After an impressive season complete with a glorious harvest of three trophies with Magusa Turk Gucu (MTG) in Northern Cyprus, Michael Odibe speaks about his sojourn in Europe where he played for about 10 clubs across six European Leagues, reports MORAKINYO ABODUNRIN.
He is without any argument one of Nigeria’s best boys in the 2018/2019 European season after he won a rare treble with Magusa Turk Gucu (MTG) in the northern Cyprus domestic league, otherwise known as KTFF Lig. But Michael Odibe has revealed he nearly gave up his dream of a professional football career for a shot at the military.
“It was not an easy decision for me to pick football as a career because my mom actually wanted me to go to school than to pick football as a career, “Odibe who will be 31 on 23rd July explained in an interview with The Nation. “But I drew a lot of inspiration from my elder brother (Emmanuel Odibe) who was also a footballer. He played in Nigeria, Israel and Uzbekistan before he retired.
“So, my brother is one of the people that really influenced my choice of football as a career.
“But if not for football, I would have loved to be a military man because my other plan besides football was to join the Nigerian Army or Nigerian Navy.
“I have lots of friends who are in the military and I really got interested because of the discipline associated with such job but it is actually my love for football that stopped me from joining the military.”
Interestingly, Odibe has transferred such soldier-like approach to his football career so much so he enthused that discipline on and off the field has kept him going.
“I never gave up my dream of playing football for once despite the fact that it was rough in the beginning,” he said. “I saw football as a career because that was what I truly loved from the start.
“I was going from one place to the other in order to train myself to be a better player and it wasn’t easy. I went for a lot of trials in my growing up years in Lagos but I had a coach who was encouraging me then.
“Of course, there are other people that truly supported my desire to play football, apart from my elder brother. Coach Oliha in Surulere (not the late Thomson Oliha), Coach Osaka and Coach Austin really supported me. They all helped me, especially Coach Austin, I cannot forget that.
“Raising money to go for training was difficult and sometimes, I would go and beg for money from the traders in order to be able to go for training the next day.
“It was as if something was glued to something and I had the zeal to go all out in order to fulfil my dream of playing football.”
The burly defender had hinted earlier that his upbringing in the Lagos suburb of Orile-Iganmu has stood him in good stead over the years.
“Yes, I grew up at Orile-Iganmu where the streets are always bubbling like Istanbul,” explained Odibe in a file interview. “There is no way you mention Nigeria and you will not mention Orile; it is one of the places where football is popular in Lagos and it is great to come out of such area because you will appreciate what life is all about when you get to Europe.
“I get excited speaking about Orile-Iganmu because I am proud of where I came from; I am a proud ghetto boy.
“If you survive Orile as a lad playing soccer, you will do well in any environment because you learn about the challenges of life and it helps you as you grow; it is about composure, alertness, and getting used to the system.”
Indeed, the upbringing and Orile-Iganmu’s way of life have helped Odibe to come admirably to the ups and downs associated with career of most footballers.
Straight from First Bank of Lagos, Odibe has featured in six European leagues and ten clubs in Belgium, Italy, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Romania and Cyprus.
But despite his current success with MTG, Odibe admitted it was at top Ukrainian side, Arsenal Kyiv, that he enjoyed tremendous happiness.
“I’m really grateful for all the great experiences I’ve had since coming to Europe,” stated the ever-bubbling Odibe.“I’ve had the opportunity of playing in different countries but the most important thing in life is to continue to look at other things to achieve.
“But I had a great time in Ukraine when I was at Arsenal Kyiv where I featured in almost all the matches; I equally scored some good goals for the club. We had a great time because we had a great team then and a good coach Leonid Kuchuk.”
Apart from that unforgettable experience at Arsenal Kiev in Ukraine, Odibe has equally featured as a loanee for Dnipro in Ukraine as well as Atyrau and Akzhayik in Kazakhstan and for Concordia Chiajna in Romania.
“I believe in the grace of God and hard work,” he offered. “I have played football all my life because I started at a very young age on the streets of Lagos.
