The Nation Newspaper

Category: SOS

  • Kelechi Oliver Anuna: I’m in love with charity

    Kelechi  Oliver Anuna, the America-born Nigerian basketball player who star for Eko Kings and the Nigerian national team (D’Tigers), has yet spoken glowingly about his Shoe Drive Initiative, adding that sport is a good vehicle to drive away poverty.

    The 28-year-old currently starring for Potros de Nuevo Casa Grande in Mexico alluded to the oft saying that’givers never lack’, consequently his philanthropic gesture.

    “Sports can help a lot in life and to excel , you need good equipment but  what better way to start encouraging  youngsters in playing football than providing them with shoes,” said Anuna whose first name, Kelechi, means ‘Thank God’  in his native  Igbo language.“I buy shoes as well as accept donations from people and have them shipped to Nigeria to be distributed to young players.”

    KC, as he’s fondly called, loved nothing as much football as a youngster but growing up in Tennessee – an area known as college basketball country – would influence his love for basketball.

    He reveals: “Well, I was born and grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina, before moving to Tennessee and that is the area known as ‘college basketball country’ and my father and older sister were big fans so that was how I grew to it.

    “Football was my number one but my earliest influences in taking on basketball was University of North Carolina Tarheels team, Hakeem Olajuwon, Penny Hardaway, Allen Iverson, Baron Davis, Joe Forte and so many others.

    “I played NCAA1 at Middle Tennessee State University under Kermit Davis. As a late bloomer in the basketball world, I was mostly an athlete. I had a great body, and athletic ability and people would ask why I didnt play. It wasn’t until my ACL injury that my basketball skills really kicked in because I wasn’t as athletic.

    “I can say my parents  were supportive after a while. My dad was real big on education, so he didn’t let me play basketball until I was like 14 on an actual team. I would go to parks and gyms to play sets.”

    Since turning professional, KC has played in several countries and reckons that experience has stood him in good stead over the years.

    “My first call up to the national team was back in 2013 under Coach Ayodele Bakare. I had just finished my rookie season in Tunisia. We camped in LA, and went on to the Stankovich Cup in China where we placed third.

    “Being part of the  D’Tigers 2017 AfroBasket  team that took silver was a unique expereience for me. As a player who wants to play his best at all times, I could’ve done better personally but as a team we did ok with what we had.

    “Where do I see myself in the next five years?Thats a tough one. Not because I dont know but knowing me,  I have my hands in everything,” he reasoned.

     

    Q &A with ANUNA

    Who is Kelechi Anuna?

    Kelechi Anuna is entrepreneurial energetic, high spirited, culture loving person, who always tries to be the best he can be.

    Do you have a girlfriend and who is she?

    When the wind blows, you will know see the rump of the chicken.

    We know you’ve tattoos.

    Any significant meanings attached to several tattoos on your body?

    Yea,  I have tattoos. Each one has its own particular meaning to it. Oddly, I have alot, so you’d need a whole different article for my tattoos alone.

    Why are you strongly connected with  Nigeria despite being born and bred abroad?

    That’s just how I’ve always been. That’s just how I was raised. My family were one of the early immigrants to the US. That late 1970s – early 1980s wave of Nigerians, but they still ruled with the Nigerian family laws and traditions. Also going back home a lot helps, and still staying close knit with a lot of family and kindred people who as of late migrated over.

    Puma, Nike or Adidas?

    Nike.

  • ONIGBINDE: How I miraculously escaped assassination as a coach

    At 80, Chief Festus Adegboyega Onigbinde has not lost a tiny bit of his whippy tongue. A reporter’s delight any day, the two-time Super Eagles coach shares his upbringing, life lessons, works with NFF, CAF and FIFA and down- to-earth views on the state of the nation. It is vintage ‘Chief’ as he compressed his life journey from a ‘village boy’ to international recognised football instructor and coach into an hour interview with TAIWO ALIMI. Excerpts:    

    How do you feel at 80?

    I feel good. I don’t feel any different. I am blessed with good health and I thank the Almighty for that. I feel good.

    So what is the secret?

    Being a sportsman has helped me. It keeps me fit because there is no way that you can coach others that you would not be involved in it too. But, there is more to it. Scientists have proved that people grow older more from the mind than the other part of the body. If you keep malice, begrudge people, and pay too much attention to negativity; you are poisoning your system. Of course, they will degenerate. That is what I will say is part of the secret of my healthy life.

    I bear no malice. I have no enemy. Most importantly, I say and do what I feel is right. No matter how you feel. That keeps my mind very free and healthy.

    Do you have any fitness regime?

    My life is full movement. How long have I been a sportsman? You won’t believe it if I tell you that, even now, I still coach. And, how can you be coaching without exercises, without keeping fit? It is not possible. Then, I find way to keep fit around the neighbourhood.  I have friends living some kilometres away. Instead of driving, I walk to their places. I also move round my place here. I also give myself some physical activities.

    What about your diet?

    I don’t have any special diet. I am what you call omnivorous. I take anything. I have never had a course to be told to take less salt or sugar. Less than a month ago, I was with my family doctor for check-up. After taking all the vitals, my BP was 100/60, which I consider to be going into hypo level, even more than hyper level. And the reason is that if Sunny Ade brings all his music under my bed, it doesn’t stop me from sleeping. I will sleep. You have to accept one thing, that we are created to create problem and to solve problem. So, no problem can weigh me down. If anybody has any ill-feeling with me, I want it to remain in his head and not transfer it into my own head and that does not stop me from relating pleasantly with him. That is my life.

    This idea, has it always been with you or it was inculcated as you grow older?

    I cannot remember an occasion that when my father or my mother got wild because of some other people’s headache. My father was quiet, intelligent; some of the time when bad things are happening, he even takes his eyes off it. Maybe, another day when that issue comes up, that is when he would refer to the former incidence. It is the same thing for my mother.

    I remember only one occasion when my mother gave me a good beating. That day, we went out and I drank a cup of palmwine that got me tipsy. I did not intentionally take it. Custom demands that as the youngest man in the group, I had to serve the undiluted palmwine, and by custom, when you serve, you have to take the first cup and report back that the wine is good. I took that one cup, and by the time I got back home I was behaving somehow. My mother lured me into her room and gave me some serious beating. And that is why up till now I am a social drinker. That is the only time that I remember that she beat me and that left a lasting impression on me.

    So, it not a new thing, even in my work as a coach I meet all kinds of people. Mind you, before I became a coach, I was a teacher for about 20 years. I taught in the primary, secondary and teacher training, and these institutions you meet with different types of children. Thank God, I went through the systematic teacher training system. I did my grade 3, 2 and 1 and all these things were part of our education in teacher training college. And, that was why a year ago, I sent a paper to the presidency highlighting that the standard of educational, that has fallen, was due to the abolition of teacher training colleges. That indicates that we no longer have professional teachers. Everybody is complaining. Three days ago, I read that 83 per cent failed the West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) examinations. How do you explain that? Going through the teacher training also prepared me, in addition to my humble background.

    What is your blueprint for education in Nigeria?

