We got nothing for winning African titles – Isiaka Olawale, Sand Eagles Captain
May 31, 2014
Isiaka Olawale
Isiaka
Olawale became popular in the country after he captained the Super
Sand Eagles to the 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2011 FIFA Beach Soccer World
Cups. He helped Nigeria win the 2007 and 2009 CAF Beach Soccer
Championship, both in South Africa. In this interview with Idris Adesina, the Dolphins star speaks about his career and the challenges facing beach soccer in the country.
You were in the Super Eagles
in 2007 ahead of the 2008 Nations Cup. How did you miss out on the
final team selection for the Africa Cup of Nations under Berti Vogts?
I would say I was not picked for the competition because there were better players.
I played in two qualifying matches and
the friendly match against Kenya, and then I was on the bench when we
lost 3-1 against Uganda in Kampala and when we defeated Niger 4-1.
You had a two-year stint at Wydad Athletic in the Algerian League. Why did you come back home?
I would say that the period I spent in
Algeria was just to add to my experience. Wydad Athletic rely very much
on young players from their academy, so they promote players to the main
team regularly.
After spending a season and half at the
club, I asked for an upward review of my contract. When we couldn’t
agree on a new deal, I decided to come back home to join Lobi Stars.
Would you say the Algerian league is better than the Nigerian league?
Yes. The Algerian league is better than
ours in terms of coaching, facilities, sponsorship and officiating. I
can remember that we played our matches on Thursdays and Fridays. I can
also remember that I learnt how to play on a synthetic pitch over there
because most clubs there use synthetic pitches. Only a few of them play
on natural grass.
How did you come into football and later beach soccer?
I started playing football from my
primary school days. I loved the game and I continued playing it when I
got to the secondary school. I played for my school and I had many fans.
I started playing beach soccer after one
of our coaches at Lobi Stars recommended me to the national beach
soccer team coach. I didn’t find it strange because I had played
football on sand at Wydad Athletic. I travelled with the team on a
two-week training tour of Tunisia. In Tunisia we played on sand and I
loved the experience.
But I prefer normal football to beach
soccer. Playing beach soccer is not easy at all. The style and the rules
in beach soccer and normal football are totally different. Beach soccer
requires a lot of skills, agility and stamina.
Who was your ( football) hero when you were growing up?
Nwankwo Kanu and Austin Okocha were my
heroes in Nigeria. I loved the way they played and loved to be like
them. I am a fan of Arsenal and and loved Freddie Ljunberg and Patrick
Vieira.
Would you say playing beach soccer has helped you with the other?
Yes, my experience in beach soccer has really helped my football career.
You have been playing for the Super Sand Eagles since 2006. What impact has this made on your game?
It helped improve my game. Playing on
sand is not that easy. I remember that when we started (in 2006), we
didn’t have the ball used for beach soccer. We were playing with the
normal ball.
Nigeria crashed to Brazil in the quarter-finals of the 2011 Beach Soccer World Cup in Italy. What happened?
I believe we could have won it but I
would say we lost due to the politics of the game. Our experiences at
the previous World Cups had taught us a lot of things so we were
prepared to win the title then but we lost at the quarter finals because
of politics.
When the score was still 8-8, we had a
throw-in that was awarded to Brazil at our expense. They scored and
progressed to win the encounter 10-8.
You led the Super Sand Eagles to win two African titles. Do you consider these to be your best achievements in sports?
Yes. I won the FA Cup with Lobi Stars
and the Four-Nations tournament with the national Under-23 team. I won
the African beach soccer twice (in 2006 and 2009). These are
achievements to admire.
What was your reward for winning the African titles?
This is one of the biggest problems of
beach soccer in Nigeria. The government has yet to recognise us as they
recognised the Super Eagles (after winning the Africa Cup of Nations in
2013). When we won titles, the government didn’t host us not to talk of
rewarding us. We have not even got as little as a presidential handshake
and this is really not making the players happy. But we will keep doing
what we do because we love our country.
The government should know that a
national team is still a national team and there is no difference. The
beach soccer family is just a little one – 10 players and maybe five
officials. We are not saying we want to be treated like the Super
Eagles. They should remember us and do something for us too to encourage
those coming after us.
How would you assess beach soccer in the country?
For me, beach soccer is not growing in
Nigeria.we don’t have a league. The Nigeria Football Federation under
Sani Lulu promised to organise one but nothing has been done. Anytime we
go to competitions, players from other countries do ask us if we have a
league in Nigeria and when we say no, they find it difficult to
believe. We have talents in the country but there is no league to aid
the development of the game in the country.
When I heard that they wanted to start
the beach soccer league in Nigeria, I knew it would be difficult because
the normal football league is not being properly organised . For
instance, league football has ended in other countries but we are still
playing and have not even finished the first round of matches. Our
amateur league, women’s league and the premier league have problems.
How can the problem be solved?
An individual or the private sector must
be willing to start it on a small scale in a place like Lagos. I know
the teams in Lagos are enough to start a mini-beach soccer league. If
the government sees that someone or a company has started it in a place,
they can now work together to spread it across the country. I know that
the organisers of Copa Lagos can get the league started. If not it will
be very difficult.
What targets have you set for yourself as a player?
Every footballer must have a target and
they work hard at it. my target is to win everything possible I can win.
Then I would love to play outside in one of those oil countries to earn
a little of the oil money.
Dolphins have a formidable team this season and our target is to be on the continent next season.
Before you joined Dolphins,
there was a dispute between your former club, Kwara United and Dolphins.
Would you say that affected your game in anyway?
Not at all. The year Dolphins won the
league, I was supposed to join them immediately from Kwara United but
coach Kadiri Ikhana pleaded with Dolphins to wait until the end of the
season. So it didn’t affect me at all in any way.
What role did Lobi Stars play in your move to join Waydad Athletic of Algeria in 2004? Do you think they sold you out cheaply?
I don’t think so. I had to plead with
Dominic (Iorfa) to let me go. That transfer generated a lot of tension
between Lobi Stars and Waydad Athletic. However, the problem was
resolved and I was allowed to go to Algeria.
Why did you decide to become a professional footballer? Who encouraged you?
I became a professional footballer because I have the talent and I wanted to be like the people I admired in the game.
My mother was the one who encouraged me to play football. She was happy when I became popular.
When my father was alive, he never
supported me. He wanted me to concentrate on my education alone and do
nothing else. It was my mother who stood by me throughout that time. I
remember that I would have to lie to my dad each time to play the game.
Before he died he succumbed to pressure from my mum and allowed me to concentrate on football.
Your most memorable matches?
My most memorable local match was the
2003 FA Cup encounter between Lobi Stars and Kwara United in Makurdi. I
was at Lobi Stars then and we won the match 2-0. I scored the two goals.
I will always remember the final of that same year’s FA Cup between Lobi and Sharks in Kaduna which we won 2-1.
Another match I will not forget is a CAF
Champions League match between Katsina United and Ajax Cape Town in
Kaduna, which we drew 2-2. We were 2-1 down before I scored the
equalising goal.
For international matches, I won’t
forget the friendly match I played with the Super Eagles against Kenya
in 2007, which we won 1-0. It was my first international cap so I won’t
forget it.
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