fire. It’s not a new thing.

 After what you experienced in Uganda, do you still hope to go into coaching?

Yes, because I feel what happened is a challenge to me. I came second in the league and FA Cup in my first year in Uganda. It was a great achievement for me and it would certainly encourage me to do more.

 What are your immediate plans?

I will not let the cat out of the bag but I am watching. Things may happen very soon.

 You spent 10 years playing for Julius Berger. What kept you so long at the club?

Then,  Daniel Idama was still alive and he encouraged players. He did a lot for me. Every year, I had offers from clubs like Heartland and Enyimba. I will call him and say, “Chief, these people are here again.” He will ask, “How much do they want to pay you?” I will tell him. He will add more money to what I was earning. The following year, same thing will happen again. I was equally disciplined; I played under coaches that were very disciplined like Fatai Amao, Tunde Disu, Godwin Uwua and so many others. They taught me a lot of things discipline-wise. I know when to party and when not to. That is why I had a long playing span. I am not actually the party type but once in a while, I take a bottle of beer or two. That’s all.

 Berger got to the final of the now rested African Cup Winners Cup in 1995 and 2003 but lost on both occasions. Would you say you were unlucky to have lost twice?

We lost in 1995 to JS Kabylie of Algeria in ’95 because of the mistake from the players. We played very well, created chances but we couldn’t utilise them. They got their chance and made use of it. The Nigeria Football Association then didn’t play their part well. We were told that the first leg would be played in Onikan Stadium, where we had been playing our matches. However, it was only a week to the game that we were told that the venue of the match had been shifted to the National Stadium, Lagos. JS Kabylie even trained there before us, the home team. CAF sampled the ball, which would be used for the final. Our opponents came with 12 of the balls and we had none. We had to beg them to help us with two of the balls. So, before we could adjust to the field, adjust to the ball, the game was over. I was injured in the first half and was taken out. But we lost the second final because of bad management. They brought in Adewale Kuti to manage the club and I feel that is the worst mistake any club in the world will make. Idama was managing and we got to the semi-final without losing a game but he was changed. Kuti took over and we lost the semi-final first leg away but we managed to win at home. We reached the final and we were two goals up but we still lost 3-2 on aggregate to Etoile du Sahel. I blame that loss on Kuti and the management of the club because they sidelined Idama. In the Champions League, we reached the quarter-final but our best was not good enough.

 Can you tell us your best and worst moments?

Lifting the FA Cup in 1996 remains a very great moment for me. I was a small boy those days when Christian Chukwu was lifting the FA Cup for Enugu Rangers and I told myself, “One day, I will lift the Nigerian FA Cup too.” We beat Katsina United in that final. The worst moment for me was losing the final of the 2003 Cup Winners Cup to Etoile du Sahel. It was a sad moment.

 What were the major challenges a Nigerian player encountered during your playing days?

Then, there was no money unlike what you have now; there was no motivation, there was no medical care and facilities. But we worked something out of nothing. The challenges were so many, I must tell you. Then, we went from house to training but now you see clubs keeping their players in hotels for a whole season. There were no good pitches then. If you go to Gombe to play, you were virtually playing in the desert. In terms of money, we got the little they promised us. Berger was not used to owing but it was not like that with other clubs.

 What memories do you still have of Berger?

At every given time under Idama, we were always playing continental football and going for trophies but when Kuti came in, we were always battling relegation. So, it was two worlds. My disappointment was Kuti coming to the team. But my highlight at the club was travelling all over Africa playing continental matches.

 In your time, you were one of the best players in the domestic league but you found it difficult breaking into the national team. What happened?

There are some players, who are not lucky with their national teams and I count myself as one. My first call-up was in 1991, when James Peters invited me to the U-23 team for the All Africa Games. I was in the camp but with three months to the competition, we played NEPA Egbin and I got injured and I had to leave camp. The next call-up was from Fanny Amun to the Golden Eaglets but I didn’t honour the invitation because I knew I was above 17 years. He later invited me to the U-20 national team but I couldn’t honour the call because I needed to travel to Russia to seal a deal with a club. Christian Chukwu then invited me for the friendly match against Jamaica, which was played at the National Stadium, Lagos. I also didn’t honour that call-up because I was on the move. The only Super Eagles call-up I honoured was from Shuaibu Amodu and Thij Libgrets but the result of that game was a disaster. We lost 5-0 to a Catalonia side and the team was disbanded when we came back. The next call I had was when I was in Dubai. So, maybe I was not meant to be successful with the national team.

 Rejecting Amun’s invitation meant you missed out on an U-17 World Cup medal. Did you feel bad when the team returned from Japan as world champions?

I was okay because I knew I was clearly above the age stipulated for the team. As at ’91, I was invited for the U-23 national team for the All Africa Games. So, I felt inviting me to the U-17 team was a mistake. Maybe it was because I looked young. They told me I had a letter from the U-17 national team but I told them, “No.” I knew the age on my passport.

 Do you regret not playing regularly for the Eagles?

No. As you can see, I am still very healthy. I can still run for 30 minutes. Some of my mates can’t run for 10 minutes any longer; some are on crutches. I believe it was meant to happen that way. I am still coaching and I believe that whatever I lost playing; I will gain back as a coach.

 Every Nigerian player’s dream is to play abroad but you didn’t…

It was a management problem. I had a deal in Russia but we could not get the International Transfer Certificate before the league started. The man that took me there, couldn’t secure the ITC. The time they gave us lapsed but I was kept there playing. I told them I couldn’t continue that way. It was mid-season and Berger were playing on the continent that year. So, I returned to play for them.

 What is your advice to present day footballers?

They need to be calm, focused and disciplined.

 What is the difference between players of your generation and now?

Nowadays, players believe so much in money but we played for the name. There was no money then but now, you see a player playing on sandy pitches telling you how he wishes to play for Barcelona. And this is not possible. There was seriousness then. They need to start from the local league. You see a player who hasn’t started, telling you, “My manager is working out something for me.” They should play in the Nigerian league; if they are good enough, they will get there. Kelechi Iheanacho is going to Manchester City now because he made his name in his academy before they took him to the Eaglets. It didn’t just come like that. They should start from here and the sky will be their limit.

 Having played against the best players in Nigeria, which of them gave you the toughest time?

Baldwin Bazuaye. It was a tug-of-war. Anytime we saw ourselves, we struck the match stick for 90 minutes non-stop. I remember there was  Champion of Champions match between Udoju United and Berger in Kaduna. We were told Bazuaye was injured and wasn’t playing. I was to play in defensive midfield but when we got to Kaduna, we saw Bazuaye warming up with the rest of the team a day to the match. There was a change of tactics immediately and the coach said, “Duru go and play at right-back,” just to mark him. He was a great player.

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Former Flying Eagles and Super Eagles winger, Ndubuisi Okosieme, tells ‘TANA AIYEJINA about life in retirement, why government should give national recognition to his family and more

How do you find life in retirement from the game?

Life hasn’t been easy; I’ve been struggling and hustling. It is a very bad situation for ex-internationals to be struggling. After giving so much for the nation and the nation does not regard you, it’s frustrating.  Again I reside in a state (Edo) that I am not from. It’s a big problem because nobody wants to hear from you. And when I go to my state, they say, “You did not grow up here.” So, where do we stand? Life has been very tough and difficult but I thank God that I am alive despite all the stress I am going through.

But how could Edo neglect you after your family’s contribution to football development in the state?

That is a very big question that I don’t have an answer to. Like you know, my father played for the state and the nation, I and my sister also played for Nigeria. It’s the way we find things in the country. It’s about who you know and who you don’t know. Even when you know somebody in high places, if you don’t have something to give to complement knowing such a person, you will get nothing. I feel the nation should recognise my family because all over the world, there is no country where you have father, son and daughter who represented their nation except  Nigeria. My father kept for (Bendel) Insurance and the national team, my sister played for Rivers Angels and captained the Super Falcons for so many years; I played for Nigeria too for many years at different levels. I was part of the YSFON team before the U-17 World Cup began. But today, everybody feel that all what my family did for the nation is nothing to write home about and nobody seems to talk about it. I believe it’s because my dad is late, that is why all these is happening. If he were alive, he would cry out; he knows the people to meet. But despite I am retired, they still look at me as a kid without any power. I expect that the media should ensure that the Okosieme family is remembered. If it was in the civilised world, my family would be highly honoured but here nobody talks about it. Nnamdi, my brother is a sports writer too, so we are a full sports family. Even Chigbu would have represented Nigeria at the U-17 World Cup in 1985 but he had to sit for his exams at the time. So, I just don’t know and that is why you see me quiet. Here, if you don’t have a godfather, money in your pocket and a jeep packed somewhere, nobody will listen to you and it is very bad for the nation.

