Super Eagles striker, Gbolahan Salami, is largely seen as a controversial player. The Warri Wolves star, who scored a goal in the Eagles 3-2 defeat to Congo recently, says he is only being given a bad name for fighting for his rights in this interview with ’TANA AIYEJINA
You are one of the best players in the domestic league. Why have you found it difficult playing professionally in Europe?
I don’t think I should be in a hurry to play abroad. I still believe everything will surely come with time. I will definitely have my own time to play in Europe and when that time comes, I will make a move. I take things one after the other. I am not the kind of person that believes in rushing. That is why I am working hard and scoring goals in the local league. Maybe with my performance this season, European clubs may invite me for trials. Playing in Europe is not easy, so I just need to prove myself in the league before European clubs can come for me. That is why I am still working hard, so that I can keep on scoring more goals for my club in the league.
You have scored quite a lot of goals this season for Warri Wolves. Aside personal glory, do you think your goals can win the league for Wolves?
Yes, I believe so. We have quality players in the team. The league is still open and we still have the chance to win the league and play in Africa next season. We are highly motivated and the players are professionals. The club is doing well and the only way to pay them back is to keep giving our best during home and away games. If we get this done, we are sure to celebrate at the end of the season.
What is your assessment of the Nigerian league? Do you think it’s among the best in Africa?
I can’t say our league is the best in Africa. But we need to put in more effort because it is our game. Most of us play here before thinking of playing in Europe but it’s not easy for the players in the domestic league. The fact is that if you don’t play well here at home, nobody will invite you to Europe. That is why I am appealing to the people in charge of our football to allow us to continue playing games. We want the league to start again. The suspension of the league will disturb our careers. It’s not helping us as players. Very soon, the European transfer window will be open again but if we are not playing, how will anybody invite us for trials? That is why I am appealing to them to call off the suspension of matches. It’s not good to sit down idle doing nothing. We are paid to play football, so we should play.
In what ways do you think the suspension of the league due to the crisis in the football federation have affected you and other Nigerian players?
If you don’t play matches, how can you assess yourself as a footballer? How can you improve? A match situation is different from training. If you are playing matches consistently, you will be fit. Only training cannot help you. As a player, you need to play some matches to be in good shape. The suspension of the league can make players do some other things to make money before matches resume. But when they return, they won’t be in the best shape. So, it’s not good for our football. A football loving country like Nigeria should not be in this situation.
You signed for South African giants Mamelodi Sundowns in 2011 for R2.5m but you didn’t get to play for them officially before the club terminated your contract for undisclosed reasons. What happened?
Only God knows what happened. The irony of it all is that people don’t believe my own version of what happened in South Africa. They believe I fought the management of the club, but that is not true. The issue I had in South Africa was that of a work permit. That is all. I never had problems with Sundowns management, coaches, players and the fans. Everything went on well but I couldn’t get a work permit, which I needed before I could play in the South African league. I took everything in good fate because I believe things will be okay. That was why I came back to play in the domestic league once again, to prove myself as a good player and score goals.
People see you as a controversial player…
People say that quite often but it is only when you come close to me that you can know my true person. They feel I am hotly-tempered but I just believe that if you want to talk to a player, know how to talk to such a player. If you want a player to sign for your club, meet the terms of the contract you have with the player. If you tell a player this is how much you can pay and he signs for you, pay him. If you don’t pay him, he will be rude to you. Footballers have families and friends who look up to them. We have responsibilities too. I think that is the only area I have problems with in the Nigerian league. They don’t want you to talk when they are not meeting the terms of the contract you signed with them. When you talk, they say, ‘This boy is a very stubborn player, he is rude.’ But before you signed for them, they told you they will pay you certain amount and they have failed to meet their own side of the deal. I don’t have any problem with my coaches and fellow players wherever I have played. I am in Warri Wolves presently and I like the way the management of the club is going about the administration of the club. The players are highly encouraged. The coaches have been giving me lots of advice, we have a father and son relationship and I am so happy about it. Pinnick Amaju and Davidson Owumi have been doing a great job at the club.
It’s rare to see clubs adhering to contractual terms in Nigeria. Are you saying Wolves have met the terms of your contract to the letter?
Have you seen me fighting in Warri Wolves? They told me they will pay me a certain amount and they paid. They told me that at a certain time of the month, I will get my salary and they have not defaulted. They don’t owe me salaries and bonuses. Why won’t I score goals for them? Why won’t I give my best?
You are nicknamed Nigeria’s Mario Balotelli. Do you share any similarities with the Italian superstar?