    Well, we have to go back to the old system of training our teachers. Of recent, a state government asked teachers to take Primary Four exams, and we know what happened. Many of them failed. Unfortunately, when the government decided to deal with these teachers, people started protesting, so, where are we going?

    So, when you want to produce quality students, you must first produce quality teachers. You can’t give what you don’t have. People don’t actually appreciate what training a teacher involves. In this same room, we were discussing this issue with some friends and one of them said what is the relevance, once you now the subject, teach it to the pupils, and I told him it is more than that.

    For example, if we are here and some masquerade just appears drumming and dancing outside. What would be the reaction of your people? They would want to see what is happening, and what would be the reaction of the teacher? You push them back, probably beat them because you are not a trained teacher. A professional teacher would now better. He would encourage the pupils to appreciate the music, by taking them out to see them and when they are outside there, they are learning. The way people are dancing and the song they are singing. Some of them would even want to ask questions. Why is this like this, why is that like that? They are learning. That is not all. By the time they get back to their classroom, what would be their attitude? They have satisfied their curiosity and they are ready to listen to you attentively. That is an example of professionalism in teaching. And unless we go back to that or find a way of replicating those teachers, there will be trouble. You can get it right unless you do it right.

    And there is another problem. By the time Nigeria went into private educational institutions, Nigeria was not ready for it. You have people who are running private schools today, just for the money; from the primary up to the university level. And there is no adequate supervision. I remember in those days, two months before an inspector would come, they would have been notified and you would have the management of that school preparing for that visit, and keeping the school clean. But, we don’t have that anymore. Everybody does what he likes. There is no control. So, when you set a standard, there must be a system of monitoring that full compliance is kept.

    I know we have the Nigeria University Commission, but how much do they ensure that our universities keep that standard. We have Ministry of Education, but do they still operate the way they used to. Then, the ministry will supply the syllabus, and they would come occasionally to see how you are conforming to the regulation.

    Today, in Nigeria, even if the inspectors still go round, what will happen? They would be bribed to write favourable report about that school. Sometimes, they don’t even turn up at all once they have been settled. I’m afraid for the future of this country and some of the time I feel like shedding tears for this country. God gives us all the potential to be a great country, but what are we doing about it?

    Take for example, my profession (football coaching), how many thousands of football talents do we have wasting away in the rural areas of this country? But, there is no system to identify them. Not to talk of polishing them. The system is not there.

    In your years of coaching, which one did you enjoy most? Is it as a youth coach, in the clubs or national team?

    I always enjoy more, maybe because I am a trained teacher, working with the young ones.  I enjoy seeing them develop. I love it. And that was why in 1983-1985, the first time I handled the national team, I did not invite any foreign-based player. They were all local players, local boys.

    It has an advantage. These local boys are young and they would be ready to do what you want them to do. In December 1975, we worked with a team and I was trying to correct one player there, and he retorted ‘that is how I have been doing it.’ I want players that are teachable. When I was going to the World Cup, I started preparation at home. At any rate, the old ones who were playing in Mali threatened that they would not report, until they saw the team taking shape that they started reporting in ones and twos, and, eventually, some of them played their dirty games.

    I love watching children develop, which gives me that happiness that I’m doing something great.

    Twenty years as an educationist, something you claimed to love so much. Yet, you dumped it for football?

    Is coaching not teaching? (Laughter) I’m still in the same profession.  Candidly, if you have a flair for developing people, it can be at any level or profession. After teaching for 20 years at primary, secondary and higher institution, what more do I want? And all along while I was teaching, I was also coaching as a game master. So, it is more or less a continuation.

    Apart from your parents whom you always talk about, what are the other things or people that moulded you to becoming who you are today?   The background is very important. Then, if you are lucky to meet the right kind of people, and you are receptive to their ideas, you will develop. The teachers I went through in my primary schools were model teachers, including the headmaster, and I learnt a lot from them.

    Coming into football, in 1958, the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo was in London with the other political leaders to discuss Nigeria’s independence. And there were some Nigerian sportsmen who were operating in the United Kingdom (UK) and one of them was Teslim ‘Thunder’ Balogun. He invited him to come back home as a coach in the then Western Region Sports Council. He came back that same year and he was touring the region, which extended to Port Harcourt, Asaba, looking for football talents. He spotted me at Ife and was trying to lure me to Ibadan to come and play. But, that was not possible because I was already a Grade 2 teacher earning about 10 pounds a month. If I came back to play an important match and win, they would probably give me two shillings. What would I have done with that? However, he kept in touch with me and was always inviting me to Ibadan. Then, as God would have it, I did my teacher Grade 2 course in Ibadan at St Luke and that brought us more together, especially in the second and final year when I became the coach and captain of the school football team. I would invite him to come and assist me. That year in 1961, Balogun organised the first real coaching course in Ibadan and made it mandatory for me to attend. I was a student and I thought leaving my studies for three weeks could affect me, but he told me that he saw some qualities in me that would make me a successful coach. He even exaggerated by saying that some of these qualities he didn’t have. That was how I attended my first coaching course in June/July 1961. You will agree with me that was an influence. He gave me the encouragement and the opportunity to start.

    Then, in Yoruba land, there is a saying that ‘egbe buburu ba iwa rere je’ meaning, if you keep bad company, you are likely to be influenced.

    So, if you are careful the kind of friends you keep, you will have some good influences on your life. And that is why the English says: ‘show me your friend, and I will show you who you are.’

    I have said it before that criminality in this country is youth-oriented. People say because there is no job. If there is no job, is killing and robbing people a good alternative? The company you keep matters a lot.

    I like to influence in a positive way too. And that is why even in my profession, I am sometimes ostracised, because they see me as a non-conformist. And I don’t regret it. I smile happily and move on.

    What are your opinions about the new order in both CAF and FIFA?

    Well, I think it is natural for changes to come. People say that the only thing that is constant is change itself. One should expect it to happen. But the problem is, these people taking over, have they been patient enough to learn from the older ones? That is the problem. You want to apply a clean break, starting from zero once again. Is that progressive? I think that is the problem.

    I got information few days ago that one of the programmes that I was involved with at CAF level, a developmental programme geared at grading all African coaches. Before we did it, we went to Europe and got UEFA developmental programme, got that of America, Asia, used that to evolve our own African thing. Right now they are talking about dumping it and going back to the old order simply because it would serve the interest of some individuals. It is unfortunate.

    How much do you enjoy working with FIFA?

    Oh! Wonderful! And the way it came is what actually got me excited. In 1984, I took Nigeria to Cote d’Ivoire Africa Cup of Nations and in spite of problems, I came back with silver. That was the highest Nigeria would achieve playing outside Nigeria. That was the first time a Nigerian coach was taking Nigeria to the Nations Cup. And, I did not have a presidential handshake when I came back.

    Coincidentally, the present president of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, was military Head of State, then. I remember that on the day we played the final, somebody just came into the dressing room and said he had a message from the head of state. He wished us well and when I came back the authority did not create an atmosphere to thank him for that. That is why up till now I’m looking forward to when I would come face to face with him, and tell him ‘a belated handshake sir’ (laughter). I need my handshake. I would request for my handshake. My reward thereafter was my removal. Up till now I have not been told why I was removed. If working under that condition which I worked, came back with silver, I thought How do you feel at 80?