What does this signal for up-and-coming players, who look at you as role models?

This is the reason some sports writers tell me that I cannot be given a job at the FA; that I always speak against the Football Association. But what I am saying is the fact. The present players have seen players who played for Nigeria and are retired roaming the streets. They don’t want to be like that. That is why they want to collect every of their penny when they play for the national team these days. Before they used to say, “What can you do for your nation?” But now after what we did for the nation, what has the nation done for us? Now, what they want is what the nation can do for them. When I talk about this, they say I speak against the Nigeria Football Federation. As an ex-international, if I apply for a job there, they say where is my certificate. If I bring it, they say it’s not enough. Are we talking about papers or what the man has contributed to the development of Nigerian football?

How have you been able to take care of yourself and your family?

For now, I have an academy that I am running, where I train boys. I hope to get an agent to help them get good clubs. What I do is that they pay a token as registration but I keep training them, believing that they would get somewhere someday.

As a member of the Flying Eagles to the 1985 U-20 World Cup, how would you describe the bronze medal winning feat of the team?

One thing was getting to the semifinal and the other was thinking of getting to the final and winning the cup but unfortunately, we played a good Brazilian side. We gave everything we had but the Brazilians won. We had chances that were thrown away. Our goalkeeper, Aloy Agu, was not fit, I had a torn muscle and a lot of our other players were not 100 per cent fit for that game but we had to play. You know the Brazilians are highly technical. We had a very good team and bench but due to injuries and illness, we couldn’t make it. We gave our best but it wasn’t enough. After the semifinal defeat, we told ourselves, “At all, at all, na im bad pass.” So agreed that we had to come back home with the bronze medal, having it at the back of our minds that the Golden Eaglets had won the 1985 U-17 World Cup.  It was fun and memorable too.

You missed the Seoul ‘88 Olympics after copping an injury before the competition. What do you think led to Nigeria’s disastrous outing at the event?

There were a lot of expectations. I would have been one of the best players in the world if I had played in that competition. I had a very good game during our training tour but unfortunately, I sustained a ruptured Achilles tendon in a match against Manheim. It was a kick from behind that put me out of the tournament. I was sitting in the stands seeing other teams wallop Nigeria and it was so painful. I knew that I would have made a little difference if I had played. Zambia’s Kalusha Bwalya had a great tournament scoring a hat-trick against Italy. After the event, he signed for PSV Eindhoven. I was a better player than Kalusha, but my Achilles tendon got ruptured badly and kept me out of the competition.

You played in the final of the Maroc ‘88 AFCON, where Eagles were defeated by archrivals Cameroon…

I will never forget that competition because that was a trophy Nigeria won clean and clear but the referee refused us the title. I was a boy then but I knew the ref wanted to appease someone in CAF. I am blunt and will tell you the truth. The ref gave Cameroon a penalty that wasn’t and disallowed our good goal. We also missed several chances. I can’t forget that moment. People still see that final match against Cameroon as one of the greatest games I ever had in football.

Dutchman Clemens Westerhof came in 1989 and dropped senior players like you from his team. How did you feel about your exclusion?

I didn’t feel too bad because I was still very young and fresh, bubbling with energy. But he (Westerhof) needed younger players and he wanted people he could control. Why he made the decision is best known to him.

Do you have any regrets not playing at the senior World Cup?

I don’t but if I had played in the senior World Cup, I think heaven would have known me.

What are your best and worst moments?

My best moments were at the 1988 AFCON final and a league game between Flash Flamingoes and Sharks. I scored the two goals; they were great goals. I don’t have worst moments.

Who was the toughest player you played against?

To be candid, I never had a tough opponent but if you say a defender that was a very hard nut to crack, then I will say it was Bright Omokaro. You couldn’t go past him without a scratch. He was the toughest defender I ever met. I won’t say I was afraid of him but you can never go past Bright without a scratch and many people can testify to that.

What is your advice for young Nigerian footballers?

They should strengthen themselves and save every penny they work for because you never can tell at the end of the day.

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Former Super Eagles goalkeeper, Ike Shorunmu, who is currently the goalkeeper trainer of the national team, talks about his playing days and the 2002 World Cup mistake in this interview with ’TANA AIYEJINA

 Now that you are retired, do you sometimes think of going back to the post?

No, you don’t need to think about that because that is the past and you need to look at the future. Fine, I can still keep every Sunday but it is just for pleasure.

Vincent Enyeama and Austin Ejide are among Africa’s best keepers at the moment. How would you compare them to keepers of your time?

I don’t want to make comparisons because they are two different eras. Our own time is past, this is their own time.

With both keepers’ form at the moment, are you confident going to the World Cup?

Between now and the World Cup period, anything can still happen. Again, we don’t pray for any bad thing to happen. Right now, two of them are sure bets for the World Cup.

Third choice keeper, Chigozie Agbim, came under criticisms for a poor outing at the 2014 African Nations Championship but you stood by him…

He put up some fantastic displays later in the tournament and that is what a coach is looking for. We knew Agbim had a lot of potential. Fine, he didn’t do well during the early stage of the tournament but as the tournament progressed, he improved and did well. After the tournament, we analysed all the matches he played, and the ratio of the saves he made was more than the ones he didn’t make. If he can continue like this, the sky is his limit.

Some have concluded that Agbim might have lost his World Cup place after he was left out of the recent friendly match against Mexico in the US…

We went there for just a game and we didn’t need three goalkeepers. If we were playing two or three games, for sure, we would have needed three goalkeepers because anything can happen during a game.

Why did you opt for goalkeeping, knowing that it’s a difficult department in football?

Everyone has his mindset. I started as a right winger but I discovered that the pressure of running was too much for me. I had an elder brother, who could read the game very well; he advised me to start keeping. Then we were playing football on the streets of Mushin. I then discovered that I was more comfortable and relaxed as a keeper than as a winger. That’s how I told myself, “Let me just be a goalkeeper.”

Was it easy growing up in a volatile place like Mushin?

It depends on the set of people you are moving with. I actually lived in Olorunshogo, a suburb of Mushin. But if you know what you want to become in life, you must watch your lifestyle. There was rough life but I found out that not everybody that lived in Mushin was a thug. There are a few who are cool-headed. It was a good experience and it made me who I am today.

Did your parents support your decision to play football?

The beginning was very tough because then, footballers were seen as dropouts. When I came back from school and they saw my dirty shirt, they made me do some house chores. It was very interesting. There was a lot of beating but immediately I finished from secondary school, I said, “Father, you’ve tried for me and I have to move on with my own life.” At the end of the day, he was very proud of me; I didn’t tarnish the image of the family. But in the beginning, it was so tough.

Having played for Berec FC, Lagos and Housing Abeokuta, you joined Stationery Stores and became a household name. What was it like playing for the Lagos club?

Stores had no money but they had a way of carrying their players along. I also fell in love with the way they nicknamed certain players. I didn’t want to make big money, I just wanted to be known and thank God I got what I wanted.

People said the white handkerchiefs carried by Stores supporters had charms in them. Is this true?

The handkerchiefs were psychological. In our time as players, there was nothing like that. People used to say, “Stores na juju people.” When we were coming out from the dressing room and waving our handkerchiefs, our opponents would say, “Dem don start again, juju people.” It was just fun. They might be doing it (charms) behind closed doors, but I didn’t witness anything like that.

