Eagles lack determination – Okala

In this interview, Okala speaks on a number of issues, including the own goal by Godwin Odiye, lack of determination by the present crop of national team players and the 0-3loss by Rangers to Bendel Insurance in the 1978 Challenge Cup final among many others. He also blames the falling standard of Nigerian football on […]

In this interview, Okala speaks on a number of issues, including the own goal by Godwin Odiye, lack of determination by the present crop of national team players and the 0-3loss by Rangers to Bendel Insurance in the 1978 Challenge Cup final among many others. He also blames the falling standard of Nigerian football on lack of determination by the players.

Shot: It is nice to meet you sir.

Thank you.

What will you say is the missing link between players of today and those of your time, I mean what made the players of your time different from the present crop of players?

Today’s players are not determine to learn and do the right thing, during our time it was not like that and that was while there were a lot of talented and great players in the land. During our time players were determined and would take risk for the sake of their teams and country; but I don’t blame them today because they want to avoid injuries and travel abroad for professional career.

As a former national team player for many years, what will be your advice to the players when the Super Eagles confront Guinea on October 8 in a Nations Cup qualifier in Abuja?

Thank God for the way the Super Eagles is being packaged now, no doubt we still have good players, and with the discipline in the team now, I believe we will win. They should go for early goals and thereafter settle down.

What is your advice to Coach Samson Siasia as he continues with the process of instilling discipline in the Super Eagles team?

In any set up there must be discipline, if there is no discipline, you can’t achieve success; but my advice is that Siasia should go about it with caution, it is a good development, but like I said earlier, he should be cautious; when you beat a child with the right hand, you draw him back with the left. So Siasia should not take them as enemies, he should welcome them back to the team after serving out their punishments.

Shot: As a former goalkeeper, do you advise that goalkeepers be suspended from the team; is the right decision at the moment?

Okala: As earlier stated, all players must be disciplined, but if they fail, they should be punished. Though goalkeeping is a serious position in any football team because if you don’t have a good goalkeeper, you have no team, but that does not means goalkeepers should misbehave.

Which match will you say is the most memorable one in your career?

Okala: They are many, but I pick the Montreal Olympic Games qualifier against Congo Brazzaville in 1976 as my memorable match. During the match in Congo, Sunny Oyarekhua scored in the first minute of the game and thereafter, it became I and the rest of Congo team, but I stood between them and goals and we eventually won the match with the lone goal.

Which one is your worst game ever?

It was the FA Cup final in 1978 against Bendel Insurance which we lost 0-3. We were not fit for the match; I even knew before the match that we were tired for the match.

What is your impression about the Nigerian league, the quality of players and the league itself?

We still have good and talented legs in the local league, but like I said earlier in the course of this interview, they lack determination.

Can you tell us how you started as a goalkeeper; are your parents the ones that encouraged you to take to football?

No parent would encourage his child to take to football at that time, but when I started making it, they accepted my decision.

So, how did you start?

It was in 1965 at the Holy Cross High School Umuawuku, the school’s goalkeeper started misbehaving and he was dropped and they were looking for a keeper, then I went and met the Games Master Mr. CN Ukpaka and told him I used to keep for my village team and would like to keep for the school, and henceforth, I became popular.

You are known more as a Rangers’ player; did you play for another club?

I did not play for another club.

Why, didn’t you get offers from other clubs?

I got offers from other clubs, both within and outside the country, including a scholarship at the Keystone University, but I turned down to remain with Rangers.

Do you still meet your teammates both at Rangers and the national team?

Yes, I still meet most of them, sometimes at football events like the one of today (Federation Cup final).

What was your first match in the national team?

My first match was against Tanzania, it was a two legged match and we were leading 3-0 in the first half and the Tanzanians leveled in the second half, and I was brought in as a substitute and the match ended 3-3.

Who was your best friend in the national team?

Segun Odegbami and Christian Chukwu were my friends. In fact, Odegbami was my roommate, even though I was in the national team before him. But on the whole, all of them were my friends because they look up to me for motivation.

Sir, I still remember the own goal by Godwin Odiye that denied Nigeria her first World Cup ticket, can you talk briefly on that?

I was in goal; I was the one that Odiye scored against.

Why is it you did not pick that match as your worst match?

I can’t because it was a mistake, it was not intentional.

What actually happened?

It is ok, I won’t talk further, thank you.

What was your last national assignment for the country?

It was in 1980, after the Africa Cup of Nations, even though I did not play in the final.