Success Makanjuola would lead out the Olympic Eagles against the junior Taifa Stars of Tanzania today in Ibadan in the second round-second leg qualifiers towards the U-23 Africa Cup of Nations tournament to be held in Morocco in 2023 but the CD Diocesano striker reckoned being captain of the coach Salisu Yusuf-led side is never a burden to his budding career, writes MORAKINYO ABODUNRIN.
Fleet-footed Success Makanjuola first made a huge impression with the Golden Eaglets then under coach Emmanuel Amuneke but inevitably missed out of the team that eventually won Nigeria’s record fifth FIFA U-17 World Cup at Chile 2015.
Seven years on, the 21-year-old Makanjuola aka ‘The Light’ is undoubtedly one of the leading lights of the national under-23 team’s quest for a ticket to the 2023 U-23 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco which is the qualifying tournament for the Paris 2024 Olympics Football Tournament.
Despite Nigeria being the first to win Africa’s first Olympic soccer gold medal at Atlanta 1996 event, the ever-smiling Makanjuola is optimistic that his Olympic Eagles’ class is at the ready to battle their way to Paris 2024.
“It is not really a pressure for me to captain the Olympic Eagles,” the former Abuja-based Water FC striker said in an interview with NationSport.
“Of course, it can be a bit heavy when you carry the weight of the nation on your shoulders but the pressure become lighter when you look around the team, the coaches as well as the technical crew .
“ So, I am not feeling any pressure because of the people I am working with rather it’s a pleasure to be the captain of the Olympic Eagles,” the CD Diocesano striker remarked .
Remarkably, it was ‘captain fantastic’ Makanjuola that did open Nigeria’s goal account of this campaign from the spot in their Second Round first leg 1-1 draw against Tanzania last weekend in Dar es Salaam.
Speaking ahead of today’s second leg encounter at the Lekan Salami Stadium, Makanjuola has assured Nigerians that the Olympic Eagles would win because they are a better team than their East African opponents.
“ On Saturday (today) we should expect nothing but victory ,” he said. “ Winning our matches has been our aim right from beginning it was unfortunate we couldn’t get that in Dar Es Salam but come Saturday, we are promising we will get the victory.”
Makanjuola said he believed in team’s efforts, adding the whole of the Olympic Eagles is greater than the sum of its parts hence it would be difficult to predict who would deliver the goals against the visiting East Africans in Ibadan today.
“Honestly I can’t really pinpoint a particular player that would be the joke against Tanzania because unity makes the team stronger and in every position in the pitch, we have great players that are capable of doing greatly,” Makanjuola further said.
“ The coaches are training us to build up the team with more experience players in the team for this next game , I believe every player including myself as the captain, is capable of getting the job done on Saturday .
“ I believe every player is hundred percent ready for this encounter against Tanzania.”
After missing out of the $20,000 USD pledge by the Chairman of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Task Force on youth competitions Aminu Balele Kurfi for a win against Tanzania last weekend , Makanjuola said the team is self motivated for the Ibadan encounter.
“ O course, we haven’t received any financial promise to beat Tanzania in Ibadan but our goal is to win this match convincingly and we trust the NFF’s Task Force on youth competitions will make us happy if we get the job done .
“We know he (Aminu Balele Kurfi ) is a man of his words and he can still stick to his promise irrespective of the result we recorded in the first leg .
“If we can make Nigerians happy in this second leg , I know he will makes us happy too.”
With the usual vociferous Ibadan soccer-mad fans expected at the Stadium today, Makanjuola admitted their support would boost the confidence of the Olympic Eagles against the junior Taifa Stars.
“ Since we came down here for camping, I have seen a bit of the fans and I can see they are football-loving people and we expect them to come out in numbers to support us ,” he said,
“We are really expecting them at the stadium and we know there are going to give us that support because this is one of the main reasons we were moved to Ibadan.
“ Everything is going for us and they(Tanzania) can’t stop us. We shouldn’t have drawn the first leg in Dar es Salaam but for lost of concentration but we are much better now .
“ As a team, we have been together longer as such, I believe we are taking the fight to them on Saturday , they are going to see a different Nigeria from the one they saw in the first leg.
“In fact, we would try our best to finish the game in the first half; Nigerians can expect the best from us against Tanzania in Ibadan.”
Should the Olympic Eagles navigate their way against Tanzania , the road to Paris 2024 Olympic Football Tournament is still a long way with Nigeria slated to face Guinea in March 2023 in the third round qualifiers for Morocco 2023 AFCON.
Yet Makanjuola’s remains undaunted and insisted that qualification for Paris 2024 remains the first objective of the coach Salisu Yusuf-led side.
“The target, first of all , is to qualify for the U-23 AFCON in Morocco and ultimately, Paris 2024 Olympics,” he noted.“ So, we have to take things one time at a time; we want to qualify first and I know definitely, there will be reinforcement along the way because the coaches want to build a stronger team to compete at the top level .
“ Of course every country wants to bring the soccer gold medal but our main focus now is to qualify and then take it one step from there, from qualifying to the Nation’s Cup and then to the Olympics before we can start talking about winning the soccer gold medal like the great team of 1996.”
Away from the national team’s duty with the Olympic Eagles, Makanjuola equally enthused about his budding career: “My football career is going well maybe not as a much as we planned it.
“But to be honest, it is a very good career part for me because it has helped me to improve both in football and as a person .
“ I am really enjoying my journey and it has brought me to being the captain of the national Under -23 team which is a very good step for me .
“For me, this is a part of my learning to become a better person and player .
“In 2019, I signed for Leganes and got loaned to Guadalajara in the third division in Spain from their I played a little at CD Don Benito before arriving at CD Diocesano.
“It has all been a good journey for me and learning process .
“ In Leganes , I was not really an important player but in these other clubs, I carry the weight on shoulders just like I am doing right now in the national team .
“For me, learning to carry the weight of these teams had given me the wisdom and knowledge I need to carry the national team.
“So, I believe this my career journey has helped to strengthen me to become the person I am today.”
In Makanjuola, there is indeed something remarkable about names and he admitted that there is no two ways about his desire for a successful football career.
“With God, Success Makanjuola can be the most successful person in the world,” the great admirer of Lionel Messi chuckled.“ I always put God first and I believe my name is always paving that way for me and I working towards it .
“ I can’t be named Success and not be successful and with the help of God I am trying to be the most successful person , not only in football but as a person and in everything .”
While Success was given at birth, Makanjuola who is equally referenced as ‘The Light’ as per nickname, said it was his desire to make people around him happy.
“ A lot of people know I love Lionel Messi so much and I’m learning a lot from him,” he said.
“ I’ m not taking anything from the fact that Ronaldo is another great person but personally my preference has always been Lionel Messi .
“ Yes, they call me ‘The Light’ and I think that nickname is divine because where ever and anywhere I am present there is always happiness, joy.