Ocheje No hiding place for Buffles du Borgou in Aba
How ready is Enyimba for the CAF Champions League match against Buffles du Borgou of Benin Republic on Sunday?We are all doing great. Everybody is in high spirit ahead of the match. We all know that it will do us a lot of good, if we win the first leg convincingly. Victory will give us […]
How ready is Enyimba for the CAF Champions League match against Buffles du Borgou of Benin Republic on Sunday?
We are all doing great. Everybody is in high spirit ahead of the match. We all know that it will do us a lot of good, if we win the first leg convincingly. Victory will give us the confidence we need to confront our opponents in the second leg. This may appear to be a difficult task but it is achievable. I can tell you that the recently held Super 4 really helped us to get in good shape.
Is this an indication that Enyimba will not put up another dismal performance as they did in 2014?
Although I wasn’t with the club in 2014, it is an open secret that the team did not prepare very well for the Champions League. Maybe they believed that as former champions, they would have no problem going far in the competition. I believe Enyimba have learnt their lesson and are not taking anything for granted. It is the only club in Nigeria that has won the Champions League and so expectations are always very high.
What informed your choice of Aba as your new destination?
When I was about leaving Pillars, I had offers from Heartland, Bayelsa United and even Sunshine Stars but I chose to come to Enyimba because they are playing in the Champions League. There was no way I would have left a Champions League club for a lesser club. So I was motivated to come to Aba because Enyimba are playing in the continent.
How is Enyimba going to benefit from your wealth of experience?
All I can do is to step up my game. There are lot of challenges but I have to fight hard to get into the team. I have been in the Champions League before with Sunshine Stars so it is nothing new to me. If given the opportunity to keep, I will do my best for the team.
Enyimba boost of some of the best goalkeepers in the country. How confident are you that you will get enough chances to keep?
I was with Femi Thomas in the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Canada. It is about new challenges and how you adjust. I am not here to add up to the number but to add value to the club. I will bring new challenge to the goalkeepers and increase the options for the coaches.
Would you say you are having good times in Aba with Enyimba?
Yes everything is working fine for me in Enyimba. The coach believes in hard work. If you are hard working, he gives you the chance to play. It is not like in Pillars where the coach believes in only one person. It is not good. When there is belief in only one person the rest are not given a chance. Enyimba is a club that everybody is important. They do not recruit players anyhow. They go for players that can add value to the team. Like I said, I am here to offer the club my wealth of experience.
What has the return of Mfon Udoh done to the morale of the team?
Udoh’s return is a welcome development. His return is a morale booster and we shall trample on our opponents come Sunday in Aba. There will be no hiding place for our opponents. The spirit is really high. What is left now is for the coaches to choose the right players for the match.
How are the fans in Aba warming up to Sunday’s match?
The fans are quite enthusiastic. They have been coming out to watch our trainings and are looking forward to the match. They give us advice and draw our ears back to what happened last season. They say what happened should not repeat itself. We also know that Champions League is opportunity for the players and coaches to advertise themselves. So we are all ready to make good use of this opportunity.
Going by the high spirit you have mentioned. How far do you think Enyimba will go?
I believe Enyimba will go far. It is the same spirit that took Sunshine to the semi-finals of the Champions League. If not for the internal wrangling in the team, Sunshine Stars would have gone all the way to the finals. I have a strong feeling that Enyimba will impress this year.
You have been out of the national team for some time now. What is happening?
What happened is that I did not enjoy playing time last season. And once you are not playing, you cannot be invited to the national team. But I believe that my move to Enyimba will give me more playing time and I will be back in the national team.
Can you recall your best moment as a goalkeeper?
My best moment was when I inspired the Flying Eagles to the finals of the 2007 Africa Junior Championship in Congo. Although we lost the finals to the host nation, I will forever cherish my contributions to the team in that competition.
How did you start your goalkeeping career?
I started in Lobi Stars of Makurdi where I spent four years. Within the period, I played for the national U-17 team and the Flying Eagles. I was a member of the Flying Eagles team to the 2007 World Cup in Canada. From Lobi I joined Niger Tornadoes and did two seasons in Minna. From there, I moved to Sunshine Stars of Akure where I stayed for four years. I played half season in Dolphins before joining Kano Pillars in 2014. However, when it became obvious that I was not needed in Pillars, I moved to Enyimba where I hope to win laurels.