    I feel good. I don’t feel any different. I am blessed with good health and I thank the Almighty for that. I feel good.

    So what is the secret?

    Being a sportsman has helped me. It keeps me fit because there is no way that you can coach others that you would not be involved in it too. But, there is more to it. Scientists have proved that people grow older more from the mind than the other part of the body. If you keep malice, begrudge people, and pay too much attention to negativity; you are poisoning your system. Of course, they will degenerate. That is what I will say is part of the secret of my healthy life.

    I bear no malice. I have no enemy. Most importantly, I say and do what I feel is right. No matter how you feel. That keeps my mind very free and healthy.

    Do you have any fitness regime?

    My life is full movement. How long have I been a sportsman? You won’t believe it if I tell you that, even now, I still coach. And, how can you be coaching without exercises, without keeping fit? It is not possible. Then, I find way to keep fit around the neighbourhood.  I have friends living some kilometres away. Instead of driving, I walk to their places. I also move round my place here. I also give myself some physical activities.

    What about your diet?

    I don’t have any special diet. I am what you call omnivorous. I take anything. I have never had a course to be told to take less salt or sugar. Less than a month ago, I was with my family doctor for check-up. After taking all the vitals, my BP was 100/60, which I consider to be going into hypo level, even more than hyper level. And the reason is that if Sunny Ade brings all his music under my bed, it doesn’t stop me from sleeping. I will sleep. You have to accept one thing, that we are created to create problem and to solve problem. So, no problem can weigh me down. If anybody has any ill-feeling with me, I want it to remain in his head and not transfer it into my own head and that does not stop me from relating pleasantly with him. That is my life.

    This idea, has it always been with you or it was inculcated as you grow older?

    I cannot remember an occasion that when my father or my mother got wild because of some other people’s headache. My father was quiet, intelligent; some of the time when bad things are happening, he even takes his eyes off it. Maybe, another day when that issue comes up, that is when he would refer to the former incidence. It is the same thing for my mother.

    I remember only one occasion when my mother gave me a good beating. That day, we went out and I drank a cup of palmwine that got me tipsy. I did not intentionally take it. Custom demands that as the youngest man in the group, I had to serve the undiluted palmwine, and by custom, when you serve, you have to take the first cup and report back that the wine is good. I took that one cup, and by the time I got back home I was behaving somehow. My mother lured me into her room and gave me some serious beating. And that is why up till now I am a social drinker. That is the only time that I remember that she beat me and that left a lasting impression on me.

  • OLUSOJI FASUBA: My love for Royal Navy

    OLUSOJI FASUBA: My love for Royal Navy

    Olusoji Fasuba had a storied career with Nigeria as a track & star but he strangely walked away at his peak for his first love-sailing with the navy. Now a logistician with Royal Navy, Fasuba opens up in frank conversation with MORAKINYO ABODUNRIN.

    Olusoji Fasuba, a former Nigerian elite athlete, has yet opened up on why he left the hallowed track  to cruise in the sea with the Royal Navy (RN), otherwise known as the United Kingdom’s Naval warfare force.

    Fasuba was a force to be reckoned with and he wore the green-white-green colours of Nigeria with panache in his heydays and it’s remarkable that he still holds the enviable record as the fastest African of all time following his record time of 9.85 seconds in the 100m at the Qatar Grand Prix in 2006.

    “Yes, I do (miss athletics) but I don’t regret leaving,” the 33-year-old Fasuba said matter-of-factly in a long conversation with our correspondent. “Most people saw me win medals and laurels for the country but what they didn’t know was the lack of support I got.

    “During my time, for attending the African championship, you got 750 dollars after going through problems like no kits while countries like Ghana can pay those that win gold 10 thousand US dollars.  That 750 dollars doesn’t even cover one-tenth of what I used to prepare for the games neither does it pay my monthly rent in Europe.

    “They paid you training grants only when you are foreign based and people think it’s a lot of money but that doesn’t even cover a quarter of what used to prepare. If not for the grace of God, support of my family and my shoe contract, I won’t have gotten to where I did.”

    Fasuba’s repertoire included  being in Nigerian bronze medal winning team in the 4 x 100 metres relay at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games – the same year he won the African Championships on 100 metres. He also won  the silver medal at the 2006 Commonwealth Games and was the first African to win the indoor world champion over 60 metres in 2008.

    “I couldn’t say (I would have been better off doing other sport than athletics for Nigeria) as I bet others have their own problems, but I know if I had switch country I would have still been running,” reitreated Fasuba who graduated from the Royal Navy as a Logistician in 2011.“I am now in the Royal Navy.

    “As a kid growing up in Nigeria, I have always wanted to be in the Navy as I grew up at a naval base in Sapele. I loved the navy and I won’t be here today if I don’t.

    “I loved the way they dress and then now, the way we have to think about living and working on a ship. The passing out of training in 2011 has been one of my greatest moments. The pass-out parade was beautiful to watch with the display that we had to show and I’m in the RN logistics.”

    Fasuba is living his dream with the RN and is equally enjoying his athletics on the margins as well.

    Called Flash, the Leading Seaman (Logs) reportedly scooped the title of the fastest man in the UK’s armed forces when he won the 100-metre sprint title at the Inter-Services Athletics Championship to the delight of everyone.

    “He is pure class, both professionally and on the track. Leading Logs Fasuba is not only the quickest man in all three services, he is one of the quickest men in the world,” Commanding Officer of HMS Somerset, Commander Tim Berry, was quoted as saying about his crew member.

    Yet Fasuba remains nostalgic about his glorious years in the track and field though with tinge of regrets that the record seemed to have stood forever.

    “Well, records are meant to be broken and if they aren’t, it shows that development in that event is minimal,” he explained when pressed about his long-held 100m record as Africa’s fastest man since  he eclipsed  the previous 9.86 seconds set by Namibia’s Frankie Fredericks.  “I am up for development although I’m sad that Nigerian male sprinters aren’t the ones coming close to it.

    “That question (what were your best moments) always gets me as there are so many and trying to pick one is always very hard.

    “For me I would say winning the 60m World Indoors gold and I’m still the only African to have done it; and even when someone does win it in the future, I will still be remembered as the first African to have won it.

    “Also, I would say owning the African record in the 100m and by May 11, I would have kept that record longer than Frankie Fredericks,” he offered.

    Fasuba laid the dearth of quality sprinters at the doors of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) even as he described the recent free fall of Nigerians in athletics as shameful and huge disappointment.

    “During your time, there were classics to pick athletes and there were also cash incentives even though they were small; but something is better than nothing,” remarked Fasuba. “One of the disappointments with the AFN is that they don’t provide the right conditions for the athletes to compete; foreign-based athletes are now allowed to qualify based on their performance in Europe, I smell doom for the sport.”

    He continued: “The home-based will want to go out (abroad) to compete as conditions are better paving ways for other countries to try and give them the opportunity to compete for them.

    “They (AFN) just need to provide equal opportunities for the home-based and foreign-based to compete because some tracks in Europe are fast while those in Nigeria are slow due to wear and tear and this would always put the local athletes in a disadvantage position.

