18 March 2011
After winning the FIFA Under-17 World Cup and featuring at last years World Cup, AS Monaco midfielder Lukman Haruna has set his sights on winning Olympic Gold with Nigeria in London next year.
Haruna has been called up by the countrys Olympic team to do battle with Equatorial Guinea in a London 2012 qualifier next weekend in Benin City.
The young midfielder is bullish in this interview with MTNFootball.com that Dream Team V are on track to repeat the feat first achieved by King Kanu and company at Atlanta 96.
Excerpts:
MTNFootball.com: Haruna, where have you been all this while?
Lukman Haruna: I am still playing football with AS Monaco in France. This is my third season with Monaco and everything is going on fine for me.
One would have thought that after you featured at last years World Cup, you would be on the move to a bigger club.
I am happy at Monaco, that is the most important thing.
So, what then do you make of speculations that Greek giants Olympiakos are interested in signing you?
I love Monaco because they are my current club, but I also wish to play in the UEFA Champions League and the Europa League, all these are my dreams. I want to achieve more but at the moment I remain a player of Monaco.
There was a recent report that you were thrown out of the first team squad at Monaco after a squabble with the club skipper.
Yes, I had some problems with my captain, but it was just an argument between us and I apologised to him even though I wasnt at fault. He was blamed instead and we have since made up and also moved on. I have even played a couple of matches after that only for me to receive calls from Nigeria that I was banished from the Monaco squad because of this problem.
What did your coach, Laurent Banide, make of the whole drama?
He didnt say any thing, he called me and we all laughed over it.
So, in general how is your relationship with the players at your club?
We are family. As I am talking to you now, I am with my club captain, we just finished training and were all talking about this weekends game.
What do you like about Monaco?
The style of play suits me and the club are built around young and talented players.
But Monaco are struggling this season.
I dont wish to talk much about relegation or no relegation. We have seen teams who start well at the beginning of the season and by mid-season they are on the decline. There is still time for us at Monaco to make up, all we need do is to go back to the drawing board, plan and work hard.
What are your targets for this year?
I want to play for the Super Eagles again. I also want to lead Nigeria to win Gold at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. I want to make history for Nigerian football once again. This is yet another chance for me to make history for Nigeria and I cant wait to be at the Olympics.
Im ready and should be in Nigeria latest Sunday to start training ahead of the qualifying match against Equatorial Guinea. I have been told the match will be played in Benin City.
Im in top shape and Im confident that with good team work we will spank Equatorial Guinea.
The last time you featured for the Eagles, Lars Lagerback was in charge. Samson Siasia is now in charge of the team.
Siasia is an intelligent coach. He has my full confidence and I played under him at Under-20 World Cup in Egypt even though we crashed out of the tournament prematurely. I would love to play for him again.
The Super Eagles job is a new challenge for Siasia, who has played the game to the highest level and so he understands what is expected of him. He has achieved a lot both as a player and as a coach. He is my idol.
But some suggest you had personal problems particularly after he stripped you of the captaincy of the Flying Eagles in Egypt.
These are mere rumours and we should not concern ourselves with such. Siasia is a father to me.
I called him and congratulated him when he was appointed. Lets now support our own man to excel. He also has a good assistant in (Simon) Kalika, who is a master in the game too.
Were you disappointed he did not pick you for the Nations Cup qualifier against Ethiopia also this month in Abuja?
For me, its all about time; there is time for every thing in life. Lets take things one at a time. When the time is ripe, I will be invited to the Super Eagles.
Join My MTNFootball now you can make friends, join groups, have discussions and upload your own photos! Its all there! Its a great new way to interact with fellow footie fans online. Click here to register now.
