dazzling display of football here in UAE, scoring six goals
and setting up a further seven en route to a fourth title for the
west Africans. A playmaker and lethal finisher all rolled into
one, his trademark goal celebrations had the Nigerian fans
here in UAE on their feet from start to finish.
FIFA.com caught up with the best player of the 2013 U-17
World Cup in the United Arab Emirates to talk about how it
feels to be a world champion, his chat with Nigerian legend
Nwankwo Kanu and why he had doubts about his size and
strength when he was called into the national team camp.
How does it feel to be a world champion?
Kelechi Iheanacho: I feel good, I feel good, I feel good! I
thank God because I feel so good. I don't know if I can find
the words to say what I'm actually feeling. I can't even tell
what I'm feeling because I'm feeling a millions things at the
same time. I am feeling love for my teammates and my family
and my country. I feel all of it. I'm on a high for winning the
World Cup and the Golden Ball (best player).
It's all smiles here in the locker-room. How close to you feel
to your teammates at this moment?
None of this could have been possible without my teammates.
They are the best. The way we all cooperated together to win
the World Cup is simple amazing. It's like nothing else I've
ever felt. I give them thanks for making it possible for us to
do what we did.
You were named the tournament's best player and you were
the second top-scorer. How does that feel on a personal level?
It means a lot to me personally because when I came into the
national team camp I felt uneasy. A lot of the boys thought
maybe I was too small, too skinny to be a good player. But I
realized now with what I've done here that God is preparing
something special for me.
It's been an exciting few weeks for you and your Golden
Eaglets here in the United Arab Emirates. How has your time
been?
I've loved the time I've spent here in UAE. It's a wonderful
country and it was amazing for me and my teammates to see a
different part of the world and to show our football to the
people here. I will remember it always.
You had tremendous support from Nigerian fans here for all
of your games. How important was that?
The fans here have supported us so much. It's been incredible.
They've given us courage and cheered us up when things
weren't going so well. The fans here in the stadium and the
ones back home, they own a part of this trophy too. They
helped us to win it.
One of Nigeria's best-ever players, Nwankwo Kanu, was here
to watch the final, and you two had a long chat after the
whistle. What did you talk about?
He is the true hero of football in our country. Back home, he's
like a father, like a brother. He's like everything to me. He
always gives us advice. He comes to train with us, to make
sure we're happy and moving in the right direction. He helps
us to understand what football is really about, and what it
takes to make it in the game. Talking with him and being with
him is just a great honour.
Do you have a message for the people back home?
I just want to send my love back home; to everyone and to
everything Nigerian.
No comments:
Post a Comment