Congratulations on your victory over Liberia which has given your team the Nations Cup ticket.
Thank you so much for all the support, it is not a victory for me alone but to the entire nation. We were just here to play the match but many people at home were busy praying and supporting the team, so it is a victory to all of us.
You must be very relieved now having gone through all the difficulties to qualify Nigeria for the Nations Cup. How do you really feel now?
I feel great and happy to qualify Nigeria for the Nations Cup because I know that that was what Nigerians had been waiting for. I told the players before the match that we have no option than to go out there and get the ticket and I must say I am happy with the performance of the players.
Were you under any pressure before the match?
No, I am always surprised whenever you ask me if I am under pressure to play a match. I am not (under pressure) but the truth is that for a game like this, we need total focus and concentration to achieve the result we want and that is what we have exactly done but it has not been easy coming this far. I just thank God for what he has done for me, the players and the nation.
You said you were going to resign if you failed to qualify for the Nations Cup, what actually informed this?
Laughs…this is the job I was employed to do and if we cannot get the ticket, we have no business being here. But on a more realistic fact, that has really put us on our toes and today, we are all happy that at least we are not going to resign but to work harder to see how we can make our people happier.
Aside from winning this match to qualify for the Nations Cup, you have also set a record as the first African Coach to qualify three different countries for the Africa Cup of Nations. How do you feel about this lofty achievement and what is the secret behind it?
First, I must thank the Almighty God for making that possible through me and it is to the honour of this great nation because I am a Nigerian and I am proud to be a Nigerian. Well, I never knew this before the match but now that it has happened, I again give thanks to God for that and I must tell you that it has not been easy because in each of the three countries, I have passed through an experience that made me stronger and I think I still have a lot more to offer as far as football is concerned.
That’s very interesting but on a personal note, what does it mean to you qualifying Nigeria for the Nations Cup having represented the nation as a player in the same tournament?
Well, like I said earlier, I feel happy and I am always ready to do whatever will give this nation a good image in Africa and beyond. Football is a sport everyone loves so much and if we can use it to give our nation good image out there, everyone of us will be happy doing it because we too will be happy each time we travel out.
What should Nigerians be expecting from you at the Nations Cup next year?
Nigerians should be expecting nothing but the best from the team. We are going to do our best to make sure the team is stronger than what we have seen against Liberia. We still have some months to prepare and we are going to make use of the months ahead to monitor the players and prepare very well. Now that the qualifiers are over, we are going to sit down, review all our activities and come up with a programme for the Nations Cup proper. We are not just going there to make up the numbers but we want to reclaim the trophy we won some years ago.
How do you think the Super Eagles can win the Nations Cup?
We need early preparation and good programme to achieve that and I am happy with the interest everybody is showing in the whole thing. I thank my employers, the NFF, for the support they have given to the team in the past and I want to ask them to do more because we are now at a stage where we need a lot to prepare for the Nations Cup.
How will you rate the Liberians in the match?
They are a good side, they came here with the hope of getting the ticket but they failed. The fact that we beat them 6-1 does not mean that they are not good. They really tried their best but the early goal we scored gave us the confidence we needed in the match and the players capitalized on it to score more. If we had not scored those early goals, the match would have been tougher. I will not say they are not good but they were not fortunate to win and they have to wait for another time.
Then what would you say about Mikel Obi performance in the match?
Well, the young man has done his best likewise the other players and I am happy from what I have seen in the team. He said he was coming to do his best and he tried but I still need more from these players because we are now going into a more difficult stage of the tournament which is the tournament proper.
Which team would you not like to meet in the main draw of the Nations Cup proper?
We don’t need to start talking about that for now, we have just qualified for the tournament but as a team, we are ready to play any team because it is a football match and when you prepare well, you should be ready to play any team.
Finally, when do you intend to resume camping for the Nations Cup competition proper?
We are going to submit our programme to the NFF and as soon as it is approved we will know what to do next.
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