    “The AFN just have to  go back to the drawing board and come up with a plan as they promised us to improve the welfare of the athletes; that is all that is needed,” stated  Fasuba who recalled  his humble beginning as if it was yesterday.

    “I believe athletics was the only facilities available to be then,” he said when pressed why he settled for T&F despite being reportedly gifted with football. “My role model then was Francis Obikwelu and it was fun competing against him.  Not everybody in life gets to do the thing they love in life and do it with their role models.

    “My toughest rivals in Africa then were fellow Nigerians in the likes of Deji Aliyu, Uchenna Emedolu and Tamoinosiki Atoridibo; and that is why I can’t understand why our sprinting heritage has died.

    I really don’t know what they want to achieve with that (states and companies jostling to host marathon races), and in my opinion I think they should be ashamed of themselves as that has no benefit to the nation in terms of athletes development. They know that it has no effect on producing athletes who are going to be the future of tomorrow, so why do it?” Fasuba remonstrated.

    Despite the peculiar mess befuddling the AFN, Fasuba is clear-headed on what should be done if offered a position of responsibility.

    “No, I’m not interested to lead the AFN one day,” he stated with military fiat. “I don’t have the patience to deal with politicians and people who believe they can use it as a stepping stone into politics.

    “Rather(a role) more like an independent advisor will be more suited for me if there’s ever anything like that; but who knows, dreams can change,” sounded Fasuba who quit T& F in 2011 to join the  Royal

  • COMING TO AMERICA: Angel Macleod says IMG Academy is a dream come true

    COMING TO AMERICA: Angel Macleod says IMG Academy is a dream come true

    At 17, tennis sensation Angel Macleod has won more trophies than players older than her. She has also had a fair share of life’s bitter lessons. In a chat with TAIWO ALIMI from International Management Group (IMG), Florida, she speaks about what inspires her, life in the U.S.A and her aspiration.  

    Nigeria tennis teenage sensation, Angel Macleod, believes the move to International Management Group (IMG) Academy is the best thing to have happened to her career.

    IMG Academy is a private educational institution located in Bradenton, Florida, and specialising in sports training. Built on 500-acre facility it is complete with campus, training and competition facility for baseball, golf, soccer, tennis, basketball, football, lacrosse, and track & field and cross-country.

    Angel said IMG Academy is a dream come true for her. “Ever since I started playing tennis seven years ago, I have always been looking forward to going to IMG to train. It is the very best for up and coming sports men and women. Eighty per cent of the sports stars you see today must have passed through IMG. It is an honour to be here.”

    She noted that her idols in the business all attended IMG as teenagers. Serena and Venus Williams started real tennis from IMG even though it was their father that discovered their skill.  Other top tennis stars that passed through IMG are Maria Sharapova, Novak Djokovic, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Petra Kvitová, Monica Seles, John McEnroe, David Ferrer, and Sabine Lisicki.

    Angel, 17, is one of the most talented youngsters in the country, peaking at a career-high ranking of 661 in the world junior rankings at the start of 2017.

    Her coming to America has also reunited her with her friend and teammate, Marylove Edwards, who joined the Florida train early last year.

    “I’m not lonely in Florida because Mary got here first and my coming has been good for both of us. We often play together and I have made new friends too,” she offered.

    So how did she start playing?

    “The credit should go to my mother. She discovered me and as soon as I could lift a racket she set me going. She had passion for the game too and by the time I turned 10, she told me she would ensure that I become one of the best in the game.

    “Tennis is something I loved since I was small. Every time I watched my mum play in Port Harcourt, I liked it and she started training me from there because she found out that I had a passion for it. From there I started playing tennis till now.”

    She could not bear to talk about her mother in the past tense having lost her in gruesome circumstance in 2015: “She motivated me into the person I am today. I missed my mum, though I have families who have been kind to me.  I would have valued having my mum with me, watching me grow up. It’s so sad.

    “But now that she’s not there, I wouldn’t want anybody to start thinking that I’m no body. I want to be somebody for her, myself and my family. That’s my motivation. Even though she shouted at me sometimes, she also pushed me to do more than I was doing. If she wasn’t there, I was not really motivated. But I’m glad she was always there for me. My mother used to train me nine hours a day.

    “She encouraged me to keep trying even when I felt like giving up. Before I won my first tournament, I finished as runner up in some and nearly gave up. But, my mum would calm me down and tell me my time would come soon.

    “I cherished the first trophy I ever won because when I started playing, I was like an egg. I was not that tough and I was waiting for someone to crack me, so I could come out of my shell. It happened like eight years ago, when I won my first trophy at Club Francis in Dubai. During the tournament, I saw so many kids winning trophies and I told my mom: ‘The next tournament, I’m going to win that trophy.’ She wished me luck and I won, I beat my Indian opponent 6-0, 6-0. And ever since, I’ve always beaten that girl.”

    Going to IMG, she said, was made possible by her uncle, friends and family members.

    Hear her: “My uncle and my mother were real close and he decided I needed to go to the best academy. The fees were real high but we had help from friends who believed in me.  All credit should go to my uncle because he did not want her sister’s dream to die. He actually made it possible for me to enrol into IMG.”

    She described her spell in IMG as enjoyable: “It’s an honour and privilege being in the world’s biggest academy. I am thankful for this opportunity to excel in both education and sports. I have met great people here and don’t forget that my good friend Marylove Edwards is also here. It’s nice that we are here together and it is the beginning of great things that would happen to our country.”

    That two of her favourite tennis idols, Serena and Venus Williams, also passed through IMG, she noted, inspire her.

    “I love the way Serena and Venus play and they have always been my idols,” she enthused.

    “I hardly miss their games and that they also attended IMG greatly inspired me to the academy. I admire Serena a lot. I admire her power and athleticism on court and striving to be like her.”

    She added that she is looking forward to putting Nigeria’s name in world map. “I’m keen to put Nigeria on the map in regards to tennis. I’m extremely excited about this new chapter in my life. I know there are challenges ahead but I want my mom to be proud of me. I believe she is.

  • SUNDAY FALEYE: My mum nearly made me a tailor

    SUNDAY FALEYE: My mum nearly made me a tailor

    Teenager Sunday Faleye broke into the consciousness of Nigerian football followers  with his sterling performance  last season  in the NPFL with  Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) of Ibadan. The 19-year-old shares his humble beginning, amongst other things with LANRE AGIRI & MORAKINYO ABODUNRIN.

    Sunday Faleye, the velvet-skilful striker with the Super Eagles to the recently concluded African Nations Cup in Morocco, could have been a tailor today but for divine intervention.

    Until his talent was spotted by former Nigerian international, Faleye was at one stage in his life enlisted as an apprentice with a local fashion designer. But fate had so much in store fore for him.

    “One of the craziest things I have done over the years was running away from a fashion shop my mum enrolled me into because she felt I was playing football too much,” revealed Faleye amidst roaring laugher. “But I only went to the tailoring shop for just two weeks, I joined another team away from the neighbourhood and I lied to my parents I was still learning tailoring.”

    Yet, Faleye’s life was tailored to play football and little wonder, he was spotted by no other person than former Nigerian international striker, Jonathan Akpoborie, in the popularly Ajegunle suburb in Lagos.