“Nigeria has a lot of good players in Europe and that sort of helped me to dream big and I knew that one day I would also have the opportunity of playing in Europe. I really fought my way in order to be where I’m today. I played a lot of grassroots competition and I was at the Pepsi and Puma Academies in order for me to learn the game. It wasn’t easy to be where I’m today but hard work has pushed me through.
“Growing up, players like Fabian Cannavaro, Laurent Blanc and Marcel Desailly were great players when I was growing up and I really fancied their style of play since I play in the defensive position.
“I really want to play like them because I have fond admiration for them. Back home in Nigeria, I really loved Joseph Yobo. I saw loads of Uche Okechukwu videos as well as Shagari (Kingsley Obiekwu). I really loved these players because I play in the same central defensive position as they did during their careers.”
Meanwhile, Odibe enjoyed rave reviews in the recently concluded season and he describes the successes recorded with MTG as a reward for his hard work along with his teammates. “This year has been very good for me because I won the treble with my club. We won the Community Charity Shield at the start of the season and at the end of the season, we won both the FA Cup and the League Cup.
“It could not have been better than this and I’m really very happy about it. Three trophies in one season are as a result of hard work of the whole team. We have a very good coach, Ali Oralogu, too.
“With me here are two other Nigerian players; Peter Ebi and Dino Peter, and it’s great we were all part of the club’s big moment this season.
“Everything worked well for us in this season because there is great unity in our team. I never knew I was going to win three trophies with my club this season and I think hard work has seen us through this. I’m just too happy.”
Despite his vast playing career in Europe, Odibe is yet to add to his solitary international cap earned eight years ago in an international friendly match against the Leone Stars of Sierra Leone in Lagos.
As an upstart in Italy with AC Siena, Odibe was on Nigeria’s 50-man provisional for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa and he believes he deserves to be given a look-in by coach Gernot Rohr after successes with Magusa Turk Gucu (MTG) by winning the Community Charity Shield as well as the League Cup and Cypriot Cup in the just concluded Northern Cyprus 2018/2019 KTFF Lig season. He said: “I have a strong belief that I can still play for the Super Eagles, only that opportunity hasn’t come my way again.
“I still wish to come back into the Super Eagles because I believe I still have something to offer.
“The last time I played along with Joseph Yobo, he really encouraged me. I believe I can come out good with the Super Eagles if given the opportunity once more.
“I want to use this opportunity to wish the current team all the best at the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt. I know the current coach (Gernot Rohr) can take the team to greater height; I’m still waiting for my own opportunity to be recalled into the team and I will take the opportunity with both hands.”
They say experience is the best teacher and Odibe said his valuable experience rooming with the Super Eagles should be an eye opener for the current lads as they bid for the Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.
“Playing for the Super Eagles comes with its own pressure because Nigerians really love football,” he said with a benefit of hindsight. “Right from the training sessions, you have to show what you are capable of doing but the pressure also serves as big motivation for the players to put in their best for the national team.
“You just have to play to the high expectations of the fans because everybody wants you to succeed. I think we have a good team going to this AFCON in Egypt and with an experienced coach like Gernot Rohr, we can go far. With hard work and luck, I think the team can come out in flying colours.”
But apart from his success on the field of play, Odibe would be the first to admit that his immediate family has played a major role as he purred on his adorable wife.
“My family is a big source of inspiration and happiness,” he said. “Secondly, my work as a footballer gives me great pleasure.
“My wife is everything to me; she’s just perfect and we met when I was playing in Italy. She has everything I was looking for in a woman and I don’t have any reason to look elsewhere.
“I can say it was a case of love at first because I told myself she was going to be my wife when I first saw her; she’s now the mother of my children and here we are today happy together.”
Blessed with two adorable boys already, Odibe has no illusion about what he wishes for his children. “Of course, I’m going to encourage my children to play football but education is going to be their priority too.
“I’m going to support them so that they can achieve their dreams because both education and football are necessary,” he added.