You went on to play for another big side, Shooting Stars of Ibadan…

I would say maybe I am a lucky person. Anywhere I go, they show me love due to my nature and the way I do my things. I was received with open hands. Initially the supporters were skeptical. They were saying, “From Stores? Wahala ni o (it’s a problem).” They were afraid there would be a fight when Shooting went to Lagos to play Stores because of me. But they found out that anytime we went to Lagos, they would support me. They then made me captain of the club; there was a captain then, Ogbein Fawole, who was assisted by Bright Omokaro. But they saw something in me and they felt with me as captain, they would win something that year (1995). Thank God we won the FA Cup and the league double.

How do you feel with the return of Stores to the Nigerian league?

It’s very lovely. I hope the love the supporters had for the players then will continue. The players should also give their best because Stores fans want to see good football. When I look back, we didn’t have quality players but we had the zeal and determination and support of the fans. If they have all these with them, the present team will go a long way.

Can you recount your first call-up to the national team?

After keeping post for Stores in the 1990 FA Cup final against Enugu Rangers, I was given a call-up. That was my first ever experience in the national team, then known as Green Eagles. We were camped in Ota; few players were invited from various clubs across the country. We slugged it out and at the end of the day, (Clemens) Westerhof said he had seen another (Peter) Rufai. That’s how the journey started.

When did you make your debut?

It was in 1991 during the ECOWAS tournament held in Lagos.

In 1998, you were one of the best keepers in Africa but you got injured on the eve of the World Cup in France. How did you feel missing out?

My first experience was in 1994 in Holland, preparing for that year’s World Cup in the US. We had a couple of keepers in the team and you know goalkeeping requires experience. So, Westerhof called me to a private room and told me that he had very experienced goalkeepers in the team like Rufai, Aloy Agu and Wilfred Agbonavbare. He said, “Ike, you know what? Keep doing your good job; you are still in my plans. But let’s give the experienced keepers the chance to be part of the team to Nigeria’s first ever appearance at the World Cup.” I told him I was appreciative because I never knew I would stay so long in the national team. And I wished the team and goalkeepers the best. I thank God because what I learnt from the keepers has kept me going. In 1994, they said I was too young but in 1998, I had a golden opportunity to represent my country for the first time in my life at the World Cup but I got injured in my club, FC Zurich’s last game of the season against Grasshoppers in Switzerland. My hand got broken a month to the World Cup, so it was very difficult for me to make the team. I was out for four months. It was very painful but God knows better. The team (Eagles) came to see me in my home because they camped in Switzerland before the World Cup in France. I went to see them also, cheered them and gave them my blessings. It was very painful missing out but then, what could I do?

Four years later, you got the opportunity in Korea/Japan…

A lot of things happened when we qualified for the 2002 World Cup in Korea/Japan.  After the AFCON tournament in Mali, they said they wanted to disband the team and that there was a high level of mafia activities in the team; they tagged me as one of the Mafioso. So I asked, “What have I done to be marked as a member of the Mafia?” Eventually they did their investigation and found out that I was not among the so-called mafia. I went to the World Cup but that was the last time I played for the country.

Was there actually a mafia in the Eagles during your time?

I don’t know of that.

The Eagles reached the second round in 1994 and 1998 but they crashed out in the first round in 2004. Was it because of the problems during and after the 2002 AFCON in Mali?

Yes. What happened then is a lesson in life because we were there before as players and we don’t want to be carried away as coaches now. We’ve learnt a lot from these mistakes Nigeria made in the past and we try to be very careful in dealing with the players we have on ground. The kind of players that were dropped before that World Cup made us not to excel at that competition.

Did you quit the national team or you were no longer wanted?

It came from me. I remember our last group game against England at the World Cup, coach (Adegboye) Onigbinde didn’t mention the team list but I thought I was going to be in goal having kept in the first two games against Argentina and Sweden. I was about to go out for the warm-up inside the stadium when he (Onigbinde) called back everybody and said there was a slight change in the team list. We then returned to the dressing room, where he said me and Taribo West were not going to play; that he wanted to try some young and vibrant players. They played the game and we drew. It was then I decided to quit the national team. I was called up in 2003 by coach Christian Chukwu to be part of the squad to the 2004 AFCON in Tunisia but I told Chukwu, “I have announced my retirement from the national team and there is no going back.”

That game against England brought Enyeama to limelight…

Yes. I could see in him that he was a very good goalkeeper and I was ageing. If I remained in the team, I would continue to block his chances of exploding. I thank God that today, he (Enyeama) is doing the right thing.

You fought for the Eagles’ number one spot with Enyeama and now you are his trainer. What relationship do you have with him?

It has been very cordial. I remember the first time he was invited to the national team. I didn’t know him before and we flew from Nigeria to Ireland, where we had a camp before the 2002 World Cup. I just heard someone at the airport calling me, “Senior, I am one of your colleagues.” He said he was a goalkeeper and that he was also travelling to Ireland. When we got to Ireland, they put me and him in the same room and from the way he was behaving, I knew that he was someone that was ready to learn. I got closer to him and started telling him some things; how a national team looks like, how to stay longer in the team, how to keep yourself and how to be disciplined and respectful. So, working with him now; he is like my colleague. I don’t see myself as his coach; we share views because everybody is learning and things are working well.

Who was the toughest attacker you played against?

It’s Argentina’s Gabriel Batistuta. He was a very stubborn and rugged striker. No keeper likes an attacker who comes to give you pressure, fighting with you for aerial balls. That is Batistuta. On the ground, he is also there with you. You need to be very attentive when playing against him.

What are your best and worst moments?

My best was the game against Argentina in the World Cup while my worst was when I was in Besiktas in Turkey. We had a game at home and before I could realise it, I found a shot from 25 metres inside my net. The entire stadium was filled up and the fans were screaming, “Ike, what are you doing?” I couldn’t explain what happened. That’s why when something happen to keepers, I know. I’ve passed through it before.

How would you describe your European career, playing in Switzerland and Turkey?

It really shaped me as a person. I am organised now because of what I learnt in Switzerland. When I first got there in 1995, I was fined for getting late to trainings and meetings severally. After about six months, I got used to their system and since then, I always keep myself as a professional and an organised person.

Why do African keepers find it difficult to play in Europe?

It’s difficult because each country wants to build its own keepers. This is because they don’t want to have problems in their national teams. Again, if they go shopping for keepers, it’s the keepers that come last. So, for them to pick you, you must be extraordinarily good.

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Recently capped Super Eagles defender, Leon Balogun, who has a Nigerian father and German mother, speaks on his decision to play for Nigeria, debut injury, racism and more in this interview with ’TANA AIYEJINA

How is the injury you sustained on your Nigeria debut on March 5?

I’m good; I’ve got a broken foot but I feel good. I am lucky in this situation because I don’t have a complicated fracture. My hopes are high, the mood is set and I am positive.

Have the football federation officials been in touch with you since you sustained the injury?

Yes, I had a talk with the coach and the federation president calls me from time to time, to know how I am doing. I feel very comfortable with the whole situation even though I am injured.

Are you hoping to visit Nigeria soon now that you have made your debut?

Of course, I can’t wait. Even now when I watch football, it’s always hard because I can’t do something, I have to walk on crutches, I have to wear special boots and I can’t use them to visit Nigeria. I just hope I get invited again.

How did you feel when you got an invitation for the Mexico friendly match?

First, I couldn’t believe it. It was like somebody had to shake me because I had so many people telling me before that they could bring me there (national team). So, when I saw the letter from the coach, I said, ‘wow, this is for real.’ The next day, I had a phone call again and I had to send all my details. When I saw the flight booking, I said, ‘okay, my dream is coming true.’ I was very happy and excited to meet everybody and to put on the Nigerian uniform.

How were you received when you got to Atlanta for the match?

It was very nice. I met some of the players (Ahmed) Musa and (Vincent) Enyeama in the plane. They had already welcomed me. When I got to the team hotel, I met everybody, they were so nice. Of course, some didn’t know me but as soon they knew, they were very kind. The trainer gave me a hug straight from the beginning. In Germany, if you meet a new trainer, you just shake hands and its formal. But we were like a family and it made it really easy for me to get in.

What was your first impression of Stephen Keshi as a coach?

