Nigeria star Chinedu Obasi is brimming with confidence after he returned from a long injury layoff and the striker, who was dropped by Hoffenheim this week for perpetual late coming, tells MTNFootball.com he could be open to quit the German club in the coming year.

MTNFootball.com: How do you feel coming back after such a long injury layoff?

Obasi: I’m really delighted and happy to be back playing football again. I have really worked very hard to get myself back on the pitch.

I must confess, it wasn’t so easy. I’m hoping to push up my game. It’s not easy coming back to play football again after a long time out. I’m trying as much as I can to deal with it and push myself as much as I can.

Obasi

I need to improve on my weaknesses. Since last year, I had a lot of injuries and I took my time, stayed away from football and tried to improve on everything I think might be the problem. I think I am a different player mentally and physically now.

I am just enjoying being back on the field because it was a very difficult time for me not being able to play for almost one year since after the World Cup. And I thank God that I am playing again. I’m just trying to take it slowly, not trying to force anything.

Have you set any goals target for yourself bearing in mind that you are approaching a hundred games for Hoffenheim?

I spoke to my coach and psychologist and they told me not to think about it because the more you think about it, the worse it gets. It’s not so easy coming back from injury.

The most important thing is that I am playing football again and trying to help my team as much as I can. That’s what I am doing at the moment. But I know the goals would come and I was really happy to score in the cup game and it helped my confidence as well.

Your close friend at Hoffenheim Demba Ba left for England and he is doing well. Have you ever contemplated joining him in the English Premier League, which has always been your dream destination?

Honestly, anything can happen. I think it’s time for me because I have been in Hoffenheim for four years. I really love the club because they helped me in my growing up as a football player but somehow I think it’s time for me to make a change.

Let’s just see what happens next year but at the moment, I am appreciative playing football again. My team supported me when I was injured but I think anything can happen anytime soon.

Your diving header hit the post against Botswana in Stephen Keshi’s first game in charge of the Super Eagles. How do you see the rebuilding process embarked upon by the former Nigeria captain?

As everyone can see, I think the team (Super Eagles) are fighting again and we are trying to play differently. So I think everything is going to work.

We could have done better in the friendly games we have played. But the most important thing was the way we played. We wanted to move forward and play as fast as we could and I am glad we did that. Unluckily, we couldn’t get a goal against Botswana but we got two against Zambia.

It’s a rebuilding process and everybody is kind of new. We are still learning and trying to support each other even when we are playing on the pitch. We just have to listen to the coach and see what he comes up with.

What difference do you think Keshi could bring into the national team?

Everybody knows Keshi. He helped qualify Togo for the World Cup. I think he is a very intelligent coach, he is very friendly as well and knows how to deal with the players. I think he is a very great man and for me, he is like an idol because he was a great player when he played. He is someone we all look up to.

I am really happy to work with him. We were in Benin and Kaduna for a few days, so we didn’t really have much time to get to know everything or get to know each other properly. I think everything is going well and I see a positive Super Eagles with time.

No Nigerian player was nominated for the 2011 CAF African Footballer of the Year award. Do you think this is a true reflection of the performance of the country’s players?

Honestly I think we (Nigerian players) haven’t been doing really well in the last couple of years and that is what we are trying to change. I think there is going to be a different Super Eagles in the next years.

I can’t really say much about the CAF rating because I think (Osaze) Odemwingie did really well last season in the English league and he was not nominated. So, I don’t even know how these things work.