Former Nigeria international, Eddy Lord Dombraye, recollects some of the best moments of his career in this conversation with MORAKINYO ABODUNRIN.
It may be festive season for all and sundry but it is a significant self-examination for former Nigerian international, Eddy Lord Dombraye, as he looks back at his career with the national teams with mixed feelings.
Dombraye’s was a household name, especially with followers of the domestic league when he was one of the top scorers in the 1990s. His exploits resonated even further when he moved abroad to join Polish side LKS Lodz where he spent about four seasons.
“I didn’t have a long playing experience with the Super Eagles but I cherished my only cap for the national team,” the former Iwuanyanwu Nationale and Bendel Insurance striker said in an interview with The Nation. “I played my first and only game for the Super Eagles against Burkina Faso (The Stallions) for the 2000 African Cup of Nations qualifierin Ouagadougou.
“Most of the established stars didn’t come for the game and we were captained by Mutiu Adepoju. We also had Willy Okpara, Celestine Babayaro and others in that team but I only played for about 15 minutes or so.”
That 4th October 1998 duel at the August 4 Stadium (Stade du 4 Aout) was later annulled by CAF after Nigeria and Ghana were jointly awarded the hosting right of the 2000 AFCON but almost two decades later, Dombraye has yet shed light on his limited appearance in the national team colours.
“There is nothing to regret about my football career because I had a great time playing back in Nigeria before travelling to Europe where I played for clubs in Poland, Serbia and Ukraine but I didn’t have a good tournament at Nigeria’99 (the FIFA U-20 World Cup Championship hosted by Nigeria),” Dombraye, who clocked 39 on November 11, says with a tinge of emotion.
Such was Dombraye’s prowess in Poland then that a tabloid rammed him on its cover of the eve of the championship with a sensational headline: Dombraye, the Boy who will save Nigeria!
Yet the Flying Eagles had a poor tournament and were eventually eliminated in the quarter final after a 3-1 drubbing in an all-West-African derby at the Nnamdi Azikwe Stadium in Enugu.
Meanwhile, Dombraye has finally opened up on the ides of Nigeria ’99, adding that it was a singular moment that may have cost him many international caps with the Super Eagles.
“Maybe I shouldn’t have come for Nigeria ’99 because I was not fit. The invitation came when I was
I was just coming out of an injury but the urge to represent my country at the World Cup was huge,” he said. “I agree with you that my not-too-impressive performance during Nigeria’99 affected my career with the Super Eagles.”
Nevertheless, Dombraye is not the kind who broods over the past. “There is nothing to regret. I have so many great moments while playing here in Nigeria and even when I travelled abroad. I can’t trade such experience with anything,” he says.
A double winner of both the WAFU Club Cup and now rested CAF Cup with Bendel Insurance in 1993 and 1994 respectively, Dombraye has since retired from the game and is now desirous of fishing out new talents in his capacity as a coach.
“I knew it was about time I stopped playing football when I had the second surgery on my knee,”explains Dombraye who is now a holder of the much-sought after UEFA Coaching Licence after completing the A + B course in addition to the UEFA C Licence of 2016
“It was no longer easy managing the injury. I usually get knocked down because of my height but I’m thrilled with the opportunity of coaching now since it affords me the opportunity to equally show the younger ones the quality I possessed as a player,” notes Dombraye as he shares his football travelogue in an interesting interview. Excerpts…
Best moments of my football career
Definitely, I would say being the second best striker in the Nigeria League in the 1998/1999 season was one good moment of my football career. Also going from Iwuayanwu Nationale ( Heartland FC) to play the CAF Champions League for Eagle Cement of Port Harcourt; time at my first club in Europe at LKS Lodz in Poland. I can’t forget those great moments; I still cherish them. For instance, I had little or no challenge when I arrived in Europe. Right from day one, I was shown love by the fans and officials. I think the only challenge that I had was the challenge to do well and good enough, I scored in my second game and that made me settle in immediately and took away the pressure.
From Poland to Ukraine
The Ukrainian league is a bit higher than the Polish League and that is why you see some of their clubs doing well in the UEFA Champions League and Europa Cup. The Ukrainian League is more physical and that is why clubs playing against them in Europe are always careful.