I only saw him for three days, he was new to me. But I like the way he spoke; he’s very calm but he knows exactly what he is doing and what he wants us to do and he has a plan. I think he knows how to read the players. Some coaches talk a lot but he knows what to say and when to say it. That is what I like about him. That is what I can tell so far. I had one team meeting before the game; he is comfortable to talk to, his door is always open and that is what players like.

How did you feel playing for Nigeria for the first time?

I was great. When I was younger, I always created myself in those video games and I always put myself in the Nigerian national team. So, it’s like a dream come true. I am very proud and happy and this overcomes the stupid injury I had on my debut.

Would you say your World Cup dream is over with the injury?

No, as I said at the beginning, I am a positive person, I’m optimistic. Doctors here in Germany told me things about the injury, which makes me still hope to be fit maybe for the game against Scotland. They told me I would be out eight to 10 weeks, so I can still have hope for the World Cup; there is enough time left.

Why did you opt for Nigeria instead of Germany, since you were eligible to play for both countries?

I’ve never played for Germany since I started playing football. I think it’s just some commitment that I prefer playing for Nigeria. I don’t know what it is but I can tell you, I never really thought of playing for Germany.

You were born and raised in Germany. Do you see yourself as a Nigerian or a German?

I am proud of both cultures, so it’s 50-50. I have this Nigerian part from my father, which I am very proud of and that is why I also chose to play for Nigeria. I was born and raised in Germany, so I have German values as well. I don’t feel 100 per cent German because I experience racism in everything. When I look at the mirror, I see that I am not 100 per cent German. Every morning I see myself, I know that I am half Nigerian, half German and I am proud of both countries.

How do you see players like David Alaba, Jerome Boateng, Sidney Sam and other players with dual nationalities opting for European countries rather than African countries?

I think everybody has to decide on their own. Jerome always played for Germany but I think his brother Kevin-Prince thought he won’t get a chance in Germany and decided to play for Ghana. If you have possibilities to play at this level, it’s always great, Ghana is a great football country as well. I don’t know what happened with Sidney Sam. I heard he was almost in the Nigerian team but at the last moment, he changed his mind. I can understand if anybody gets mad about that but it’s his decision and it’s always a matter of how you deal with it. If you grow up in one country and you’ve always played for them, somehow it’s natural that you decide to play for their national team. It’s everybody’s own decision. I felt this support from Nigeria, I felt that they showed interest and I always wished to play for them. So, for me, it was quite easy but everybody has to make up their minds on whether to play for motherland or fatherland. Of course, if anybody asks me, I won’t say any bad thing about Nigeria because I was there one time and they showed me so much love and respect.

What do you hope to achieve with the Eagles?

Right now, I just hope to get fit and get another invitation and then I hope I can put my qualities, my speed, my tackles, my ability to read the game, and my heading into use to make the team better. If you ask me what I hope to achieve with the team, I will say I want to be as successful as possible. They’ve won the AFCON thrice already. Everybody wants to win the World Cup and with the Nigerian national team, there is a possibility. The World Cup is the bigger goal but never say never. I always say if your dreams don’t scare you, then they are not big enough. Maybe one day, we will make it.

How are you doing at Fortuna Dusseldorf in the German second division?

Right now, we are struggling. We had big goals; we wanted to go up straight but we’ve failed so far. Now we are in ninth position, which is not very good. We got down from the Bundesliga and we ended last season very badly; everybody had high hopes and expectations but right now, we are behind expectations. We must do our best to make the best out of this season. I think it’s going to be very hard to get to a position where we can think about going up again. There is still a little belief in it but I think right now, we have to watch from game to game and score as many points as possible in the next games, which are also very tough. I think that’s the way it’s going right now; winning the next game.

Do you like Nigerian food?

Of course. I have been asked this question a couple of times. I know fufu, my father eats it all the time; I ate a lot of it. Since I’m not living with my parents anymore, I don’t eat it as much but of course I know fufu and I love it as well.

Do you speak Yoruba?

No. My father wanted to teach me when I was a kid but he was afraid that I might have problems with the German language. Because of racism, he was just afraid. He had a bad experience in Germany, so he thought it might be better if I just focused on learning German and a little bit of English from time to time and that’s okay.

Lots of black players have been victims of racism across Europe. Do you have any experience?

When I was younger, I had to face racism. I was defending and this guy was a striker. I had him under control and he got frustrated, then he started to insult me, telling me, “Can you even speak German? Can you think? You are stupid.” At half-time, he even tried to shoot the ball at me from my back. There was another experience where I even had to run away with a couple of friends. In school when I was a child, there were so many different situations. There are people who suffer more. It’s not a nice feeling but I think you have to be strong. These days, it’s getting better. Berlin, my home town, is multi-cultural so racists more or less have to hide from foreigners. But if you go to the wrong corner of the city, you can have problems. Sometimes, you still hear something or people giving you strange looks but its better now.

Who is your football role model?

I never really had one in particular but one of my all-time player is Thierry Henry. He’s a striker and you’ll probably wonder but I started as a striker. Even now, I think he was just an amazing player. (Allseandro) Nesta was an amazing centre-back. I had favourite players like Ronaldinho, Pique and Thiago Silva. So, if I have to pick a role model, I can’t. There are many players I adore in different positions.

Are you hoping to play outside Germany?

When I started football, many people told me I would be the perfect man for England. England would be very interesting for me because I like the way they play there; a little bit rougher. It doesn’t mean I want to tackle crazily. Spain is also attractive but I think the Bundesliga has become very strong. It’s not bad to play there in a good team but England would be very tempting.

You speak very good English even though you haven’t played outside Germany before…

Thank you. It’s just interest. As I said, my father spoke English to me from time to time but not too much because he didn’t want me to have problems with German. But I started to learn it in school. The main drive was movies and music. I love music; I love to sing, so I listen to the lyrics of my favourite songs and try to understand what they mean.

Can you tell us about your family?

I have just a sister and my parents.

Are you married?

No, but I have a girlfriend, a German.

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Former Super Eagles winger, Tijani Babangida, talks  about his new role as a football administrator and his time as a player in this interview with ’TANA AIYEJINA

Are you enjoying your tenure as Chairman of Taraba United?

It’s a very different experience from being a football player. It’s great to be in the administrative aspect of the game. It’s a completely different challenge but it’s fun and I am enjoying it.

What is the difference between being a football player and a football administrator?

There is a big difference. It’s like you have a child and then he becomes a father. At a point, he is a child who is taken care of; but later in life, he has a new responsibility of watching over his child. Now he has to take care of his own child.

Would you say you are happy with the state of football administration in Nigeria?

You see, there are a lot of challenges but you have to fight on. It’s not only about the financial aspect but about the main aspect of the team; how you make your staff, how they need to think about football and not about the money issue, how to make your footballers better and how you as an administrator can defend your players so that they can get all their entitlements. So there is a lot of work still to be done.

What is your opinion on the League Management Company’s stipulation of N150,000 minimum wage for players in the Nigerian Premier League?

Almost all the clubs in the Premier League are owned by the government with the exception of just two that are owned by individuals. I said in a meeting that if LMC are going to give between N10m and N15m to each club that is sponsored by government, they are supposed to make more money available to the privately funded clubs. If the private clubs can get N20m, that can help them finance their themselves. It’s very difficult for a privately funded club to pay a minimum wage of N150, 000 to players, and you have about 30 of them in number. That’s a huge sum of money every month, without match bonuses and allowances. It will be very difficult for a private club to do that in Nigeria.

When you played in the league for Niger Tornadoes, there were large crowds at match venues but today, footballers play before empty stands. How do you think we can bring back the fans?

