Nigeria: We Must Field Our Best Against Argentina -Disu

Daily Independent (Lagos)

Uzor Odigbo

27 May 2011

interview

Coach Tunde Disu became a houeshold name in Nigeria by one single accomplishment which he relishes fill date. The man known as the ‘Daman miracle’ in this interview with Snr. Correspondent Uzor Odigbo, gives an insight on why Argentina should not be toyed with, his frustrations and fame ditto, the Daman Miracle, his fans and his new job with Lagos State.

Nigeria faces Argentina today in a friendly match, how do you suggest Super Eagles should play?

It’s an important match regardless of whether it’s a friendly match. I know for many years Nigeria has played Argentina at the Olympic stage; we have played youth levels to win the U-23 at Atlanta, the U-20 have played them. It’s always tough and good anytime we play them.

It appears Argentina might not play their team A in this match, but does it matter?

It matters a lot; to us it matters and for them they are preparing, they have players they want to test. Actually, a coach cannot play all his team. Nigerians want to see their stars; we want to see Lionel Messi, Cambiaso and all their senior players that would make the game tick. But if it won’t be possible to bring these players, the name of the country is still at stake, Argentina is Argentina.

Argentina team B is as strong as Argentina team A, it now behooves on the coach to prepare his team to face anything Argentina would present.

Coach Samson Siasia has not told anyone the kind of team he would present against Argentina, don’t you think it would be suicidal if the coach fields Super Eagles team B against Argentina?

It’s always like that; the Argentine coach is also afraid that’s why he is fielding team B, likewise my own coach too. Let him present the best team, he should not underrate Argentina because when you talk about the techniques of the game, they are one of the best technical teams anybody can talk of but tactically they are not as good, that was what knocked them out of the World Cup in South Africa when Maradona was the coach. It really affected them.

Siasia is currently rebuilding the Super Eagles, younger players are being introduced while older ones are being weeded out, what do you make of this regarding matches ahead where you require the services of experienced players?

He has a four year mandate to build a national team, if he starts now with young players, let’s say players that can take over from the older ones, it’s not bad. You can see what is happening to Argentina now; they are bringing in some new players. So if he comes out with that kind of strategy, it’s still okay. Some players like Obafemi, in the next four years, might have injuries that won’t be easy to go, unless you bring in new players to take their place though you can’t throw out the old wine because they also have the experience. There is no way Argentina would say Zeneti and Cambiaso would not play, you blend them with new boys, and it’s not easy to throw the old wine away.

Most of your fans today were not born when you played the game, how was players treated in your active days as a player?

I was very young and was picked from the secondary school to play in the academicals; we had school academicals where you graduate to play for your state and country. The clubs then would be waiting for you and from there you go straight on to the national team.

I remembered when clubs came for me I just went to UAC Football Club. At that time we had foreign coaches all along. When I played in the national team, the name of our coach then was Hidash and Embar from Hungary, they don’t look at size, I was very small about 16 years old, before I was picked for the national team. I was a left footer – at that time, there was no good left footer around. Though, I had speed and endurance but I lacked the complimenting weight. I could play for two hours without getting tired and I did very well playing international matches. Then, the formation was usually 4-2-4.

How was the national team then in terms of result and players’ dedication compared to now?

To wear the jersey was part of the commitment. When you are picked, it becomes a challenge to make you and your country proud. It was not a matter of money at that time there was no money. There was no advert, no sponsorship but again, wearing that colour and making Nigerians happy was a pride to us. We were usually camped at Gerald at Ikoyi and somewhere at Ogunlana Drive at the NFA office there and where do we sleep? On double decker beds. The wives of senior players used to visit them. How much were we getting as allowance? One pound six shillings but today only one match you earn $10,000. But you know, it’s progression, it’s development. Talk about clubs like Chelsea and any other national team and big clubs in Europe and what their players earn is real development.

Looking at what players earned in the past and today, does it make you envious?

Not at all, during my time the two pounds we were getting was enough to do many things. I mean, you were happy, your mummy, you daddy and friends everyone was happy with what you were able to accomplish with such earnings. But I’m just happy that I have produced players who are making waves, fantastic players. I’m always happy to see them and they too, when they see me, they say ‘coach you are looking good’.

What fortune has your team’s effort in FIFA U-20 championship in the Daman town of Saudi Arabia in 1989 brought to you as a coach?

It brought glory, it has made me one of the greatest coaches in the world; the feat is in the FIFA’s book of records, and I’m recognised. Anywhere I go people talk about it because it was miraculous, a team was four goals down and had 10 to 20 minutes to go when we started scoring, from 4-0 to 4-4. My joy was that in Nigeria, a public holiday was declared by the federal government to celebrate the miraculous victory.

My mother, because she had a very big canteen, when it was 4-0, everybody was just angry but when it became 4-4, she came and threw a street party; people had free food, free drinks, and it made people happy. It was a great joy that this history was made by me.

The Saudi’89 championship, compensated our sufferings when we went to Ethiopia in 1985 they nearly killed all of us. Samson Siasia was there, Kingsley Onye (Mature) was part of the team, fantastic players and other players like that, we were almost killed and we were flown out of Ethiopia in the mid-night with military aircraft to Kenya that was where we had our treatment, so for me to have come back again and be recognised, I realised that my work was not in vain. This is my joy till today. I must thank Governor Babatunde Fashola again for giving me the opportunity to serve my state as the technical director of Lagos Junior League plc.

What kind of fans did you have when you were playing?

A whole lot of fans, male, female, boys and girls even old people. Some of my fans, when they see you shopping, they would simply ask you not to pay, pick whatever you want they would pay the bill that was the kind of fans I had in those days. They won’t demand money from you, like what people do nowadays.

When you go to Tinubu Square in those days, you see those big guys they would say ‘Tunde, pick anything you like I would pay.’ As their role model, they gave me money. My fans were fantastic, if I enter a taxi, they would pay my fare, compared to this time when then think you are rich.

How did you manage female fans?

My female fans were interesting; they used to write me letters that they are in love with me and I used to call one of my friends and say let’s check out that girl but when you get there what you see might not really tally with your earlier expectations. There was this occasion a lady wrote but when we checked her out, it was one of these fat and over-sized ladies, I could not move a step further.

I love my fans, I go to parties with some of them, we go out there and talk and enjoy ourselves. That is normal with us.

How is the Lagos Junior League developing?

Great! Fantastic! We are now in the second season; we played the qualifying series, now we are starting the main thing, the premiership. We have league one and league two. In each group we have five teams, making up four groups. The first five in each group will play the premiership making 20, the next five from six to 10 are coming to play league one and the last five would play league two.

The teams are registering, as you know it’s a school thing, we are meeting with Ministry of Education to check their right ages. Right now we have just finished screening just to pick out the right players.

We have already gotten about 110 players and out of this number we want to reduce it to 40. It is an opportunity for some of them to play in the national sports festival and if you are above, you play in the league. We want to blend players from the street soccer and those who played in the national sports festival together.

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