I want to win all titles this year – Enyimba captain

This year Enyimba is going continental, how prepared are you as the captain of the team?We are highly prepared, we have been in camp for almost a month now and here we played in the Super Four, my team is well prepared, we have set a target for ourselves to win the CAF Champions League […]

This year Enyimba is going continental, how prepared are you as the captain of the team?
We are highly prepared, we have been in camp for almost a month now and here we played in the Super Four, my team is well prepared, we have set a target for ourselves to win the CAF Champions League for the third time and I know it is not easy but it is possible because I believe with God all things is possible.
The calibre of players that played for the team in the previous editions is different from present team; do you think you have what it takes to go into the continent?
I will say we are exposed enough, majority of the old players that played in the other editions some of them are still around and majority of those that played in the last outing when we got to the semi finals are still around. We did well, we went all the way to play in the semi finals and we lost narrowly to one Moroccan side Raja Casablanca, this time around I will say nobody gave those who won the Champions League a chance but I believe with the calibre of players we have now with God on our side we can still win it.
How many years have you played for Enyimba FC?
This is my fourth season in Enyimba, I joined Enyimba from FC Abuja when the team was relegated to the lower rank, I believe by the special grace of God this year will be a special year for the team.
How is life with you in Aba?
We thank God, Aba is a good place although it is not my place, I have the fans behind me, they have been supportive, the management and my fellow players have been able to help me to settle down in the city, ever since I entered the town I never had any problem with them, life in Aba has been really good.
What makes life in Aba good?
The people of Aba they are very passionate about their team Enyimba, they like football, very friendly and accommodative, they make me feel at home in terms of everything they have to offer.
How many seasons have you been captain of the team?
This is my second season as captain of the team, and I pray to make this season one of the best, by the special grace of God, it will be a year for me to win all the titles.

How do you feel being the captain of one of the best clubs in the country?
I feel very good and delighted, I have been supporting the club from my childhood and I have been following them since the era of Nwaneri, a player I adore much and having the privilege to captain a club like this is  a much deserved honour that is why when I am on the field of play I feel very honoured being the captain of the team to go extra mile to play my role well, I want to write my own history before I leave the club.
How do you want to write your own history in the club?
I narrowly missed the league title last season and won the FA Cup and won the Champion of Champions’ title, but if not the league title lost, I could have won the all the trophies last season. Thank God this pre-season tournament is a good one; we are starting the trophies collections on a sound footing. Winning the Super Four has made me very happy and this has made me believe we are ready for the season and the challenges ahead.
How do you see the delayed start of the Nigeria league, will it in any way affect the performance of your team in the CAF Champions League?
I know the league will not start before the Champions League kick off date but I believe with the preparations which have been put in place like the Super Four that has given us a very good opportunity to test our strengthen among some of the big teams in Nigeria is one of the good things that has happened to us, the delay start of the league will not affect us much with what we have on ground and with God on our side we come out top.
What role do you play on the pitch for your team?
I play among the back four, last season I played in the central defence.
In the Nigeria football league who to you is the most troublesome attacker for you to contain?
I will pick Gbolahan Salami of 3SC, he is one player I respect so much, and I love the way he plays, he gives me a lot of problem anytime I play against him, he is a very talented player, it is not easy for me to mark him and thank God I marked him twice in the league and he did not have the opportunity to score against me and even in the FA Cup I gave him a run for his money.
Why do you pick Gbolahan Salami?
Because he is very talented and good, to play against Salami is not an easy job, you have to be on top of your game for you to be able to mark him, if you are not on top of your game you cannot mark Salami, he is one player I see to be one of the best in the league in the attacking line that I have marked so far.
How do you see the Nigeria league, why do clubs find it difficult to record away wins?
The seasons before were not like last season, last season is one of the best seasons I have played so far in the league, teams picked away draws and win some, let me speak for myself, any where I am going I always stay positive whether home or away, we know there is the
Nigeria factor but like in the last season, a lot of changes were noticed and I see this season will be better than last season.
It is because of the Nigeria factor that some teams do believe they cannot win away from home, what we saw last season has changed that, we saw teams winning and drawing away matches and if you don’t play well at home you can as well lose or draw. The challenges in this year’s league will be tougher than last season, as you can see, last year nobody gave El-Kanemi Warriors the chance to compete for the league top shield, they did till the last day when the league title was won, this shows that no team can underrate any other team now, if you don’t prepare well a team can just come to your home and pick the maximum points and this will be a big problem for the team.
Do you see the Nigerian league as a tough one?
Nigeria is one of the toughest leagues in Africa. I play in it and I can attest to that, we have proved to the world that our league is very competitive and the performance of some of us in African Nations Championship in South African is a testimony to that.
As a player how do you think crowd violence can be eliminated from our match venues?
Adequate security should be provided and the clubs should educate their fans, let them know that it’s not by winning at all cost but they should expect the other side of the results if a visiting team plays better than their home team, you have to expect such result, and for the security it should be the top most before any match can be played.
What is your assessment of the Nigerian referees?
I don’t see them as kill joy; I will say it is how the home team treats the referees that they will behave on the pitch of play. We are all human beings and nobody is above mistake, in a situation where the life of the referee is threatened what do you want him to do, so when sometimes things are happening I don’t normally blame the referee but I just go back on how the clubs should educate their fans in terms of the laws of the games, I saw some games last season where the referees were not bias and heaven did not fall, situations like this help the players to showcase their talents.
Which areas do you think should be improved upon in the league?
I will advise that more of the matches be televised though we have been having one or two matches on television, I want more of our matches be televised and the welfare of the players too should be given a primary consideration.
What is your personal prime target?
I am a winner, I like winning always, I want to win all the tittles this year and take my game to the next level and I am praying to God to make available the opportunity for me to play outside the shore of the country for the world to see what I can do, I don’t have any club in mind I can play in any club and in any country that offers me the opportunity to showcase my talents and pay me good money. I also want to play for my national team if given the opportunity.