By what LMC is doing, you can see that many clubs are getting better. Like in Taraba, I can tell you that when we were in the Pro-League, we had between 50 and 100 people watching our home games. But now, the gate takings have increased, and hopefully before the middle of the season, we should have about 20, 000 fans coming to watch our home games.  The referees too have to do justice to the game by staying neutral. With that, many people will come and watch. It’s not a do-or-die affair. If the home team has to win always, then there must be some criminal acts going on there, but if they (refs) are 50-50, things will be okay. Like my team’s game versus Nasarawa; they gave a penalty against us in the first five minutes. This is something that has never happened since I became Chairman of FC Taraba. Now, Enyimba can lose a game at home and referees are improving. LMC is doing very well in this regard and clubs have more to do to boost the morale of the supporters by advertising in the media; people will definitely come and watch. Maybe, like the LMC is doing, if the league games don’t correspond with European leagues, we will get the fans back. Probably Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday games will attract people. People watching Arsenal or Manchester United will never come to the stadium to watch the local league games. They prefer watching English football. So we have to take the game away from English football and play on days they are not playing.

You came to the limelight in 1991, after an outstanding performance at the All African Games in Cairo, Egypt. How would  you describe the competition that brought you to stardom?

I went to Cairo as a nobody. But all my prayers when I was young was to become a superstar and represent my country. When I first got the chance to represent Nigeria at the AAG, I wanted people in Nigeria and Africa to know my name. I felt, “If I make it, I had already made my life.” That was the truth. By playing well, everybody knew me in Africa and Europeans even came to buy me thereafter.

You joined Roda JC in 1991…

When I joined Roda, they loaned me out to VVV Venlo; they (Venlo) were in the relegation zone at that time and they were eventually relegated to the second division. In my second year at Venlo, I did so well and I was named the Most Talented Youth Player in the country in that category. We were promoted to the Eredivisie and I went back to Roda.

In 1996, coach Louis van Gaal brought you to Ajax to replace your compatriot, Finidi George, who had left for Real Betis. Were you under pressure stepping into Finidi’s shoes?

Yes of course. To be called in to replace Finidi was a very difficult situation. We are talking of playing in a team that won the UEFA Champions League and most of the players were leaving; Finidi, Nwankwo Kanu and others. All the big players were leaving, so the pressure on me was very high. I tried to do the best I could and God willing, everybody was satisfied with the way I played.

In your second season at Ajax, you won the double and even scored in the KNVB final. What was the motivation for you?

It was a dream come true. In the 1990s, Ajax were the Barcelona of today. Everybody wanted to watch Ajax, every good player wanted to play for them and I found myself there. Being in the first 11 of the squad was a fulfillment and I fought as much as I could to win the double. That same year, I went to the World Cup with Nigeria and for me, there is nothing more I can ask for.

Despite doing very well at the time, you were not included in the Eagles squad to the 1994 World Cup…

I was part of the team; I was taken along. I was there as the 23rd player. I was so good that they had to drop one player. The problem came when they wanted to drop (Victor) Ikpeba for me. They said they won’t drop Victor, that they will drop (Michael) Emenalo. There was a lot of problems about who to drop. I didn’t participate in the games in the World Cup but I was training with the team and I got all the entitlements that every player got. I feel I could have made an impact at the 1994 World Cup if I had played because I was of age.

Four years later, you got your chance to play at the World Cup and the Eagles reached the second round in France. How were you able to beat Spain in the group stage and top the group?

I will say determination. After the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, we had a very strong team. We could have won a lot of trophies for Nigeria, which we did by starting with the Olympics. The bad story was that Nigeria was suspended from playing at the Nations Cup at that time. We missed two tournaments. If we had participated, we could have won one or the two of them. So we came all out at the World Cup to show the whole of Africa that we had a team. So, we did all we could except for little loss of concentration and that cost us against Denmark.

You scored a goal in the 4-1 defeat to Denmark in the second round. What happened?

Loss of concentration like I said earlier was the reason behind the defeat. We were already looking at playing Brazil in the quarter-finals, instead of concentrating and beating Denmark first in the second round. If we had concentrated more, we would have definitely beaten Denmark but we underrated Denmark and we got whipped four times. I scored that day but it was not the right moment for me. It’s the dream of every player to score a goal in the World Cup though; it gives you a feeling you never had in your football career.

In 1996, you were part of Nigeria’s squad that won the gold medal of the football event at the Atlanta Olympics. Can you recount memories of that tournament?

It was great being a world champion and representing not just Nigeria but Africa; and winning the gold medal. We defeated a Brazil side that had Bebeto, Rivaldo, Ronaldo and the big stars. We also beat an Argentine side that had Hernan Crespo and others. Africans were happy with our triumph.

You were played out of position against South Africa in the semi-final of the 2000 AFCON but you replied by scoring two goals for the Eagles, which helped Nigeria reach the final…

Playing in a tournament for Nigeria, I always I have it in mind that, “You can do anything but you must find the moment to score, that will make Nigerians from generation to generation, to always talk about you.” When they told me I was going to play against South Africa but in a different position, I wasn’t happy. But my prayer was to score in any major game I was going to play at the tournament . Against Bafana Bafana in the semi-final, I told myself, “If I score, Nigerians will never forget this, even the new generation.” God helped me and I scored two great goals that got Nigeria to the final and I was so happy. I can’t describe that happiness till now.

Then in the final, we lost on penalties to archrivals Cameroon on home soil. How did you feel that night?

With due respect, we had some of our players that made one or two mistakes that made us concede two goals in the first 20 minutes. Cameroon had a very strong team with a young (Samuel) Eto’o and old and very experienced players that should have stopped playing but were still playing. I think with the cheap mistakes we made, Cameroon had an edge over us and we had to fight to level 2-2 and we took the game to extra time. If we didn’t commit those errors, we could have been two goals up. I don’t believe Cameroon beat us on that day. It’s only a mistake from the referee (during the penalty shootout) that cost us. Without that mistake, Nigeria could have won the cup. My biggest regret is not winning the AFCON with Nigeria.

You scored two goals against Ghana to help Nigeria qualify for the 2002 World Cup but you were excluded from the trip to Korea/Japan…

I said earlier that I always wanted to play a game that Nigerians will never forget. And I can tell you that they will never forget my performances in the matches against South Africa and Ghana. The game against Ghana took Nigeria to the 2002 World Cup but not taking some of us to the World Cup is politics in the football world. I can’t mention names but there were people who wanted to dash Nigeria’s dreams and they succeeded. They made sure that about eight superstars didn’t make the World Cup. They were just lying when they said that we were dropped because we did not report to camp. I don’t really want to talk about it because it pains me.

How did you feel watching the Eagles crash out in the first round of the 2002 World Cup?

Everybody knew that they were going to crash. It pained me watching Nigeria at the World Cup with tears in my eyes because I knew I was supposed to be there.

Some players complained that a mafia in the Eagles kept them out of the national team. Was it true?

That is the story we heard before we came; that (Stephen) Keshi and others were mafia, that Keshi and the others picked who was going to play or not. Well, I don’t think I experienced anything like that. Of course you always get a group of old players that speak for the team; that is normal and I think people call these players, who decide for the team mafia. In everything in life, you always have a group of people who take certain decisions. But about not letting some players play, I don’t think it’s true.

Some members of the US ’94 World Cup team complained that the Atlanta Olympics players didn’t want them at the 1998 World Cup…

Players cannot decide who they have to call or not. It’s a generation of young talents coming in while the old and tired legs are leaving. Everybody knew that after the ’94 World Cup, a lot of players, Keshi and others were leaving. Ben Iroha and Peter Rufai, who were part of the 1994 team, followed us to the 1998 World Cup but they were not part of the team from the beginning.

When were your best and worst moments as a footballer?

My best moment was winning the football tournament of the 1996 Olympics. Individually, scoring at the World Cup was a fine moment for me. When we lost the 2000 AFCON in controversial circumstances to Cameroon was my saddest moment.

You probably would have won a gold medal in the 100m at the Olympics. How were you able to develop your running talent as a footballer?

It’s a talent; it’s something you are born with. You can never learn how to run. You can only learn the tricks of running. I was born naturally fast and I used it to overcome my opponents and I am happy with that.

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Super Eagles assistant coach and former Everton forward, Daniel Amokachi, tells NSNO Everton podcast that he joined the Toffees because of their famed rivalry with Liverpool. KAZEEM BUSARI monitored the interview

You signed for Everton in 1994 after a fantastic effort at the 1994 World Cup in the USA . How long did it take Everton to make contact after the World Cup? Or was there interest before the World Cup?