I don’t know how the nickname came about but I believe the way I play on the field may have prompted the nickname. But he (Balotelli) is a player I love so much. I love his style of play and character.
Was it easy growing up?
I wouldn’t say my parents were rich or poor but things were okay in my family as a kid growing up. I enjoyed my family and that is why I am trying to make them happy by working hard to get to the top. My parents gave me the desired support to play football, because they knew that was what I was destined to become.
What would you have been if you were not a footballer?
(Laughs) That is a very difficult question to answer. I just believe I was meant to play football. I need to work hard to be there and I believe I will be there soon.
Who is your role model footballer?
He is someone I liked when I was growing up. I used to look up to him and I loved him so much. He is the late Rashidi Yekini. I like the way he used to shoot.
Did you have the opportunity of meeting him personally?
We used to play together in the All Stars team of Ibadan. He was a nice man.
As a player who once played for 3SC, was it easy coping with Ibadan fans, who are known for their vociferousness?
If you play well in Ibadan, people will support you. If you are a good player and give your best, you won’t have any problem in Ibadan. I enjoyed playing in Ibadan, I enjoyed playing for 3SC. The club has a big name, good fans and a good city to play football.
How do you feel seeing them playing in the second division of the domestic league?
I played for 3SC last season and I was not happy with the club going on relegation. Something happened somewhere and things got bad. But I am happy that they are doing well at the moment and hopefully they will get promoted again to the Premier League.
You were in the Flying Eagles squad for the 2009 U-20 World Cup in Egypt but you were not in coach Samson Siasia’s first team at the tournament. Did you have any problem with the coach?
Siasia was a nice coach to me. He gave me lots of encouragement. Everyone have their own time to play. I don’t think it was because I was not good either because if I wasn’t, I wouldn’t have been selected for the U-20 World Cup in the first place. Only 11 players can play at a time. What you should do as a player is to wait for your own time.
You were one of the best performers at the 2014 African Nations Championship, as the home-based Super Eagles finished in third place in their first outing at the tournament…
That was the first tournament I played for the Super Eagles and I was so happy that the tournament was hosted by South Africa. I had a contract there that was terminated, so I wanted to prove myself. It was not because I didn’t know how to play football. I was also happy because the club (Sundowns) officials saw my performance and they came to congratulate me. But I felt sad when we lost to Ghana in the semi-finals. However, I am happy to still be a part of the national team.
We lost to bitter rivals Ghana in the semi-finals. Do you think they were better?
We played very well; we gave our best but we lost through penalties. I was not too happy about that defeat. When African countries are playing against Nigeria, they are ready to die on the pitch, they are ready to fight just because its Nigeria they are playing. The game against Ghana was very tough. But they burnt their energy against us and couldn’t cope in the final against Libya.
Before the Ghana game, the Eagles came back from 3-0 down to beat Morocco 4-3 in the quarter-final. How did you guys do it?
We all felt bad when we were losing 3-0 in the first half. In the dressing room, the coach said, ‘Guys, do you believe you can’t lose this game?’ We all said, ‘Yes.’ You needed to see the mood afterwards. We had no option but to play for the coach.
How do you feel when you see the CHAN bronze medal, your first major medal for Nigeria at senior level?
I am always happy when I see it. To have such a medal is not easy. There are thousands of Nigerians who want to play for the national team. Being called up among this multitude is an honour indeed for me. Anytime I wear the Nigerian jersey, I am always very happy.
As a striker, who is the toughest defender you have played against?
There is this guy in the Nigerian league. Anytime I see him, it’s not always easy for me. He is Enyimba defender, Chinedu Udoji. He is a very strong and hard player. If you are playing against him, you must be prepared.
Coach Stephen Keshi did not include you in his team to the 2014 World Cup despite taking three home-based players to the World Cup…
I didn’t feel bad because my time will come. I’m young and there are more World Cups to play. I am happy for others who made the team. I am not the type of person who will cry over being dropped from the team. I just believe my time will come. Instead of going to the media to cry about being left out, I will use the time to work hard and that time has come.
What sort of coach do you think Keshi is?
He is like a father to me. He likes young players. Before our third game (versus South Africa) at the 2014 CHAN, he gave us so much encouragement in the dressing room. We were losing 3-0 to Morocco in the quarter-final but the coach still believed we could do it. He said, ‘Guys I believe you can win this game. Go and do it.’ And we went out and we won. That’s the kind of person he is.
Do you have any message for football administrators in Nigeria?
(Laughs) I don’t know anything. My job is to go out and play. That is not an area I should bother myself with.
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