Friday Ekpo was arguably the Super Eagles’ best midfielder of all time, eclipsed perhaps, by the sheer skill of Jay Jay Okocha. But football insiders will still tell you that Ekpo’sgame was more purposeful, void of show-boating and his attacking play almost always resulted in a goal.He was a marvel to watch and he contributed, in no small measure, to Nigeria’s first ever qualification for the 1994 World Cup in the United States of America. In this interview with BASSEY EKPO BASSEY, he talks about what he does to keep fit and the coaches who helped him improve his game, turning him into the midfield dynamo he eventually became.Friday?Ekpo?was arguably the Super Eagles’ best midfielder of all time, eclipsed perhaps, by the sheer skill of Jay Jay?Okocha. But football insiders will still tell you that?Ekpo’s?game was more purposeful, void of show-boating and his attacking play almost always resulted in a?goal.He?was a marvel to watch and he contributed, in no small measure, to Nigeria’s first ever qualification for the 1994 World Cup in the United States of America. In this interview with?BASSEY?EKPO?BASSEY, he talks about what he does to keep fit and the coaches who helped him improve his game, turning him into the midfield dynamo he eventually became.
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What is your opinion of the annual All Stars International Tourney? Do you think it it is a viable project?
First of all, I want to thank God and the initiators of the All Stars Tourney for the opportunity given to me to continue playing the game of football. Besides, it is an opportunity for veterans all over the country to meet once a year, interact, share stories, bond and fellowship.
I am surprised at how you have been able to keep fit. How do you do it?
I have never really stopped playing football. Even after I retired from active play, I continued training and playing at tournaments. We play football every weekend. I am happy that I still have the opportunity to play; it means that the younger ones can watch and learn. Look at the goal I scored in the Veterans’ Cup.It has been adjudged the best goal of the tournament. I still have what it takes to play the game. It is a God-given talent.
Do you think Nigeria will qualify for the Nations Cup?
We are taking it a step at a time. We have really never missed out on the Nations Cup, except a couple of times in the past for political reasons, but we have always been there and I think next year will not be an exception.
Compared to when you played the game actively, what would you make of the national team now?
Every generation has different types of players. In my time there was no money, but we played with passion. We did our best and the commitment was there. That cannot be said of today’s players: the money is there now but the football is not. No passion, no skill, no commitment. I want to implore the players to be more focused, show enough commitment and always play for the shirt. They need to develop themselves.While I played actively, though tired, I continued to push myself, because a single move could change the course of the game.
Do you have a remedy for the NFA/NFF imbroglio?
We want peace in the Nigeria Football Federation. The only way to ensure peace is through dialogue. If there is no peace in the Federation, our football will suffer. The national teams will lose confidence and play badly. You cannot expect the players to compose themselves and play the game properly when the house is not in order. I think it is time for ex-internationals to come together to help solve the problem through dialogue, once and for all.
What was the highlight of your playing career?
I thank God for talent. I enjoyed playing for the national team and for all the club sides I turned out for. I won everything at the club level. I was also the highest goal-scorer in one season and it was no easy feat, being that I was coming from the midfield. We got to the final of the CAF Champions League with Iwuanyawu Nationale and though we didn’t win the cup, it was a great experience. My greatest experience is helping Nigeria qualify for the World Cup for the first time under ClemenceWesterhof. It was a great experience, even, though I wasn’t selected for the World Cup proper, I will always remember it as my greatest achievement.
You have passed through many coaches. Which coach impacted on you the most?
I thank all the coaches that helped me throughout my career, but I would reserve special thanks for Coach Dimitri Toufenis, a Greek who coached me at Leventis United and Coach Robbin at Shell of Gabon. These two coaches really shaped my game and made me the player I eventually became.
Which teams did you turn out for?
I played for Savanna Bank FC, National Sports Commission FC, I was a pioneer member of the Abiola Babes FC, though I left them in 1985 for Leventis United and then in no particular order, Iwuanyawu Nationale, Calabar Rovers, Sharks of Port Harcourt, Katsina United, Mobile Pegassus and then retired with Akwa United where I played before retiring finally, to take up coaching.
When did you retire from the national team?
I retired from the national team in 1994, just before the World Cup. I played for Shell of Gabon between 1990 and 1992 and Al-Raed Gassim FC of Saudi Arabia between 1993 and 1995.
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