Eagles will have their best outing at Brazil 2014 – Obasi

You have just returned to the game after several months on the sidelines due to injury, how do you feel now?I am very happy to be back playing football again. My return is a thing of joy to me and my family. It was not a good experience anyway, but it is bound to happen […]

You have just returned to the game after several months on the sidelines due to injury, how do you feel now?
I am very happy to be back playing football again. My return is a thing of joy to me and my family. It was not a good experience anyway, but it is bound to happen as long as one continues to be a footballer.
What are your targets now that you are back from injury?
I am set to hit top form. I don’t have to look back, injuries are normal in football and I have taken it with good faith. So, I am looking forward to greater things to make up for the lost time on the pitch.   
Despite the tough times, I never lost my qualities, I always showed that even during my treatment and it really helped me. I am back to my best and ready to roll.
The Schalke 04 coach threw you into the fray just about a week after your return, he must have a lot of confidence in you?
He always believes in me. I really appreciate his belief and confidence in my ability. It’s not only my coach who I have to thank for this, but the entire team. They have showed me love and respect while the injury lasted.
There was a time, I wanted to make up my mind and listen to offers, but the management told me they need me in the team and that is how they have related very well with me. They motivated me a lot and the talk with my coach lifted my spirit and now I hope to repay the lost time.  
I’m glad to get that kind of backing because the club have told me they bought me to come and add value to the team.
 It looks like you cannot wait to prove yourself again when the league resumes?
Of course, I will do everything within me and with the help of God to ensure I give my best when the league resumes. Everything is down on me.  
My spirit to play again is high and I hope 2014 will be a better year for me. I am looking forward and by doing so, my team will get the best from me and most importantly, I pray for an injury-free year.
Schalke are doing well in both the German Bundesliga as well as the UEFA Champions League, do you see your team winning trophies this season?
We are blessed with a lot of promising and talented players even in the youth ranks talk less of the main team.  We are dreaming of winning titles and that is why we need to do more individually and as a team.
I believe we will keep improving in the Champions League and hopefully we will fight for a trophy because we are as good as any other team.
 What could you say about Ghana international Kevin-Prince Boateng joining your team?
He is a good and hard working player. He’s a good signing for us and we will all work to lift the team. Schalke are a big club, bigger than any player, we just come and contribute because there is a structure at the club.
 You played alongside Raul Gonzalez at some point, what can you say about such a legend?   
Raul is an exceptional player, a legend, who every young or even established player would always wish to emulate and play alongside. He is a player one can learn from to improve as a player. It was great to play with him.
In the last two years, Keshi has transformed the Super Eagles into African champions. What are your thoughts on the new Eagles under him?
Coach Stephen Keshi has taken a lot of risks and succeeded. He has made it clear that it is not until a player plays in Europe that he could play for the Eagles. He has boosted the confidence of Nigeria league players.  
In the past, no coach would risk local-based stars to any major tournament like Keshi has done. He’s a rare gem to this nation and he has done well for Nigeria.    
A lot of players have achieved big things under him, they love him, they play for him because he also showed them the respect they deserve. To be very fair to Keshi, he has really done what many foreign coaches have failed to do in the past.
You have been tipped for a return to Super Eagles, do you think you have chance to make the final squad to Brazil 2014?
I wish to return and fight for a place in the team because I am aware that there is competition in the team. I have friends in the team and they told me how they are really fighting hard in training and that the coach rewards their hard work by playing only the best.
You featured at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, what was the experience like?   
It was a mixed bag, but it exposed me to a lot of things in the sense that I saw the good, the bad and the ugly.
What do you mean by the good, bad and ugly?
The good thing was that we went to the World Cup full of hopes and promises, while the bad was we played against luck which made us not to go beyond the first round.  
I am very proud of my team mates to that tournament. Our spirit was high, but we were not lucky, while the ugly was that we were highly criticised which has made many of us better players today.
But you had a fairly good tournament…
(Cuts in) But I was part of the team, so it is not about me because if we had won the cup or gone beyond the group stage, where we were eliminated, we would all have shared the glory because football is a team game. We win together and we lose together. But I believe there can be a better World Cup this time around in Brazil 2014.
Nigeria will face Argentina at Brazil 2014 and you have predicted an Eagles victory. What makes you so confident?
There is nothing that is not possible in football. I am equally a professional like the players from Argentina and Nigeria have stars too. I just believe that there could be a shocker by Nigeria because everyone expects Argentina to win.
How will Nigeria fare against Bosnia and Iran?
No, it will be dangerous to look down on any team especially in modern-day football and at an event like the World Cup. But I believe if we thrash Bosnia and Iran, it will put Argentina on their toes.
Apart from Argentina, what do you know about Bosnia and Iran?   
I know the two danger men of Bosnia, Edin Dzeko and Ibisevic, they play like Germans, and they work hard. Ibisevic was my mate at Hoffenheim and I know his qualities.   
All we need do is not to get carried away by the countries’ reputation, but go all out and fight for success. Something tells me the Eagles will have their best outing at Brazil 2014.
It seems you have not forgiven Argentina after losing to them at two finals – Holland 2005 FIFA U-20 World Cup and Beijing 2008 Olympics?
They are a good team, but I am still looking for an opportunity to ruin them. We had a solid team in 2005 and 2008, but we were just unlucky to lose. I have always hoped we could have replayed those games.
Schalke will face Real Madrid in a Round of 16 clash in the UEFA Champions League in February. What should we expect?
We are equally as good as Madrid and that is why we are where we are in the competition. It will not be an easy game. Madrid must respect us when they come down because they are considered as one of the favourites and so they will play with pressure.
We can send Real Madrid out of the Champions League. Football is not about name, yes they have Bale and Ronaldo, but we trust ourselves too.