2013 Afrobasket: We can’t play second fiddle again – Oyedeji

It is about one year since you came back from the London 2012 Olympic Games, but let me say congratulations. What was the experience like leading your country to feature in her first ever basketball event at the Olympic Games? It was great because the Olympics, as you all know is a gathering of the […]

It is about one year since you came back from the London 2012 Olympic Games, but let me say congratulations. What was the experience like leading your country to feature in her first ever basketball event at the Olympic Games?
It was great because the Olympics, as you all know is a gathering of the best in the world, and if you have the opportunity to be a part of it, you just have to be happy, and I am excited to be the one to have led the team.
After an appearance at the Olympic Games, Nigerians will be expecting much from the D’Tigers at the forthcoming FIFA Afrobasket in Abidjan. Wouldn’t such expectations be enormous pressure on the team?
The preparations have been great. We started the camp here in Abuja for the local players and moved down there in Los Angeles and then to the Stankovic Cup and came back to Orlando camp, so we are ready to go. We are prepared, we are coordinated, and we will work hard and again pray for good luck for us to win, I believe in this team, this is a talented team and we get better in every position and by God’s grace we will bring the trophy.
At the Afrobasket, there are two slots, one is to win the championship, but if you don’t win but end up among the top three you will qualify for the World Championship; so what is your target at the championship?
I aim high and I pray that we will win Afrobasket. I want to be the first guy to make history as the first player to lead the team to Olympics and also be the first to lead the team to win Afrobasket gold. So, it is something great I would love to do. I believe in this team, I believe in the coaching staff, so I am sure we are going to do well.
At the Afrobasket group D, you will play Mali, Congo and Cameroon, and remember Cameroon ousted Nigeria at the 2009 edition of the same championship, how is the feeling in the Nigerian camp since you will be facing Cameroon again at this stage?
I am not afraid of any opposition because winners never quit and quitters never win. We respect every opponent. They are talented as we are but talent can take you to one level, then dedication, desire and motivation can take you to another level, so we got all these to take us to the next level.
The fear of Angola, Cape Verde and Tunisia is the beginning of wisdom when you are talking of African basketball, does that send fears down the spine of the Nigerian team?
Well, in a game of basketball, you have five players on the court from each side, so we are not scared of any team. I don’t know about Angola now, but I think they should be the ones to be worried us now. Right now, we are going to take each game as it comes. We are not playing Angola now, so I am worried about Cameroon, Congo Mali, and when we move and get to that bridge, we will cross it.
What is your personal gaol as you go to Abidjan for the Afrobasket Championship?
 My target in Cote d’Ivoire is to bring the trophy and meet Mr. President and shake hand with him, as well as fulfil the promise we all made to the Minister of Sports, and that is just the personal goal I have set for myself to achieve. By God’s grace, I am sure it will be.
So, how is the mood in camp, talking about team work and all that?
 I am grateful to my teammate, coaching staff and everybody that has contributed to our preparation so far; so it is going to be a great thing to bring smiles to the faces of the over 160 million Nigerians.
In the past, Nigeria had relied on the foreign-based professionals to execute most of its international competitions but now we have some home-based in the team, how would you describe the inclusion of the home-based this time?
The home-based players are doing pretty good, and a point of correction, I was a home-based player when I made the Nigerian national team in 1997, and in 1999 we had some home-based players as well, about five of them when we came second, and in 2001 we had about four of them, and 2003 we had about three home-based in the team,
As captain of the team, you used to fight for the players’ welfare but now you are wearing two caps as team captain and board member, are you still going to press hard the issue of players’ welfare at the board?
Right now it is going to be tough because I am a member of the board and the team captain, so I have to balance the interest of the Federation and that of the players. It is a tough situation but I thank God who has been giving me knowledge and understanding to go through these things. It’s a great thing.
Let me find out, will Olumide retire from playing in the national team if Nigeria fails to win the 2013 Afrobasket?
If Nigerian fails to win the Afrobasket that will not be the end of the world. We shall go back to the drawing board, but I don’t believe in that, I think positive, I remain positive and I aim high. I believe in the group of people that we are, I believe in the coaching staff and I believe in God, so I know we are going to get it. One day I will have to retire but I can’t say right now, when I want to retire. I will call a press conference and tell you guys. Definitely I will one day retire, but right now as far as God continues to give me strength and power I will keep going.
Finally, how motivated is your team towards participating at this tournament?
Nobody says something about money here because this D’Tigers and not Super Eagles, I don’t want to talk about that I am athlete, if they give me money I will take it, there is a difference between when you are compassionate about your country it takes a lot out of you to know what you have in ….and enjoy it. So I can’t blame anybody but I look at a lot of people who come and go. The reason you play for your country is ….but at the same time I can’t blame them because it is because of the system, most times they are neglected in a way, but I can’t hold my country to ransom because according to how we sing the National Anthem every day “I will serve Nigeria with all my strength”. So if you say you can’t serve Nigeria with all your best, why sing the National Anthem every day. So, I can’t blame them but I will blame the system, the system is very terrible.