Life after football
At some point, I was busy studying for my UEFA coaching certificates and I’ve got my C, B and A coaching badges. But before then, I was working as a sub agent because I’d wanted to be involved with the business of football after my football career. Being an agent is not an everyday stuff and you can be redundant kind of at some point but coaching gives you the opportunity of working virtually every day. The feeling of going to training every day and be involved with all kinds of activities is indescribable. So, I want to experience the joy of winning and the pains of losing games as a coach; I want to be in the thick of the action. Currently, I’m attached with the youth team of FC Arsenal Kyiv in Ukraine.
Dream of coaching in the NPFL
But it’s my dream to coach any of the clubs in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL). I’m very impressed with the calibre of young coaches we have in the NPFL. I’m inspired with the good job done by Imama Amapakabo at Rangers International; Kennedy Boboye with Plateau United and Fidelis Ilechukwu at MFM. These are young coaches that have raised the bar in the NPFL and it will be nice if I can lead a team against them too. Imama is like a big brother to me and we talk most often about football and the demands of playing in the NPFL; I would like to have such experience. Recently, I had two offers but that is not the sort of thing I was looking for because they are not ambitious enough. I don’t want to be associated with a team that just wants to play in the NPFL, rather I want a team that aims to play in the African continental cups. I played at that level during my career while in Nigeria and it would be great to lead a team to play on the continent. In essence, I want a very ambitious NPFL club to coach. I want to come back to Nigeria to make a huge impact; I want an opportunity so that I can challenge the big teams .
Of course, I know that there are a lot of intrigues working in the NPFL but my level of exposure and education is a bonus to me. I can face any challenge thrown at me. Of course, nobody likes being owed after doing his work but that is why there is a contract to sort out such issue. No one gets a job without being paid and surely I won’t like to work without being paid. I can only work with any club that is financially ready. Generally, I can say I’m ready after careful examination of the kind of work I’m doing presently with Arsenal Kyiv where, this season, we had about four players join the senior team straight from the U-17 and we still have about four that are being called upon from time to time for league games also. I’m involved with the tactical part of the team because we also have a Ukrainian as the chief coach. So, I think I’m ready, as in ever-ready.
Coaching inspiration
Frankly, I don’t like to compare myself with anybody. I want to be my own person. Look at the likes of Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard…these are guys that have coached nowhere before they got big offers to start from. They played the game and I guess they have acquired so much experience under the coaches they worked under. I want to be judged on my own merit too as a footballer, as well as with the quality of coaching education I’ve acquired. Coaching is not always about where a person has been; rather, it’s a question about his personality and confidence about what he can do. I love every package about coaching and that is just about that. It is an opportunity to impart all what I learned as a player and since I can no longer play the game again, it’s an opportunity to also do some knock about with the players.
Flip side of coaching
No journey is easy and I knew it (coaching) was not going to be easy before I picked it. Of course, I know that it’s a difficult terrain, especially if I want to come down home and work in Nigeria. One must understand the terrain but the good thing about me is that I love challenges. I usually tell my friends not to take a bet with me or on my behalf because I can adapt to any situation.
Choice of wife
It wasn’t a big deal marrying from outside Nigeria. I was not leaving in Nigeria and the most important thing is love; and I think one can marry anywhere so far it makes you happy. There is something I like about my wife ( Olga Boiko Dombraye); it’s her simplicity and I remember our first date. It was quite simple and we went to a park, and we sat and talked over drinks like every other person. It was a very casual setting and nothing complicated. She understood me perfectly from the first day and it was as if we’d known each other for a very long time. I wouldn’t say it was love at first sight but we were just compatible from the first date. And I felt something immediately. We actually met at a friend’s birthday party; we had a common friend then and we exchanged contacts.
When I told my parents about her, there was no issue about where she was coming from and my parents were so happy about my choice. They were not worried that she’s not from Nigeria or Bayelsa State. What they only said was that ‘we are happy, so long as you’re happy with her’ and so they love her. We actually met in 2011 and dated for about five years; we got married in 2016.
My kids
Honestly, I can’t force them to go into sports but I will guide them if they want to. They are still young and we only have to wait and see how things go. My first son will be 17 in March; he’s growing fast and even taller than me. He’s an all-rounder; he plays football, basketball and he’s also good at swimming but we found out that he wanted to play volleyball, and we just supported him. My second son is still very young but whatever he decides, we are going to support him too.
I’m a very emotional person and so anything touchy can make me cry. For instance, I cried; tears dropped when I saw my little boy in pains. When I see something nice and beautiful, I smile. Importantly, I smile when I see my boy happy and playing, and I think every parent will smile because of that.
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