    “ What attracted me to Faleye was instincts to pick out talents when I see one,“ stated the 49-year-old  Akpoborie who made headlines in his heyday  with several  Bundesliga sides including Hansa Rostock, VfB Stuttgart and VfL Wolfsburg.“ What makes him special was the development  from when I first saw him, the rapid progress. Plus he has worked very hard on the disciplinary part of football  so far, and he is willing to give more on the field.”

    Faleye plays football with smile and gives everything to the cause of his team both in club and national shirts.

    After he copped an injury in the CHAN quarter final against Angola, he was sadly missed in that ill-fated CHAN final match when the home-based Super Eagles lost 4-0 to the hosts, Morocco

    “Until his injury (in CHAN), I think he was playing well although the team in general was not the best,” Akpoborie offered with his razor-sharp analysis.

    “He just needs playing now and we will continue to watch his progress before taking the next step.

    “I would have loved him to play in the CAF Champions League this season, and then we see what brings for him and then take it from here,” added Akpoborie

    Faleye’s breakthrough from a neighbourhood footballer to Nigeria Professional Football League star has been swift and impressive and the lad admitted his palm kernel was cracked by a benevolent spirit.

    “I started my career as a teenager with Bright Future Football Academy but I never took football as a serious business but just playing it for the fun of it,” explained Faleye, an indigene of Ogbomosho in Oyo State. “But my school team coach told me that I can be great through football during an inter-classes football competition in my junior class in secondary school. After that discussion, I decided to focus on the game and started playing for my school team. I won principal cup and emerged as the highest goal scorer in Lagos State.

    “It is true I joined Shooting Stars from nowhere. I was at the training that day and somebody came to inform me about Shooting Stars Football conducting a trial in Ibadan and I quickly packed my bag and belongings to join the exercise the following morning.

    “When I got to the camp, I met a lot of good players, so I tried my best and the rest became a history today. Honestly, I thank God for his grace and I appreciate the management of Shooting Stars for believing in me.”

    Though the Oluyole Warriors were relegated from the top flight of the NPFL at the end of last season, they still have in their firmament Faleye who had an impressive 11 goals and several assists in only his first season. He offered: “Honestly, I’m one of the luckiest guys on the planet, I don’t even expect myself playing for Shooting Stars at this very tender age, but I thank God for his grace, and then I thank Coach Fatai Amoo for believing in me and give me chance to prove myself.

    “Coach Amoo is no doubt a good coach. He knows what to do and when to bring any player into any game. He used me as super sub-player that can change the game at point of need and I felt that’s one of the reasons he played me from bench when he was with Shooting Stars.

    “I thank God for the opportunity given to me by the Shooting Stars’ management and having the opportunity of  playing in the Nigeria Professional Football League is one of the greatest things that has happened to my football career, I knew this could happen this fast.

    “Another honour is being a player for one of the oldest teams in Nigeria with a wide fan base. It’s a thing of joy for me, I never knew I can be a Shooting Stars player at this early stage of my career.

    “The Shooting Stars fans are my big family and pillar of support; they are there for me in terms of prayer and moral support. Anytime I am about to lose focus they call me to order and bring me back to my right senses. I love them.”

    Meanwhile, Faleye, who went on trial in Denmark with top division side Nordsjaelland, has singled out Akpoborie as the major influence on his fledging career, adding that the former Nigerian international has done more than anybody to push him on course.

    Hear him: “Jonathan Akpoborie is my role model, he supported my career and gives me a good platform to proof myself. He took me to Cowbell Football Camp, bought me kits and to crown it all, he is the one that gives me money to travel down for Shooting Stars trial, which led to my big breakthrough.”

  • ARSENAL-IN-CRISIS: Life after football stops Wenger from walking away

    Arsene Wenger lives for football, and there’s nothing wrong with that. We all love the game; the thrills and exhilaration – what’s not to love?

    However, when does that obsession start becoming unhealthy? Probably at the point Wenger has reached now.

    He often watches back-to-back games at home after a long day at the club’s training ground. Wenger has been known to unwind, even after a night game, by – you guessed it – watching a game on the TV.

    Ask Wenger about a player; he’d have watched him. His knowledge of the modern game knows no bounds.

    If there’s an academy match at the training ground, invariably he’ll stay to watch it – long after the first-team squad have left for the day. That obsession doesn’t leave much time for anything else.

    He does eat out on occasion, South American restaurant El Vaquero in Whetstone is a personal favourite of his, but any relaxation time would be a mere pit stop. Wenger would soon be back to do something, absolutely anything, related to football.

    Even when the majority of his squad head off on international duty, Wenger often takes up a punditry role for French TV.

    During the working week he still arrives at the training ground at the crack of dawn; much to the detriment of weary-eyed journalists who arrive at London Colney as early as 8.15am for Wenger’s press briefings.

    When he leaves Arsenal, a scenario which is looking increasingly likely to take place at the end of the season, Wenger has already confided in those close to him that he will look to continue working.

    At the age of 68, surely it’s time for the Wenger to retire? No chance. He lives and breathes football. There’s not much time for anything else.

    If Wenger does leave this summer, the Frenchman will look for his next opportunity to get involved in the game he loves so dearly.

    In many ways his dedication to the job should be applauded, but on the other hand, it is his infatuation with football that is depriving the football club he loves so dearly of moving forward.

  • DOMINQUE WILSON: American gal in love with D’TIGRESS

    DOMINQUE WILSON: American gal in love with D’TIGRESS

    Her style of play belies her ability on the court. She moves like a player who is not interested in the proceeding, someone who is just on the team to make up the numbers.

    But as a point guard, Dominque Wilson is expected to assert herself physically on the game. She is supposed to be tough during games either when taking the ball forward or stopping the opposition point guard from bringing the ball to her team’s side of the court.

     However, the native of Georgia relies more on wisdom to outwit her opponents rather than raw strength. Though she is not averse to being physical on the court, she, however, feels that basketball is 80 per cent brain work and 20 per cent grit.

    She exhibited these traits at her first professional tournament at the FIBA African Champions Cup for Women (ACCW) where she played for First Bank Basketball Club. The American endeared herself to the rest of Africa with her sleek style of play and propelled the Nigerian team to third place, finishing among the best five and winning the highest point scorer at the championship, deposing the likes of Lucas Italee Malina of Inter Club and Dongue Leia Tania do Bastic of Primerio Agosto of Angola.

    Having joined the team  at the start of the championship in Luanda, no one including  her teammates and coaches would have thought she would have so much impact .She even got to Luanda six hours before  the First Bank contingent as she  waited patiently to meet her  would-be teammates.

    In the first game, the  5.8 point guard led her team in scoring and deservedly  got the approval of Coach Peter Ahmedu to take over scoring duty.

     She was flawless from the three point line and delivered passes that led to more goals for his team. Her delivery from the free throw line was spot-on and immediately became the star of the team. But she was still not satisfied as she felt that she had more in her tank.

    Wilson became the main stay of the team and dictated the play throughout the tournament. Even when things were not going well with the team, her calm demeanour gave her team mates assurance that all will be well.

