Date: 2018-04-14

Your goal against Enyimba on Wednesday rescued a point for your team. How satisfied were you with the outcome of the match?

To be honest with you, I wasn't completely satisfied because that was not what we planned for. We planned for the three points but in the end, we got only one. In as much as I want to thank God for the point, we would have been happier with the maximum points. Had it been we won the match, we would have moved up a bit. For my goal, I am happy that I scored my seventh goal of the season but if it won for us the three points, I would have been really happy. In all, I thank God we got a point in the match.

How difficult was the match for Kwara United?

I must confess that it was not an easy match. You know Enyimba are among the best teams in the league. As former African champions, they deserve every single respect. However, we wanted to beat them to improve on our standing on the table. They also needed the three points so in the end, we had to share the spoils. It was not an easy match.

What would you say is responsible for the woeful performances of Kwara United in the ongoing season?

There are lots of factors but let me say our first home loss contributed substantially. I can say we lost our opening match against Niger Tornadoes due to the accident we had three days to the commencement of the league. We had an auto crash on our way from Lagos after the Super 4 tournament. Most of us sustained injuries. As a matter of fact, I missed the first match against Niger Tornadoes. Apart from that we had financial problems and that affected our performance. I believe the management of the club is now doing its best to motivate us. How confident are you that Kwara United will survive the battle against relegation?

There is hope for us. After the first round, anything can happen. Even as we are at the bottom, we can still find ourselves among the top teams in the second round. We are not going to give up. The league is a marathon, there is still second round to be played. If we can put our acts together we would not only escape relegation but end up in a decent position.

One interesting thing about you is that your team is struggling against relegation, yet you are among the leading goal scorers in the league with seven goals. What is the secret?

It is due to hard work. I am working hard on my game and I have a personal target. I want to score as many goals as possible. I want to end the season among the highest goal scorers. However, I didn't set any goals target because I do not want unnecessary pressure on myself.

How did you score the seven goals?

I scored one against Wikki Tourists and one against Lobi Stars in Ilorin. I also scored a goal against katsina United. I got a brace in the 3-3 draw at Nasarawa United, then one goal against Sunshine in Akure and one yesterday (Wednesday) against Enyimba to bring my goals to seven for now.

Which one of the seven goals is your best for now?

My best goal for now is the one against Lobi Stars in Ilorin. I gave a pass to Aliyu Yakubu, he returned the ball to me and I meandered through the defence to score the goal.

How is the arrival of Coach Abubakar Bala going to help Kwara United in the fight against relegation?

His appointment is timely. He is a good man. Within the short period that he has taken charge of the team, there are a lot of changes. Apart from talking to us to psyche us up, he even uses his personal money to motivate the players. Technically, he is a good coach. At the moment he is enjoying the support of the players and fans of the club. I believe he will steer us to safety. The fans of the club are back in the stands now. What message do you have for them?

I want to encourage them to keep supporting us. Against Kano Pillars, it was the fans who propelled us to victory. It was the first time I witnessed such crowd in the stadium. Even against Enyimba, they came out en mass and it is helping us. As a matter of fact, some prominent people in Kwara State are now coming forward to motivate us. If they continue with the support, we won't disappoint them. They shouldn't give up on us. We are going to turn things around in the second round. Out of the losses suffered by Kwara United so far, which one is the most painful? The most painful loss this season is our match against Rivers United here in Ilorin. We had just gotten a good result at Nasarawa United so we wanted to build on the good performance away from home. Unfortunately, we lost the following weekend to Rivers United. Had it been we won that match, we would have climbed out of the relegation zone. It was a painful loss.

Which of the matches would you say is your best for now?

Our best performance came against Kano Pillars. We came from behind to win the match 2-1 in front of a capacity crowd. They took the lead early in the match but we fought back to equalise and then score the winning goal. That victory propelled us to our 2-2 draw at Sunshine Stars.

How did you start your football career?

I am from Kurumi Local Government Area of Taraba State. So I started my career in an academy in Taraba State from where I joined FC Taraba. I played two seasons in FC Taraba before moving to Kwara United when they were still in the National League. I was among the players who helped the team to gain promotion to the Nigeria Professional Football League.

How much support did you enjoy from your parents when you started playing football?

They gave me the necessary support. Unfortunately, none of them is alive to see my progress. However, I believe they are watching and supporting me from heaven. Who is your role model?

My role model is Lionel Messi. I am a left footed player and I want to play like him. I always find time to watch his matches so that I can learn one or two of his tricks.

How much have you benefitted from football?

I have benefitted a lot from football. Almost everything I have is through football. I feed and support my family through football. So I have no single regret over my choice of football as a career.

Are you also are dreaming of playing for the Super Eagles?

Yes, I want to play for my country. I know that if I continue to work hard I will be invited to the national team one day. I will continue to work hard and something good will come my way. I believe in God's time so I am ready to wait. What is your dream club in Europe?

My dream club is Barcelona. I like their style of play. So if in future, I have the opportunity to play for the Spanish giants, I will be most grateful. If not football, which other sport would you have chosen?