HE is undoubtedly the hottest teenage footballer in the world today after being voted as the Adidas Golden Ball Award winner at the 2013 FIFA Under-17 World Cup, but Kelechi Iheanacho has sensationally revealed how his parents nearly stopped him from fulfilling his dream.
In his frankest and longest interview ever, Iheanacho told the The Nation Sport & Style his rag-to-riches stuff, adding that it was his faith that has carried him thus far.
“I think it was God that gave me the mind to be strong enough to continue playing football because my parents nearly discouraged me at a time,” revealed Iheanacho.” I was very good with my education right from my nursery and primary school but at a point my attention shifted to football.”
But his parents, who were not having any of that and only wanted the youngster to concentrate on his education, nearly broke his spirit by flogging him just to keep him on the straight path.
He continued: “At a point, my parents did not want me to play football but I remember that it was one coach Ebere that is called Danish football in Nekede in Imo State that came to our house and told my parents to stop flogging me for playing football.
“My parents did not actually listen to the coach initially, but later they started giving me some space after I entered Taiye Football Academy in Owerri. My parents were not convinced that I would make a breakthrough in life through football.
“But they started believing in me after we went to a competition in Abuja and I helped Imo State win the tournament, and it was after this that they now gave me the blessing to start playing football,” explained Iheanacho, whose favourite hit track is Freedom as sung by Akon – the Senegalese-American R&B and hip-hop artist.
Iheanacho in the meantime is still revelling in the joy of being crowned as the most valuable player at the just-concluded Under-17 FIFA World Cup UAE 2013 after winning the Adidas Golden Ball as well as the Silver Shoe for emerging second best top scorer, even as he gave a glimpse of what he has passed through before arriving on the podium on October 8 in Abu Dhabi. He speaks with MORAKINYO ABODUNRIN. Excerpts:
What were your objectives going to FIFA World Cup in the UAE?
Our objective right from the start of this campaign was to become world champions; every day we were told that we could become champions and we really thank God that we were able to do it. Though we knew we had a very good team, we had to fight for victory because we lost several good players before coming to the World Cup. The credit has to go to the coaches and other officials who believed in us.
Did you think you would be this successful when you first joined the team to the extent that you would be the best player in the world at this level?
Sincerely, I thought the coaches were not going to pick me when I first joined the camp because we had so many good players in the team. It was not as if I didn’t believe in myself but I was small physically, compared with others. I had the same fear when I first joined the Under-13 national team because I was so small. In fact, I thought it was a joke when they were telling us that we would play for the Under-17 team then but as fate would have it for us, we are here and I really thank God.
I know you love scoring goals but you came second behind Success Isaac at the CAN Championship in Morocco, how did that affect you?
It did not really affect me because we play as a team in the Golden Eaglets and we were always told to pass to the person who is in the best position to score. Being the highest goal scorer or the best player in a competition is not important if your team did not win the trophy. I actually had an injury during the Nations Cup in Morocco but I had to keep on working because I knew what I was looking for and I thank God I was able to score five goals. I have strong faith in God and I know that whatever it is for me, no matter how long, I’m going to get it.
Earlier, you said you knew what you were looking for and that was why you endured the pains in Morocco, what were those things?
Right from when I joined the Golden Eaglets’ camp, the coaches were always telling us that we wanted to qualify and win both the African Under-17 and FIFA U-17 World Cup because Nigeria have not done so since 2007. So we were all dreaming of how to achieve such glory and they really encouraged us to be able to carry it in our minds. So, we were all driven in the same direction and we thank God that we have been able to achieve it.
How did you feel when you scored four goals in the first match against Mexico?
I wasn’t surprised that I scored four goals against Mexico in our first match at the World Cup and I have to thank my team-mates for providing with the assists. Having said that, I think when you ask something from God, you must have the faith that he is going to do it. I was so happy after I scored the first goal because I actually prayed to God to give me two goals against Mexico, not knowing he was going to help me score two more goals. I was surprised and shocked too that I scored four goals in a single match and at the world cup for that matter.
You talk about faith, what is faith and how strong is your faith in God?
Faith is having the belief that you will get whatever you ask from God. I have a very strong faith in God and he is a living God because when you ask for something with faith, you are going to get it. My faith in a living God is very strong.
Generally, how do you feel emerging as the best player of the tournament?
I feel very great. I can’t describe the feeling and it is only God that can see and know how I feel. I didn’t believe that I would come to this championship and play to the extent that I would be picked as the best player as well as the second top scorer. What I know is that it was God that made it possible.
What were you saying when you knelt down after receiving your awards from FIFA President Sepp Blatter?
Christians would know that I was actually dedicating the award to God because he made it possible. I was just thanking God because anybody with God is a majority. It is God that gives us life as well as the talent and ability to play.
Why do you like playing football and how did you develop a strong interest?
When I started schooling, right from my nursery and primary school, I loved playing football and I was very good in my study too because I was always coming between first and third. But at some point, my focus was only on football and my mother (of blessed memory) was always telling me that I had to focus more on my education. But I realised that the only thing I wanted to do was just to play football and I was not bothered even when they started flogging me for paying too much attention to football. I didn’t stop playing football because my parents were flogging me. I think this was mapped out for me by God because if not so, I would have listened to them and stopped playing football a very long time ago.