My first option was Juventus, but when it came to money, my club then, FC Bruges, was asking for a bit more. Juventus pulled back and a few hours later, my manager called me and mentioned Everton. So I thought, if a Premiership club comes before Juventus, that would be my first choice. After growing up in Nigeria, and following the FA Cup, seeing what Liverpool had done in world football, I thought it would be nice to play for a rival team to Liverpool.

 You followed English football as a child. How much did you know about Everton football before signing?

I didn’t know much about Everton, I knew more about Liverpool, Spurs, United, Norwich and Nottingham Forest were on fire back then. But generations of Liverpool players back then you cannot ignore if you know football because they were shooting on top of the world when it came to football. The kind of football and the players they had meant a lot; that was what led me to play for a rival team and I never regretted it; I had fun every second of it.

 You were one of the first Africans to play for Everton. Was there a big adjustment you had to make moving to England ?

I left my home and my parents when I was 15 and had to live with foster parents in Belgium. That propelled me towards choosing Everton. When I was at Everton, I already had four good years of experience of how to be alone, away from the family in Africa. When you come to a club and the manager, the players and fans all embrace you; it makes life easy for you. That was what kept me going; I never felt like an outcast when I was at Everton. There was a lot of love surrounding me.

 Before you signed for Everton, there was a lot of talk of racism in English football. Did you ever experience any of that?

Yeah. Today, we’re in the 21st century, heading to the 22nd but it’s sad that racism is still out there. I read history about Liverpool city, not the team, being a port for slavery, but all that cannot stop you from striving to achieve what you want in the world. I’m a football player and I’ve said that football is a tool that makes the difference; it can stop wars and bring nations together. It (racism) shows. But when you do your business on the field, it outshines those that are looking at you negatively and they would have no choice but to show you love. You would see it (racism) in one or two incidences but you just ignore and don’t take it seriously and go about your business. That helped me a lot.

 Mike Walker signed you at Everton but his time wasn’t the longest at the club. What is your thought on Joe Royle when he came to the club?

It was unfortunate for Walker because he was in a tight situation at Everton with the results not coming in. With the kind of money involved in football, so much was expected (from the team). Administrators need result; without it, you’ll get booted out. Joe Royle had a different concept of it. He made it clear when he walked onto the training ground the first time after calling all the players for a meeting. He said, ‘Guys, we are in a tight situation, we don’t need to go fanciful football. We just have to go old school way and get results.’ Of course, hard work was part of it. With Joe Royle, if you don’t give 120 per cent, you cannot be in his team; that was his mentality. He knew how to push everyone forward to give their best. When he came, we started picking up point and, to everyone’s surprise, went ahead to win the FA Cup.

 Who were your big fans when you were at Everton?

I’m a lovable kind of person. I tried to do my things with everybody. The good thing about the 1994-1995/1996 seasons was the love that was around the team. There was a lot of love. We used to hang out a lot. After training, we had showers and just sat back there and had good laughs or we went out to hang out at the pubs. I got on with everybody. I’m not an outgoing kind of person so any time I had, I wanted to whoever was in the mood.

 You’re probably more famous with Evertonians for your appearance in the FA Cup semi-final against Spurs. What exactly happened that got you on the pitch because it wasn’t as straight forward as it looked?

Paul Ryder was down and the doctor went to him and gave the signal that substitution should go on. I just jumped up and started warming up. And then Joe Royle was telling the doctor to hold on for five more minutes if Paul could handle it. But Paul couldn’t hold on. So I took the slip to the fourth assistant for substitution but Joe Royle didn’t know about this. I jumped onto the pitch and Joe Royle jumped off his seat. He didn’t make the substitution but I was playing and he couldn’t do nothing about it. It was a good thing because I ended up scoring two goals within 10 minutes I got on the pitch. If it had not ended that way, perhaps he would have been fired the next day. That was one of my breakthroughs at Everton because in the following game against Newcastle at Goodison Park , I ended up scoring two goals. The following game was against Sheffield and I scored another goal. If that (substitution) hadn’t happened I wouldn’t have that chance to start doing what I was paid for.

 Joe Royle said it was the best substitution he never made…

The good thing about it is that Joe Royle accepted that it was a substitution I made myself. We talked about it, we laughed about it but it’s not something encouraging that anyone should do.

 What was the atmosphere like in the changing room after booking the ticket to the final in Wembley?

It wasn’t just the changing room; it was crazy. Every Evertonian ran to the pitch and we took that spirit into the locker room. Going back home was incredible knowing that we were struggling for life at the bottom of the table and suddenly we realised we were in the FA Cup final. That showed hard work paid off. The good memory was after the game, I was in the locker room when Jurgen Klinsmann came looking for me. He gave me his jersey and I just said thanks. That (relationship) was quality stuff.

 You got your FA Cup winner’s medal and a year later, you got an Olympic gold medal. Which one is more important to you?

Being an Olympian is something extra-special when you know what it is. Growing up watching teams battle to be at Wembley on TV, and as a child you never knew you would one day be one of the players people would watch in the FA Cup and walking away with the medal. That’s definitely an incredible story and it makes it more special than any trophy you win anywhere in the world. We soccer players (believed) the best moment was when you got the chance to play at Wembley; and to do that, you had to be in the FA Cup final. That is a beautiful thing, but it’s not like now that you can play at Wembley when you get to the semi-final. Back then, some legends said among their regrets was not playing at Wembley. So for us to play at Wembley at a time we were struggling in the Premiership meant a lot. What could be better than that?

 Have you kept in touch with your teammates?

Yes, I am in touch with big Duncan Ferguson. My twin sons are in school at Liverpool but I kept everything quiet. They are training at Everton. I want them to get their education first before soccer, even though they play better than me. The Big Dunc is one of their coaches.

 As an assistant coach in Nigeria, do you think there are players Everton should be looking at (in the Super Eagles)?

In football now, it is about what areas the managers want. David Moyes has laid the platform for any manager at Everton to enjoy and have a good run. No matter what is happening to Moyes at Manchester United, he is one of the best coaches around. With what he did at Everton, getting them in top 10 every season with low budget meant a lot; it can’t get better than that. What Roberto Martinez is doing is bringing in the flair.

 Goodluck to Nigeria at the World Cup.

Thanks. We’ve had an experience at the Confederations Cup last year so we know what to expect. We’ll go there to enjoy ourselves as much as we can.

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Coach Godwin Izilein led the Super Falcons to their fourth African Women Championship triumph in 2004 in controversial circumstances. The ex-Golden Eaglets gaffer tells ’TANA AIYEJINA that 10 years after, he has not been paid his bonuses from the competition

What have you been doing since you left mainstream coaching?

I am with Edo State Youth Football Development programme in conjunction with Shuaibu Amodu since 2010. I am enjoying his leadership and we have a superb understanding.

Despite Insurance winning the 2014 Edo FA Cup, people seem not impressed with the current standard of football in the state. Do you agree?

The question I am asking is that are the players under pressure? Is it that the boys are recalcitrant and don’t want to learn from their coaches? Or is there no coaching at all? I believe it is the nature of our young ones now, who refuse to learn. Otherwise, they have reputable coaches working with them and I would have expected a better final in the state FA Cup. Even if goals are not scored, they should entertain the crowd; let them know that they have something to offer.

What do you think are Nigeria’s chances at the 2014 World Cup bearing in mind the crises between the coach and the NFF before the release of the provisional squad for Brazil?

With my attitude to life and the game itself, I believe in fluctuation. If life fluctuates, you live longer. If it doesn’t, you have to be very careful. I am jubilating because the crises have given us the inner dept of what is happening at the NFF. The undue interference they wanted to carry out in terms of selection of players was vehemently resisted and I am assuring you that (Stephen) Keshi knows what he is doing. My prayer is that he does not succumb to the whims and caprices of the FA, otherwise all of us will regret it.

The Super Falcons are no longer the strong force they used to be in Africa with other African nations springing up. What do you think is responsible?

