•Speaks on Nigeria’s failure in New Zealand

FIFA U-17 World Cup champion, Chidiebere Nwakali has said that Coach Manu Garba cannot justify his relegation of the foreign-based professionals to the bench at the last FIFA U-20 World Cup in New Zealand, reports JOHN EGBOKHAN

You have been vacating in Nigeria for a while now. How has it been?

Chidiebere Nwakali

It has been a pleasurable vacation in Nigeria. I have been having a wonderful time with members of my family and friends. Home is home, so it is always sweet to be at home and relieve good memories with those who we love. Owerri is my home and I enjoy being in the serene and peaceful city to share wonderful times with my people.

How was growing up like for you?

Growing up was fun. I grew up partly in Owerri and partly in Lagos. The journey started from Owerri before going to Lagos. I Played for most of the academies in Owerri. I started from Jaru to Taye, to Amuneke academy in Lagos and fro there I joined the Golden Eaglets. I was in the team when they played the qualifiers for the U-17 Nations Cup. I did not miss one match.

In essence, you are using this vacation to forget about the painful experience at the last FIFA U-20 World Cup in New Zealand, where the Flying Eagles, which you were part of failed to fly beyond the second half, after losing 1-0 to Germany?

(Laughs) Well, what can I say? We all went to that tournament hoping to win the trophy. We wanted to do our best to make Nigerians proud but unfortunately, we found ourselves in a bad ending. It was beyond us and we have accepted our fate and moved on.

What happened to you guys in New Zealand still remains a mystery because going into the World Cup, people expected an improved performance from you guys, given that most of the players were amongst the Golden Eaglets squad that won the FIFA U-17 World Cup less than two years back in the United Arab Emirates? It is like the World Cup didn’t even start for you guys?

No, no, no, it started for me. I don’t even know what to say on this but I think the coaches, led by Manu Garba and the management can provide a better answer to why we failed. They made the decisions that led to what happened in New Zealand. We, the players wanted to do our best to defend the pride of the country. But we had our limits.

So being benched contributed to our ouster?

Of course. That was why I said “put us and we will do our work”. Being on the bench cannot make me to do my work. I can only watch and do nothing from the bench.

And for the other World Cup champions, their condition was similar to yours?

Yes, most of us comprising Kelechi Iheanacho, Success Isaac, Solomon Badure, Chidera Ezeh. All the professional players sat on the bench. It was a very unfortunate World Cup. It left me speechless

Did you guys have issues with Coach Garba?

Not al all. That was why I said they will be in a better position to answer the question.

But we heard from sources that the professionals in the teams acted too big for Garba and showed up when it pleased them?

No, no, no. If he says that, then it is unfortunate and untrue because as for me, I came to camp earlier than every other person. I was in the camp right from Nigeria to Germany and New Zealand and I do not know what other sacrifice I could have given the coaches besides that. I was committed to the Nigerian cause but was shocked with the way I was treated.

We heard that you guys were benched because the new players were better than you during the camping and that they were not swollen-headed like you and the other professionals?

I have no response to that question but I know that anybody that is better than somebody and is on the pitch should be able to do the work better than those on the bench. Those who played should have done better for the country but that was not the case. The result could not justify the action.

What lessons can we learn from the misfortune that befell the Flying Eagles in New Zealand 2015?

The only lesson that I think we as players and coaches can learn from the World Cup is to do the right thing that will help the cause of the country. That is the only thing I can say.

Turning to the current Golden Eaglets squad who would be in action later this year at the FIFA U-17 World in Chile, your younger brother is the captain and it is natural that you would be praying for his success so that your clan can have two U-17 World Cup champions in a row?

I am praying for them to be champions in Chile 2015 because I was a champion in 2013 and I knew the type of royal treatment I got after that feat. I wanted to be a champion in New Zealand 2015 but that was taken away.

You came through the U-17 rank and now your younger brother walking the same pathway, which makes it look like your family is a football home?

Yes, you are right on that. We are a football family. My father was a footballer during his time. He played to a certain appreciable level and did well even though, football was not as lucrative in their time as it is now. We are products of his seeds and it is only just natural that we are playing football. My elder brother also plays the game but my younger brother and I seem to be the shinning lights in terms of football. I believe it is gift my father transferred to his sons.

So he freely allows you guys to play football, without the usual don’t play football attitude of fathers to their children?

He does. He encourages us and that is why three of us are playing football, with no problems.

What is your next ambition as far as national team football is concerned? Are you thinking of playing for the Dream Team at Rio Olympics in 2016 if they qualify?

As I am about to return to Europe to make a debut for my new team Malaga and from there, I am hoping to get a call-up to play for the Super Eagles. If I am called by Coach Samson Siasia to come play for the Dream Team, I would honour the invitation.

Eagles next match in the race to qualify for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon is against Tanzania, who seem like minnows but can’t be underrated just like that because of the tricky nature of football. How should the Eagles approach the match?

It is going to be a game to watch because it will be Coach Oliseh’s first game as Eagles coach. Younger players will be watching that game because it will serve as an inspiration to them and that is why Eagles must win so that that positive feeling can flow into the other national teams.

With your new status as a Malaga player, Nigerians would soon start seeing you square up against the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi of Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively. How are you warming up for this classic encounter with these world stars?

It will be a very great experience to play against Ronaldo because I have played against Messi, who is so fast and a kind of player who every player dreams to play against. I don’t know what to expect from Ronaldo until I face him but I guess it would be interesting and exciting. But I can’t say much until I battle him. Nothing is impossible and I might end up on the winning side.

And what do you make of the improvements in the Nigerian league and do you feel it is a good motivation for players to think of playing their professional game in the country, rather than going abroad to play for some obscure teams in some unknown countries?

I am very impressed with the standard of the league. If it is so good, there would not be any reason for most of us going abroad to play. We want our league to be in a very good shape so that when we retire from abroad, we would return to Nigeria to play in the league for few seasons before finally bowing out.