     “I am happy to come to Africa and play basketball. I hope I will become the player of my dream as I progress in my career,” she offered while sharing sundry matters with ADEYINKA ADEDIPE. Read on…

    In the beginning

    As a kid, Wilson can be described as an ‘all-rounder’. She experimented with different sports and she became versatile: “Honestly when I was very little, I did a lot of different sports. I was the only girl in the family. I had my two cousins and my younger brother as companions. I had no choice, but to engage in different sport with them; I played soccer, did karate, American football, volleyball, did track and field and also engaged in cross country races.”

    As she advanced in age, she limited her participation to two sports – soccer and basketball. But again, she had a difficult choice to make. Eventually, she settled for basketball. She also had the blessing of her parent, which, she said, was key to her career.

    She said: “My parents were happy that I took part basketball but they were quick to point out that I had to take my studies seriously. For them, it was school first. They told me that I had to make good grades or else, I would have to stop playing. I also settled for basketball because I had a lot of friends who were playing the game so, I was encouraged to join them.”

    Going to high school  

    After her elementary school, the 23-year-old moved to McEachern High School in Georgia where she had the opportunity to develop her skill in the game. The school had a good programme and Wilson was sure she would enjoy studying and playing basketball at the school. She also played AAU League during the summer, which also gave her the chance to showcase her talent to colleges who were on the lookout for talented players.

    “Georgia basketball is one of the best and it is very competitive,” she recalled. “ I played at the top level at McEachern and the high school league in Georgia was very competitive. We had a good basketball programme, which helped me develop my game.

    “During summer, I played in the AAU League for Georgia Peaches, Pistols and Athletics of Tomorrow (AOT), which also brought me in contact with the best high school players. I got all the exposure I needed to also improve as a players and it was also a competition where colleges pick players.”

    Due to her decent performance, her jersey was rested by the school authorities and rated one of the best players to have featured for the school.  She was rated a four-star guard by ESPN HoopGurlz, led the Indians to a state title and a No. 2 national ranking in her senior season and named first team all-state as a senior. She also led McEachern to four-straight state championship game appearances, reached the 1000-point plateau as a junior and averaged 13.0 points per game that season and graduated with a 3.7 GPA in science.

    College basketball

    Her splendid performance caught the eye of Arkansas where she schooled and played for one season 2011. At Arkansas, she made 19 starts and played in all 33 games for the Razorbacks. The team finished with a 20-13 record and made it to the third round of the Postseason WNIT. She averaged 6.6 points and 2.5 rebounds in 23 minutes per game and started 14 of the final 15 games of the season as well as averaged 8.8 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists over that stretch.

    She scored in double figures on nine occasions, becoming the first Arkansas player since 2006 to score 17 or more points in three-consecutive games. She also had a career-best 19 points in a triple-overtime win at Alabama, added 18 points in a win over Missouri and 17 points against No. 8 Kentucky.

    In 2012, she transferred to North Carolina on scholarship. She also had several offers from Richmond, Duke and others, but she settled for North Carolina. According to her, she chose North Carolina because it was close to her home. She played in the ACC Atlantic Coast Conference. She, however, did not play in her first year at North Carolina because of NCAA transfer rules.

    Wilson was not bothered about her inactivity in her first year at North Carolina, but was focused on doing well as soon as she had the chance to get into the team: “I was not bothered about playing in the first year at North Carolina, but I was strong-minded and knew I will take my chance. I played with the likes of Myre Spence, Jennifer Mathron, Chelsea Nelson, Carlee Schumacher, Ashley Williams, Akhela Maize, among others.”

    Combining studies and basketball at North Carolina was easy as the school management ensured that their athletes did not suffer educationally.

    “It was not difficult to combine both (basketball and education),” she explained. “We had different members of staff that helped the team in the classroom. For school, we had tutors and advisers that helped us greatly. The coaches also make sure you had good schedule while on the road.”

    In her final year at North Carolina, Wilson was named All-ACC First Team in a vote of the league’s coaches, named All-ACC Second Team in a vote of the league’s Blue Ribbon Panel, started all 32 of the Wolfpack’s games, averaging 31.4 minutes, 13.9 points (led the team in scoring for the second straight season), 3.1 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.6 steals per game.

    She finished the season ranked number 22 nationally in FT percentage (.867), recorded the fifth best FT shooting season in programme history and ends her career as the second most accurate FT shooter in programme history at 324-382 (.848). Despite playing just three seasons at North Carolina State, she ends her career ranked seventh in programme history with 163 made 3FG. She also Scored 50 points in her last two career games (23 in NCAAT win over Auburn and 27 in NCAAT loss at No. 14/15 Texas). She scored 10+ points 23 times during her senior season and 20+ points five times and ends her career with 84 games of 10+ points in 96 opportunities, ranking tied for ninth all-time, Wilson also made at least four FG in 19 of the Wolfpack’s 32 games and ends her career ranked 19th in programme history with 1,375 points scored at NC State.

    Coming to Africa

    After Upe Atosu left First Bank Basketball Club for the United States of America after the D’Tigress Afrobasket win in Mali in August, Coach Peter Ahmedu contacted former international, Mactabene Amachree, to help secure the services of a brilliant point guard.

    Amachree, who is Wilson’s agent, talked to her player and the family and a deal was struck. she secured her Nigerian visa late so she was told to join the team in Angola for the FIBA Africa Champions Cup for Women (ACCW).

    In Angola, she showed maturity and despite her young age and became the darling of the fans and little wonder she was voted among the top five and was also the highest score at the championship.

    She offered: “I got to know about First Bank BC through Amachree who I have known since I was in eighth grade. She played in the Women National Basketball League (WNBA), but now plays in Israel.

    “She contacted me multiple times about different teams but I had to figure out if I wanted to play because I was injured in my last season at the College. So, the priority for me was to get stronger but she convinced me to come to Africa to play my first professional tournament with First Bank.

    “At first it was overwhelming. The coach yelled a lot acting as if I had been with the team for over a month, not minding that I just joined the team.

    “I had to learn how to play with the team quickly. So, after training I thought about the plays so much because I knew I had an important role to play in the team. It was a challenging experience but I am happy I took the chance. I have reported back to her and we are looking into the future. Right now, I will stay in shape as I await my next move,” she added.

    Sport-loving family

    The Wilsons are a sport family. Her father, Damon played football at Georgia Tech, while her brothers were instrumental to her playing basketball. Her boyfriend, Dennis Smith Junior, plays for the Mavericks in the NBA. Wilson father is now a basketball coach and she is proud of him.

    Next move

    Wilson, who missed being drafted by a WNBA team, hopes to find her way into the European league in the nearest future: “I would have loved to play in the WNBA. I was contacted by Connecticut and Washington through my agent but their interest cooled off few days to the commencement of the league

    “I had to come to Africa to play for First Bank at the ACCW. Right now, Mac T (Amachree) is talking to teams in the Euro league and hopefully something good will come my way.”

    Playing for Nigeria

    After excelling with First Bank Basketball Club at the ACCW in Angola last November, Wilson is keen to play for D’Tigress, if offered a chance: “Playing for the Nigerian team would be fun fulfilling; I get the feeling that it would be a nice experience if one considers how good it was playing for First Bank at the ACCW. The players were friendly and accommodating and I’m sure of experiencing the same if I get to play for the Nigeria.