The painful aspect of all these is that we have no standard, no records and nothing to refer to. If we had a standard, we should know those who passionately took care of this female team. Some of us went to South Africa (AWC) and we were not given a chance but we taught all the nations that participated that year actual football. I had this fluidity in all ramifications but it was dumped because of sentiment. I want to classify it as man’s inhumanity to man. What do you get at the end of it all? I did everything within my scope as a Nigerian to help that female team. I resisted the inclusion of tired legs and that was how I drew anger from different corners.

 Can you recount what happened when you led the Falcons to AWC victory in South Africa 10 years ago in controversial circumstances?

When the main Falcons team was in Athens for the Olympics in 2004, I was told to raise a new team that would qualify Nigeria for the AWC, which I did. But as soon as they came back from Athens, they said I should disband the team but I refused because the girls helped me to qualify. I thought that there was going to be perfect continuity. Crisis started in South Africa because arrears of bonuses and allowances of the players were not paid and the girls said they were not going to come back to Nigeria. But I said, “No, this will not happen in my time.” Before the competition started, I was told to meet the girls in Johannesburg. That I should appeal to them that to avoid distraction, they shouldn’t ask for their allowances from the federation. I did; (Ibrahim) Galadima was there, Mrs. Ayo Omidiran, the leader of delegation was there too. In fact, I walked majestically to the girls and I appealed to them and they respected me. But after the final match, I told the secretary, “Can I have my money? I want to buy some things on my way to Nigeria.” He said, “No. You are going to be paid in Nigeria.” I replied him, “You must be recalcitrant. How can you tell me that? Go and tell Galadima and Omidiran that I cannot carry such message to the girls. Initially I was used to appeal to these girls. How can I go back again to them telling another story? They will never respect me again.” That was the beginning of the problem. During a press conference, the late Bassey Koma, Ben Alozie and other Nigerian journalists were there. They were surprised; they said I should go back, that my camp was burning. I got there and I knelt down for these girls. “They will think coach Izilein asked you not to go to Nigeria. Please because of me, let’s go.” At the heat of the argument, Galadima came and gave me my flight ticket (back to Nigeria). He said I should follow him and I told him, “No. I am like a general here, how do I explain this to Nigerians when I get home?” How can I be in Nigeria and my girls are in South Africa?” So, I told him I was not going. I stayed with the girls and at the end the Nigerian Consulate came in and one of their officials saw me on my knees. I knew why I did it. Some mischievous writers went about writing stories. I was saddened when they said there was a riot and the girls carried Biafran flags. What is my business with that? I have never set my eyes on a Biafran flag since I was born. How many Igbo girls were in that team? The ones we had were disciplined. Perpetua Nkwocha was my most disciplined player, who would never do such a thing. The girls merely grumbled and said they won’t go back if they were not paid. They wanted the reassurance of the leaders of the group. At the end, I don’t know how they got money through the embassy and they paid the girls. They pleaded with me and my coaches that when we got back to Nigeria, we would be paid. But do you know that when we got back to the country, nothing was done. I wrote my report before, during and after the competition. The then minister said, “There is N2m for you and N1m each for your assistants.” But up till now, my money has not been given to me. My win bonuses in South Africa and the Presidential reward was not given to me. We scored 18 goals and conceded just two in five games; nobody has equaled that record. That was enough for me and my crew to be commended but instead, the girls were paid. So, I should be given my money too. Up till now, I still believe they are saving the money for me and the other coaches.

How much are you being owed?

They are owing me $28, 750 in allowances during the competition in South Africa and the N2m Presidential reward. My assistant coaches are also yet to be paid their N1m each.

 Despite the crises during the 2004 AWC, how did you manage to keep the girls playing such good football and scoring that record number of goals?

Here comes in the psychological pep talk and the good relationship between me and my girls. The Cameroonians wanted to pay each of their players CFA1m. The news got to me through one of the girls and I assembled the girls in my room immediately; this was unknown to Omidiran and co. I told the girls, “Do you know the equivalent of CFA to naira? That CFA1m is about N20, 000. Rubbish, I can pay you that.” I talked to them and they were convinced. I told them there was nothing like honour; that if they won the AWC, they had a lot to gain. I told my girls to entertain the crowd; they were playing like men because I treated them like men. I was on daily telephone conversation between 4am and 6am with late Mrs. Stella Obasanjo, the donor of the cup. She told me to give her a daily update of what was going on. On one occasion, her husband (Olusegun Obasanjo) intercepted the phone and asked me, “Are you the one discussing with my wife every morning?” I said, “Yes, I am the coach and the only thing I am discussing with my sister (Stella) is to let her know how we are faring here (South Africa).” When I told her of what I was going through, she said, “If they don’t pay you, I will pay and get the money back from my husband.”  Unfortunately, she died and that has been one of my saddest moments. May her soul rest in peace.

Which other means have you employed to ensure that you get paid?

I have written; I have talked and I have phoned. There are three FA bodies that have come and gone after then. There is no vacuum in governance. The immediate past NFF board promised to pay me half of the money, which I rejected. Sadly, the main file vanished but they didn’t know that we made photocopies of the file. They have refused to work on the file. How can we be sure that the file wasn’t hidden by mischievous people? If you say I carried Biafran flag, who investigated it and what was the final decision of the people that did the investigation? There was nothing like that. If you find out that I had nothing to do with these allegations, I think it’s only fair to give me my money. I am praying every day that God should come to my aid. There was a lot of mischief. By now, Omidiran should be aware of it. Now that she is the Dputy Chairman of Football Activities in the House of Reps, she can pursue my case and that of (Sylvanus) Okpala because we have similar problems.

 After the Falcons issue, you got the Golden Eaglets head coach job in 2005…

At a stage, I was told to handle the three categories of the female national teams because the coaches had some problems. I told (Kashimawo) Laloko, who was then the Technical Director to forgive them. He did and the coaches got their jobs back. Surprisingly, I was told to go back to the Super Falcons but I took the U-17 job. We would have had a good team but there was nothing like what the present teams enjoy now: remaining perpetually in camp. It was a fire brigade approach then. (Segun) Odegbami bailed me out at a stage in Abeokuta. When we got to the camp there was no money and he paid part of the money. The then NFF accountant said if I took the boys to camp and incured any debt, they were going to deduct it from my salary. When Odegbami saw the letter, he almost wept. There was a lot of set-up. I had several bundles of letters asking for favours. It was alleged that some people sent me recharge cards (to include players in the team). If you did, you were only helping me in my job to contact people. I didn’t ask for it. How did these people get my phone number? I had a lot of temptations; people coming with money asking me to include their children in the team. But I stood my ground so that I could go to Gambia with the best players I had. I didn’t know I had stepped on so many toes. They called me to NFF secretariat saying two boys sent recharge cards to me. And I told them, “This is arrant nonsense.” So many clubs wanted their players in the team. Even Laloko— to tell you how hard I was— and I almost quarreled. He brought a lorry load of Pepsi Academy boys but I said, “It was unfair. Let’s pick randomly from all the states instead of taking a whole academy to this place.” I only took about six of them; Elderson Echiejile was among them. If I could do that to Laloko, my direct boss then, who are the others that I cannot deal with?  There were lots of people who were not happy with my movement from Falcons to U-17. But nobody could come out to say that Izilein demanded anything from him. So the U-17 could have done better at the African championship in Gambia. We won one, drew one and lost one. While we were in the field sweating it out with opponents, my officials were in the swimming pool enjoying themselves. They were calling me on phone to ask for the results of the matches.

Did you witness lesbianism in the Falcons during your time as coach of the team?

In Nigeria, nobody told me about it. It was while in South Africa that I got to hear of it. I took a very drastic step, asking for the players phones. I did it for just two days and the Nigerian media said Izilein was too hard on the players. So, I slowed down a little bit. I told my assistant coaches that the only way we could try to curb it was to embark on sporadic checks without allowing the girls to know. I told the girls, “On no account must you lock your rooms anymore. Leave your doors open.” They did. Secondly, I told them, “I am to choose your partner,” which I did. I noticed in the morning when we were going for training that some of the girls looked drowsy and tired. I used to ask them, “Don’t you sleep at night?” But because I didn’t have concrete evidence, I couldn’t do much about it but I was able to reduce it.

