Peter Ijeh became a household name in Sweden, after scoring 24 goals in the elite division playing for Malmo FF in 2002. Prior to that year, he had scored more than a dozen and moved on to score 10 more in the 2003, even after missing half of the season with injury.
Before hanging his boot in 2012, the former NITEL and Julius Berger FC player had netted a record 130 goals in 257 appearances across Sweden, Norway and Denmark.
It is on record that no other player has scored more goals in all Sweden during a season in the last 42 years.
Aside from his penchant for scoring, which he loves to talk about, Ijeh is also proud of what his children (two girls and boy) are doing on the soccer pitch.
“My immediate family has been my rock and joy,” began Ijeh in an interview with our correspondent. “It is a joy seeing them grow up. My first girl is playing with the Swedish U-16 national team. So, soccer and sports are in my DNA.
“Though I missed scoring goals as a goal machine and I went into coaching because I felt the need to transfer that knowledge to the next generation, I’m happy that my children are doing same while I’m alive. That keeps me going and happy.”
Ijeh speaks more on his career, retirement and life in Sweden.
Transition from player to coach
The transition from a player into a coach, for me, is a continuity of still being actively active in the game. I know that I have a lot to pass on in the area of goal scoring and so, I have obtained the UEFA Grade (A) coaching licence and the Real Madrid Advanced Coaching Certificate Diploma. That I am also a BSC Sociology graduate from Göteborg University Sweden also helped me to make the transition smooth. Football is my passion. I want to help the next generation.
Immediate family
My immediate family has been my rock and joy. It is a joy seeing them grow up. My first girl is playing with the Swedish U-16 national team. So, soccer and sports are in the DNA. Though I missed scoring goals as a goal machine and I went into coaching because I felt the need to transfer that knowledge to the next generation, I’m happy that my children are doing same while I’m alive. That keeps me going and happy. They play football at IFK Göteborg. It’s fun to see them evolve. The coaches say that my daughters shoot like boys. I have never taught them, it is the genes.
Nigerian food
Nigeria recipe is still the best. I don’t joke with it. At least I eat egusi, efo riro and pounded yam three-four times a week during my playing days. After eating, I would just be smiling because I knew some team’s defender and goal keeper gonna suffer.
Challenges
In 2012, I began to feel tired and had difficulty breathing. I was tested and found that I had asthma. That’s why I stopped playing. I’ve never had it before and now it’s gone again. It’s weird, very strange. I was worried. My children were afraid I would have an asthma attack. For a while I could not talk. I had to say one word at a time. I was having trouble when people had perfumes. I could not go out. It was worthless. The weather also affected. I had to keep an even temperature. I had to calm down my life a lot. I did not want to take the risk of giving my family panic. Now I can go free and do things again. It is better now.