Desire Oparanozie was one of the heroines of the 2015 AWC in Namibia. Apart from leading Nigeria’s charge to reclaim the title she lost two years earlier, France-based footballer was the tournament’s most prolific finisher with 5 goals and she got the Golden Boot Award.

Oparanozie in action

In this chat with Jacob Ajom on her return from Windhoek penultimate week, Oparanozie shares her story with Jacob Ajom

How do you feel being part of the Super Falcons that recaptured the AWC trophy that was lost 2 years ago?

It has always been a great pleasure winning laurels. It is the dream of every sports man and woman to win laurels. Indeed, that is why people go into competitions. So, it is really a great pleasure and I am very happy about it.

What would this do to your career?

Winning the 2015 AWC, my second continental title, will boost my career and my CV. It will attract more clubs to me. It is a great achievement to me, personally.

How will this affect you in your club, and will your team mates in France receive you when you return to them?

Definitely, it will have a positive effect as even while the competition was on they have been asking me to come back; they can’t wait to have me back and all that. They are happy for me and really look forward to having me back. (Oparanozie has since returned to France).

Looking at the team, the Super Falcons, for how long do you think you can hold onto your number one position in Africa?

Although I cannot specifically say this is for how long we are going to be number one, what I can assure you is that we will do everything possible to keep it for as long as we can. We have been the best for some time and we hope to keep being there. We, as players. We will continue to do our best to remain number one in Africa.

What do you think gives Nigeria the edge over teams like Cameroon, South Africa and to some extent, Ghana?

I don’t know their level of preparations and what they are doing. But as for us Nigeria, we have a good league system and we are always determined to win laurels and that gives us the extra effort above other teams.

You are a top striker for club and country. How do you feel when you play and don’t score?

It is never a good feeling for any attacker at all. The issue of goal drought is never a good omen for any striker.

How did you feel emerging the top scorer in AWC?

It’s great, it’s exciting. Indeed, it is inexplicable because I can’t really describe the feeling. I can’t find the right words to describe the feeling but I know I feel great.

After the WAC, the next stop is the World Cup in Canada. What should we expect from you at the World Cup in Canada?

We should expect good performance, expect me scoring in every game in Canada. We expect that the team will perform better than we did before.

While at the AWC in Namibia, the NFF was in crisis. How did this affect the team?

Well, it did in a way but in this tournament we knew all that was going on but did not allow it weigh us down. We motivated ourselves, talked to each other and made sure we remained focused. This was because we already had a target before leaving for Namibia so whichever problem the NFF were facing, we did not allow it affect us negatively.