Do you think the NFF has learnt its lessons from the way they treat Nigerian coaches?

It’s a common phenomenon in the NFF now, they have little or no regard for coaches. They treat us with disdain and it has a natural effect: the Law of Karma. It can serve as a boomerang; it could be detrimental. Since 2004, when they became inhuman to me, what have they been able to achieve?  Before they can succeed, they will need to right the wrongs. Where they fail to do that, there will continue to be problems. Don’t tell the man you made to cry to stop crying; if you want him to stop crying, pacify him, so says a proverb. I need my money; my coaches need their money too.

 Do you have any regrets coaching Nigeria’s national teams?

Because I have no other country, I don’t have regrets. But my regret is about officials of the NFF who have refused to listen to a crying voice.

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Portugal-based Super Eagles midfielder, John Ogu, who was excluded from Nigeria’s squad to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil tells ’TANA AIYEJINA about his disappointment at being left out, his club career and more in this interview

 How are you enjoying the off season?

I am doing well with my family and friends; basically I relax and I am looking forward to the new season. I feel relaxed.

 How would you describe last season in the Portuguese topflight?

Personally, the season wasn’t okay for me because it was not what I expected as a player but then I am a professional football player and should be prepared for such kind of season. It’s left for me to step up my game, work hard and give my best next season. Basically, it was a bad season for me.

 What about your club Academica de Coimbra?

I think we did well. We were in a position, we hadn’t found ourselves in the last couple of years but this yearwas a bit different; we were in eighth position. It was a good season for the club and we hope next season will be much better than the last.

 Are you expecting offers from other clubs in Europe?

Presently, I am in Nigeria on holidays but I have people working for me. When I get back to Portugal, I will discuss with them to know what they have on ground for me. I have no idea right now of what is happening but when I go back, I will be able to look at my options.

 After playing the 2014 World Cup qualifiers for the Super Eagles, you were left out of the squad to Brazil. How do you feel watching the competition on television?

Every footballer wants to play at the World Cup; it’s something every football player is praying for. I am sad because I feel I should be there to help and contribute my quota with the talent God has blessed me with. But I am cheering the Eagles all the way. I will wait for my time. The next World Cup is four years away and hopefully when my time comes, I will use it well.

 How did you feel the day coach Stephen Keshi released his 30-man provisional list for the World Cup and your name was not there?

I felt bad; I believe I was supposed to be there to fight for my place but I can’t question the coach. All I can do is thank them for the opportunity given to me to play for my country and wait for my time. I am ready whenever they want me. I felt disappointed. I was not disappointed with the coaches and the football federation, but with myself because probably I didn’t do enough to merit a place. There are other World Cups coming up, the Africa Cup of Nations is next year January, I will be working hard to be part of the squad for the AFCON.

 Do you think your exclusion from the team was justified?

To be honest with you, I have no idea. I can’t say the reason why I am not there. I leave everything to God. All I need to do is work hard and be prepared whenever I am called up to the national team, so that I can always give my best.

 Do you feel the players Keshi selected for the World Cup are the best Nigeria has to offer?

He is the boss and the coach, he knows what he wants. They are all quality players in the squad and I support him and praying for them.

 Most African countries started on a losing note in Brazil. Why do you think African teams continue to struggle at the World Cup?

I think what African teams lack is discipline. We have the quality and talents; we are blessed in Africa but discipline is what we lack during major tournaments. When you watch Europeans play, they play with discipline and concentration but we lack these qualities in African football. But I think in years to come, this will change in the continent and Africa will rule the world.

 It’s been a World Cup of surprises with defending champions Spain crashing out after just two games…

 Spain’s exit was unbelievable but that is football; such things happen in the game. We are in the modern times where there are no longer small teams. It’s 11 against 11. Chile didn’t respect Spain and that is why they won 2-0. Football has changed. If you are going into a game and you believe you can do it, you play as a team and you are disciplined, you will be difficult to beat. That is what happened to Spain and they are out.

 Which team are you tipping to win the World Cup?

I could say the German side but don’t be surprised they could lose their second game. That is football. The Chileans have a good side, the Netherlands and the host nation Brazil are there too. So, you can’t write anybody off. I don’t know who will be champions; I just believe any team which gets to the latter stages of the World Cup have a chance to win it. I wish every team well.

 How did you feel when you made your Nigeria debut against Kenya in Calabar last year?

I felt great and happy. I came in as substitute in the last five minutes of the game. I give God the glory for making it possible. It was a dream come true because everybody want to play for their national teams. I felt so blessed being part of the squad. I am grateful to everyone who made it possible.

 Your first major competition was the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup…

It was also great playing against big sides like Spain and Uruguay. These were guys I used to watch week-in-week-out but behold, I was playing with them on the same pitch.

 Keshi has given several home-based players and youngsters like you the opportunity to represent the country. What sort of coach is he?

The Big Boss is like a father to every one of us. He is a man of his words; he wants the best for every footballer and wants us to be proud of the national jersey. He is a great man, someone you would like to play out your heart for when you are called upon. He has brought unity, something we were missing before, to the national team. His achievements speak for him. Even as a player, he was very disciplined. As a coach, he has also brought discipline to the national team. That was why we were crowned African champions when no one expected us to after 19 years. He came in, brought in a new squad and gave everyone a chance. He believes in everyone and doesn’t look down on anyone. He is the best coach in Africa; one can tell who he is from his achievements. It’s great to work under him because he always wants to win.

 Is the present Eagles squad comparable to what we had in 1994 and 1996?

I think if you compare both squads, there is a big difference. We are all young and hungry to play for the country; we want to play our hearts out. That’s the difference. We’ve got a lot of quality in this squad; we’ve played together for over a year now and we will be together for more years and hopefully do better than our past squads.

 Have you always wanted to be a footballer?

I have always wanted to be a football player. When I was very young, I played on the streets without boots. I worked hard and never gave up because I always believed I will be who I am today and even better. Education came up and I had to drop out of school to concentrate on my career. So, I knew I was going to be a professional player. It’s a talent God has blessed me with.

 Did your parents support your decision to become a footballer?

They were in support but they wanted me to go to school first before forging ahead in my football career and it was what actually happened. I gained admission into a school but I got a chance to sign a contract with a club in Slovenia where I started from.

 What was your first experience like in Slovenia?

It was difficult for me because I moved to the country when I was 18 and it was cold and nobody around. The first two years was tough but I got used to the people, who are very friendly, and the next two years I spent was easy. It’s a good country; I love the people and would like to go to the country again.

 How have you been able to cope with your star status?

When I started playing in Europe, I was humble. When I started playing for the Eagles, I still didn’t look down on people. I still walk on the streets; people call me and take pictures with me. There is no difference between who I was before and now. It’s still me.

 When were the best and worst moments of your young career?

My best was definitely when I got my first call-up to the national team; it was my best moment. Another good time was when I first signed a contract as a professional football player. My worst is being left out of the 2014 World Cup. The other one is the issue I had with some clubs when I was supposed to play in Spain.

 You pack ferocious shots in your legs. Do you dedicate time to learning how to shoot?

It’s something I trained for even before I travelled out of the country; it’s an asset I have. I know I have to shoot when I am in the right position. I still train on how to shoot; it’s a great thing when I see myself doing it and I can still do more. It’s something I worked for when I was young.

 Who is your football role model?

It’s Mikel Obi. When I was coming up, he was someone I looked up to with his experience. I still stick with him.

 Who are the toughest players you have played against?

One of them is Fernando, a Brazilian, who plays for FC Porto. The other is Belgian Axel Witsel, who was formerly with Benfica. They are very good players.

 What is your advice for young Nigerians?

They should never give up whether they want to be bankers or football players. They should keep pushing because I started the same way they did and I never gave up. That is why I am where I am today. They must put God first in anything they do and pursue their dreams.

 Who is John Ogu?

I am John Ogu, a football player with Academica de Coimbra and the Super Eagles. I am the first of five children; I have three sisters and one brother. I am from Anambra State. I like to make friends and am a cool guy. That’s me.

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