    “But as a pro, it is all about who pays more. I will come because I don’t turn down offers for no reasons. My decision will also depend on my mother and Mac T, who have been around the game for so long,” she enthused.

  • DEONTAY WILDER: I’ll burst Anthony Joshua’s hype

    DEONTAY WILDER: I’ll burst Anthony Joshua’s hype

    Deontay Wilder might speak at a million words a minute, but he does not waste them on idle threats. The American World Boxing Council heavyweight champion once challenged a man who had insulted his daughter, Naieya, who has spina bifida, to spar with him at his gym. The results were not pretty.

    Now Wilder has a different target in mind. Without overlooking his opponent in New York on Saturday night – the 38-year-old Cuban Luis Ortiz – Wilder’s sights are firmly set on “bursting the hype bubble” of heavyweight rival Anthony Joshua.

    A combination of the profane and the profound, whose subjects of conversation shift quickly as his feet in the ring, Wilder used an exclusive interview with Telegraph Sport to deride Joshua’s class, suggesting that British fans had “been brainwashed by Eddie Hearn that Joshua is the heavyweight Messiah”, and that the returning Tyson Fury will be a tougher fight for him.

    Wilder, who is making the seventh defence of his crown in Brooklyn, believes that boxing fans deserve to know within 12 months “who the true, undisputed heavyweight champion of the world really is.”

    “I have been trying to fight Joshua for two years, and Tyson Fury for five years,” says Wilder. “Is Joshua vulnerable to my style? Of course he is. I have a very strange style you can’t prepare for. I’m unpredictable. I’m difficult to adjust against, to prepare for. And I’m a scary person. People criticise my style, say ‘he fights wild’ but look what happened to the 38 men who fought me.”

  • JOHN OGU: Why I proposed to my wife on the pitch

    JOHN OGU: Why I proposed to my wife on the pitch

    Nigeria and Hapoel Be’er Sheva playmaker, John Ogu, made the biggest media headline not playing football for club or country. He got the attention of reknown cable networks, among them CNN, when he popped the ‘Will You Marry Me?’ question to his fiancée two years ago.

    Joined by his teammates after a memorable 5-2 league win, on the pitch, Ogu said he popped the question to a stunned Ada (now Ada Ogu) who covered her face while trying to fight back happy tears before thousands of Hapoel Be’er Sheva fans.

    Hear him:  “The credit really should go to my brother and friend, Anthony Nwakeame. We were in the dressing room and I asked him how best to propose to my wife. My idea was to pop the question at a restaurant during lunch or dinner.

    “But he told me that since we were playing the next day, I should speak to management and pop the question after the game in full glare of the fans. Right there, I spoke with the director and he said I could do it after the game. I was scared because I thought we might lose and we won’t be in a happy mood. But I accepted.

    “We won the game 5-2 and to my biggest surprise, the fans did not leave the stadium and my fiancée came forward and I went on my knees and popped the question. It was the finest moment of my life and my teammates and fans celebrated with us for hours.

    “My wife was pleasantly surprised too. Later, I received calls from my friends all over the world who saw it on television and even on CNN,” Ogu stated as he speaks more about is wife whom he calls his ‘best coach’ as well as his loving daughter in this interview with TAIWO ALIMI. Excerpts…

    Family life

    My wife is the greatest thing to happen to me. I remember how I proposed to her vividly because it was after a match. Her name is Ada Ogu and we have a daughter that I love very much. My wife is today my best coach. She watches all my matches and criticises me afterwards for what I did not do well. She is also passionate about the sport.

    As for my daughter, I don’t think I would like her to play football. Personally, I think football is too physical for women. My apology to all female footballers because I feel it’s meant for men. This is not to disparage ladies playing football. Her mum would like her to play tennis while I would like it if she plays basketball. But if she chooses football, I won’t stop her. I will not if it is her choice.

    Sunny side of Ogu

    I watch football and highlight of games whenever I want to relax. Football is my life and even when I’m relaxing I’m watching football. I watch football a lot. I watch past games and the best way for me to relax is to watch football. When I am tired I slot in a football tape and I feel energised. Football is it for me. I also like basketball.

    I used to see myself as a banker. But football just killed everything. If I wasn’t playing football I probably would see myself as a manager of a big bank in Nigeria.

    Pressure from family and friends

    I feel that very much. I understand that the country is hard and things are really tough. Even the young and coming players are too desperate and they often come at you begging for money. They can really be on your face and it is scary at times. When I was on the street playing football, it was tight too and sometimes it was so bad that I would steal my mum’s money to go to match venues. Sometimes I got transport fare from my coach, but the dimension that people go to now is even scary. I feel the pressure and I always do my best to help out.

    Formative years

    Like every other footballer, especially in this part of the world, I started from the street. I imbibed football passion from the street. We would move from our street to the next and to far ones while playing football and from there the passion just grew. God blessed me with a talent that could not be hidden and I have to show it to the whole world.

    Youth career

    It was at Starlet FC that I learnt all I needed to know about football as a teenager. It was here that I learnt the basis of football, how to kick the ball and a lot of other things that I needed to know as a kid. There are two coaches that I would never forget; Coach Atta, who hails from Calabar, the South South of the country, taught me the rudiment of the game while Coach Baresi (not real name) taught me that how to be disciplined and respect other players.

    We used to go to competitions where we played other teams and that helped me a lot. It was there that I met an ex-international who offered to help me go abroad. I spent some months in his camp and from there they arranged for me to travel to Europe and that is how I started my professional career. From there I moved to Portugal and was in Portugal for three seasons before I moved to Israel where I am today.

    Parental support

    To be honest, it wasn’t difficult to convince my parents to allow me go out play football. My dad and mom supported me fully and not once did they stop me from exhibiting this God given gift. But, again I knew this is what I wanted to do in my life right from my young age and all I needed to do was to know how badly I needed to do it. I’m lucky to have parents that gave me free hand and supported me. It is not all parents that do that but mine gave me more than 100 per cent support and thanks to them for it.

    Portugal experience

    The experience in Portugal was not devoid of bitter taste because it was my first real professional experience. There were tough moments and I remember that at a point my team played a match with eight players because we had to go without salary for four, five months.

    At that time, some players could not even sign their contract. But my agent had told me that I should be patient and that I would move out soon. It was a tough time but I learnt a lesson that defined me and would help me to face the future like a true winner.  For me, I had a contract with them and my agent said I should play and whenever I chose to move they would allow me leave as free agent.

    I decided to stay and play and in a particular match we played eight players against 10. It was a tough match for us but the experience toughened me. I know it happened for a reason and it is in my past now.

    Nigerian league

    I did not play in the Nigerian league before going abroad. But I would like to experience it before I end my career. I will come back home to play for a team in Nigeria. I think it is high time that we promoted our league. If you watch Brazilian players, they go back to their home country at a point in their career and play there.

    It is a way to give back and grow the league. I would rather come back to Nigeria to play than to play abroad without getting paid. This is the time to appeal to our ex-players to give back and help grow the league in Nigeria. That would help bring back the sponsor and the fans into our stadium. I’m 100 per cent sure that I will come back to play in Nigeria.

