What Drogba told me in South Africa — Oboabona

Super Eagles centre-back, Godfrey Oboabona, was one of Nigeria’s best players at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa. The Sunshine Stars captain still relishes his encounter with one of Africa’s best strikers, Ivoirian Didier Drogba at the 2013 AFCON, writes ’TANA AIYEJINA

When the camera showed Godfrey Oboabona singing Nigeria’s national anthem in the Super Eagles opening Group C game against Burkina Faso Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations on January 21, several enraged fans at home retorted, “Who is this one?”

Oboabona alongside 16 others were making their Nations Cup debut while familiar faces and ‘Nations Cup experts’ like Osaze Odemwingie, Obafemi Martins, Taye Taiwo, Yakubu Aiyegbeni, John Utaka and several others were left out of the squad.

Oboabona was one of the six home-based players selected by Coach Stephen Keshi for Africa’s football showpiece event.

It took the team’s victorious outing, for Keshi to convince his critics, and even some members of the Nigeria Football Federation, that he took the right step by excluding the so-called big names.

And Oboabona, wearing the jersey number 14, was a crucial factor in Nigeria’s third triumph as African champions in South Africa, as he and the only stand-in captain and goalkeeper, Vincent Enyeama, played every minute of the Eagles’ six games.

Even though he performed brilliantly in the Eagles’ three group games as the national team managed to book a quarter-final ticket, many expected Oboabona and his teammates to crumble like a pack of cards against star-studded Cote d’Ivoire.

The Ivoirians had an intimidating line-up; apart from home-based third choice keeper Badra Ali Sangare, the other Ivoirians were established names in European football.

But the Eagles had other ideas. And Oboabona alongside fellow centre-back Kenneth Omeruo, full backs Efe Ambrose and Elderson Echiejile made Drogba and his mates look ordinary. The Nigerians triumphed 2-1 with another home-based player, Sunday Mba grabbing the headlines with the match winner.

But Drogba sure knew the man who kept him at bay all through 90 minutes: Oboabona.

The Galatasary forward went straight to the 22-year-old Oboabona, gave him a pat on the back and commended him for his brilliant outing on the day.

Oboabona shared ‘Drogba’s words of wisdom’ with SUNDAY PUNCH.

“After the match, Drogba walked up to me and told me that I had a good game. He said I gave him a tough time and that I should keep it up and I said ‘okay’,” Oboabona told SUNDAY PUNCH.

The thought of playing against Drogba gives even the best of defenders scary moments but Oboabona is not in that class.

“With due respect to Drogba, he is a fantastic player, a model for young African players like myself but I wasn’t scared playing against him. Big names don’t play football, human beings do. That was not the first time I was playing against a big player.

“You don’t have to be scared simply because you are playing Drogba. All I did was just to focus on my game and I think I did my best. The most important thing was that we won the game. It was a collective effort,” he said.

Thereafter, the Eagles march towards winning the competition sounds more like a Cinderella tale. They overran Mali 4-1 before Mba again rose to the occasion, his lone strike in the final against Burkina Faso ending a 19-year wait for the AFCON trophy.

“It was a matter of commitment, dedication and focus. With all these, you won’t be scared of playing against anybody.

“I want to thank the coach for giving me the opportunity to show what I am capable of doing as a home-based player.  And thank God we came back home with the trophy,” said Oboabona.

The sensation of lifting Africa’s number one trophy on February 10 will always remain with the player, who hails from Ubiaja, Edo State, but was born and raised in Akure, the Ondo State capital.

“It was amazing. Some of Africa’s greatest footballers didn’t have the opportunity of lifting the trophy as players. Even Drogba unfortunately is yet to touch the trophy. So as a young player going to the Nations Cup for the first time, it was incredible doing the unthinkable,” Oboabona added.

Even though he made his Nigeria debut against Angola in 2010, he had yet to hit the limelight like his more accomplished teammates captain Joseph Yobo, Mikel Obi, Enyeama, Ike Uche and others but winning the AFCON has opened several doors.

Top on the list of European clubs, that reportedly wanted his services were English giants Arsenal, his boyhood club.

Even though reports say the Gunners are no longer interested in the Nigerian, Oboabona is still in love with the club.

He said, “Yes it is true Arsenal came for me but it is unfortunate that the transfer market is closed. So, we will have to wait till June to see what happens. But I am happy being a Sunshine player.

“I am an Arsenal fan, for me, it is the best club in the world. It would be a fulfilled dream for me to play for the Gunners. They are a club I supported right from my childhood days and I hope to help them win trophies if I get a chance to play for them.”

Some have nicknamed the Edo-born player Nigeria’s John Terry because of his knack for goal scoring. The player, who recently scored in two consecutive NPL games, is however in love with a La Liga player.

 “I love John Terry but he is not my hero; he is not the player I model my game after. The player I admire so much is Real Madrid’s Sergio Ramos. I always watch Madrid’s games because of him.

“The way he plays and behaves amazes me. He is a fantastic modern day defender. He is the kind of player I really want to be like. Terry is a fantastic player as well but he is not my idol. Ramos wins my heart.

“I have been scoring for my club regularly but I have not been able to do that with the national team. I believe that with time, I will start scoring for the Eagles too.”

The player is happy to prove critics, who hold the notion that the domestic league is bereft of world-class talents, wrong with his displays at the AFCON.

Now he hopes the blend between the home-based players and their foreign-based counterparts will continue in the senior national team.

“I don’t agree with that notion that we don’t have good players in our league. As you can see, those of us from home that went to South Africa proved ourselves for the world to know that we have some of the best football talents in Nigeria.

“We shouldn’t say because we have won the Nations Cup with home-based players, we should neglect the foreign-based ones. They are still our brothers and will always be.

“Once you are the best anywhere in the world, you should be qualified to play for your country. We need to blend the home and foreign stars into a complete team. I urge the supporters to keep praying for us because were it not for their prayers and support, we wouldn’t have achieved anything,” he stated.

Surely, winning the AFCON has been his best moment so far as a footballer but the youngster, who made his Nigeria debut in 2010 in a friendly game against Angola, picks the game against Zambia in South Africa as the worst.

“Every footballer must have a worst moment. For me, it was the group match against Zambia, which we drew 1-1. The ref gave them a questionable penalty, which gave them the equaliser. Apart from that, I have had it so good. It’s gone, so I have to focus on my future. As a player you have to keep praying against a bad day on the pitch,” Oboabona said.