    Toughest team and player ever played

    I’ve played a lot of players. When I am on the field I see every opponent as good and so I don’t underrate them. I’ve played against brilliant players such as Xavi and Pirlo and I respect them. But football is a team play and therefore I play for my team members and they play for me too.

    Most Cherished career moments

    It must be winning my first professional title in Israel and wining it the following year again. The back to back thing simply freaks me out. I do no imagine that that I would achieve this so soon in my career. I am really happy to play in Israel. Winning the league shield back to back is a special one for me.

    Most disappointed moment

    So far, it is missing the World Cup. I was part of the team that qualified Nigeria for the last World Cup but I had issues with my club and that affected me badly. I did not make the final list to the World Cup for that reason. I can still remember how it feels to date.

    Racial abuse

    I’ve not experienced racial abuse in my career. I don’t really pay attention to that kind of things. I am more focused on trying to prove myself and helping my team win games. I have not come across it in my career and s I don’t know how it feels. It is really a bad though.

    I can’t imagine being called a monkey because I have dark skin. The closest that I have experienced in Israel is for fans to chant when they feel you have dived in the box to gain a penalty for your team.

    Retirement plans

    I would love to coach one day but it is still a long time to come. It is something for the future. In five, six years, maybe I would begin to look into that. But what I would really like to do is football management.

    That is what I have passion for. I see myself like a director of a club.

  • PETER SUSWAM: Wife shares similarities with my mum

    PETER SUSWAM: Wife shares similarities with my mum

    Former junior international Peter Terna Suswam has admitted it’s natural for men to see some similarities between their wives and mothers as he purred on his adorable sweetheart, writes MORAKINYO ABODUNRIN

    Until most recently, Peter Terna Suswam’s reference for love was no other person than his mother who has stood behind him like the rock of Gibraltar .

    “My mum is my favourite, she is my life and I’m very close to her,” stated Suswam in a file interview with our correspondent. “I will get married no doubt but whoever I marry would have to accommodate my adorable mother.”

    In another breath, Suswam has shared such endearment about his wife, adding that exchanging of marital vows with Natalia, a Polish, was his best moments in 2017.

    “A lot of people have their own definitions of love but as for me love has no colour,” Suswam hinted recently.  “When you love someone, you fall in love completely and you are both joyful about each other.”

    He offered more: “My wife has things in common with my mother because they are both strong women with so much love to share. One of my great moments in 2017 was October 15; the date when I exchanged vows with Natalia as mywife. We met through a friend and since then, the rest is history.”

    To demonstrate his love for Natalia, Suswam waited for the opportune time before making a formal proposal and where else can someone propose than the idyllic ambience of Lake Solina.

    For those not conversant with tourist destinations, Lake Solina according to an online encyclopaedia  was created in 1968 by the construction of the Solina Dam on the San River. It has an area of 22 square kilometres and contains 472,000,000 cubic metres of water, making it Poland’s largest artificial lake. It is the best known tourist attraction of the region, with waterside villages like Solina, Myczkowce and Polańczyk catering to water sports enthusiasts. The lake’s great depth, water clarity, and mountainous scenery make it a very popular destination for boaters. Because of these qualities the lake has been nicknamed the “Bieszczady Sea”.

    “My wife is from Poland and we went on holidays to Lake Solina,” stated Suswam who is currently attached to the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) champions, Plateau United. “Lake Solina with its very cold water is really a cool place to chill during summer and that was where I proposed to my wife.

    “Why did I marry her?  She’s very loving and supportive; she’s unique and a person any man would wish for a wife and she’s the mother of my beautiful daughter. We were together for three years before marriage and our daughter is about one year and six months old. She was named Sayen Nadoo Suswam. Sayen is an English name and it means lovable and Nadoo means great gift in my Tiv dialect,” he said.

    Away from marital bliss, Suswam has an exciting soccer career too. He began his career with SEC Abuja and signed for Wikki Tourists in 2007.  With Wikki Tourists, he played his first professional games in the NPFL and was sold to Lobi Stars in 2009.

    He moved abroad in 2010 to team up with Vitoria Setubal and stayed with the Portuguese Primeira Liga side for three seasons. He later had stints with FK Kukesi in the Albanian Superliga,  as well as Stal Rzeszow in the Polish Professional League before returning home to join Plateau United.

    “I have gained much experience and my game has matured with varied experiences playing in Portugal, Poland and Albania,” he explained. “I have also grown up as a person

    “I had some best moments in those three countries. Playing in big games against FC Porto and Benfica was massive; these were games I used to watch on TV and it was absolutely great to find myself playing in such games. Yes, I played with Victoria Setubal where the late Rashid Yekini was well respected; he was a legend of the club.

    “In Albania, I had the experience of Europa leaguewith FK Kukesi and aside from the football, I met my wife in Poland and I now have a very lovely family. Things like these  are some of the best moments of my life and career.”

    “I’m presently with Plateau United; I just decided to come back home. They said when things aren’t going the way you  planned, you come back home. It was a bit challenging initially coming back home to play in the NPFL but now everything is moving smoothly.

    “I did not join Plateau United because they were the NPFL champions rather, they gave me an opportunity and I think it’s an ideal place for me. We have an agreement for two years and so we see what happen, I just have to put in the hard work

    “Of course, I have played in other local clubs before but Plateau United is a team with purpose and they are pushing us the players not just to be good but to better persons as well. It’s like a family  and this has shown in our readiness for the CAF Champions League.

    “The team won the league last year and we are one hundred percent ready to meet the expectations of many,” he posited.

    He’s still nostalgic about his days with the national teams when he helped the Super Eagles B team to win the 2010 WAFU Cup. He nearly gate-crashed into the squad for 2010 FIFA World Cup held in South Africa under Coach Lars Lagerbackwho handed him his first cap for the Super Eagles in the friendly  match against Saudi Arabia. Thereafter, he helped the Flying Eagles reach the quarter finals at the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Colombia.

    “It’s true I had a great time at the youth level but my focus now is doing well with Plateau United, I’m not focusing on Super Eagles,” he stated.

    SHORT & SHARP WITH SUSWAM

    What are the things that give you joy?

    My family there is nothing like having a good family. In my family, we have four boys and three girls. I’m very close to my siblings and my mum because she has being there for us since the death of my dad.

    What makes you sad?

    Just sad that my dad is not alive. He died in 2005.

    What is your definition of fashion and what kind of dress do you like to wear?

    Just  to dress good and look smart. I love to wear jeans and T-shirt but sometimes I put on native.

    What would not be caught wearing?

    Babaringa (the flowing wide sleeved robe)

    Who are your best designs?

    I like Luis Vuitton, Zara and my very good friend is a designer and he owns Pivon’s Republic

    What encouragement did you get from your parents playing football?

    They wanted me to go to school; you know every parent back then would punish you for playing football.

    What would you have done if not playing football?

    Be an accountant.

    Who are those that inspired you as a footballer?

    My dad, he played football in his younger years. My dad was a very hardworking man. Though he was not rich, he made sure we had food to eat and cloth on our back so that makes him my hero. He is my idol because he taught us how to love and care for each other.