Okocha, Zidane are my idols – Igiebor

Nosa Igiebor

Real Betis midfielder, Nosa Igiebor, is one player who has been attracting a lot  of attention  in the Spanish La Liga in recent times.

  His skilful ball control and high percentage completed passes have  placed him in the spotlight in a league that features some of the best players in the world.

His domineering figure in the midfield notwithstanding, only a few people know that the former Warri Wolves player never started as a midfielder.

“I started football as a defender; very few people know this,” Igiebor, who moved  from Hapoel Tel Aviv in Israel to Real Betis for €1.1m in 2012, told our correspondent in Calabar before he helped the Super Eagles beat Malawi 2-0 to reach  the final round of the 2014 World Cup qualifiers last Saturday.

“Each time I got the ball as a defender,  I would rather hold on to it and dribble past my opponent  instead of kicking it away from the goal area.

“One day,  the coach of the team couldn’t bear it any longer as he shouted from the stands, ‘who told this boy to play in the defence? Defenders don’t play like this.’

“I thought he was going to remove me from the team but he moved me forward during  training. That was how he converted me to  a midfielder.”

Being a professional footballer had always been Igiebor’s dream, especially after watching his heroes play on television.

“I knew what I wanted as  a little boy. I think I was between eight and 10 years old when I started telling my friends I wanted to be a footballer, that I would be famous and so on. I think I said all those stuff children would say when aspiring and dreaming big, especially after watching a particular football game,” the 22-year-old  said.

“When I watched those games, I started challenging myself and worked hard to be noticed by clubs.

“Austin Okocha and Zinedine Zidane are my idols. For me, they remain the best midfielders in the game. It’s difficult for any player to replicate what they did on the field, because they were unique. There can never be another Zidane; he is the best I’ve ever seen.”

The 2013 Africa Cup of Nations winner went on to receive special training to master his new role and went on to play for FC Abuja in 2006 before joining Warri Wolves a year later.

His sojourn at Lillestrom SK in the Norwegian league, where he scored 13 goals in 67 appearances, and at Hapoel Tel Aviv, where he scored three goals in 27 appearances, only made him more prepared for the bigger challenge of the Spanish league.

Coming to Spain meant he had to brace himself for the challenges of playing against the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi – the two most rated players in the world last year.

“The Spanish league is highly competitive and all the teams have very strong midfield setting up,” Igiebor said.

“I never feel intimidated playing against Ronaldo or Messi; these guys are human beings like every other person. It’s like an honour playing in the same league with them and aiming to defeat their teams.

“You don’t consider fear when you get on the pitch against Real Madrid or Barcelona. Your coach must have developed a workable tactic to counter them, so when you have this in mind, you forget who you are playing against.

“Besides, these top teams have other quality players that are as dangerous as Messi and Ronaldo. “You can’t afford to take your eyes off them while concentrating on another. (Andres) Iniesta and David Villa for Barcelona and (Angel) Di Maria and Xabi Alonso for Madrid are also  good players. But I  never nurse any fear  facing any one of them.”

Igiebor admitted though that Messi and Ronaldo would remain the subject of argument that may not end soon. While some football fans say Ronaldo is the best in the world, Messi has gone on to win the FIFA Player of the Year award four times.

He said, “The debate will never end, but I’ll choose Messi over Ronaldo. This guy plays football differently and it’s hard to explain how he does these things. He’s just magical. I’ve played against both of them at different times but it’s difficult to comprehend how to handle Messi.”

Despite the super-human attributes attached to the duo, Igiebor rated his teammate at Real Betis as one of the best finishers in the world.

“Rubén Castro,” he said  when asked to name his best teammate. “This guy is the best finisher I’ve ever seen, trust me. Everyone knows this in the Spanish league but the football styles of Messi and Ronaldo draws attention away from him. If you give Castro 10 chances, he’ll convert nine; he’s the best finisher in football today. I love him so much and even the team want to keep him there for long.

“But in the national team, it is  Emmanuel Emenike. He’s a powerful striker who converts chances  easily. If you give him the ball, you can be sure he’ll do something with it.”

Igiebor, who was criticised by Real Betis fans after a difficult start to last season, kept his doubters quiet in April with a stunning header against Sevilla, rescuing a point for his side as the game ended 3-3.

“I’ve only seen the video of the goal once or twice, but the reactions over it were huge,” he said.

“That goal further improves my profile in the league. This is normal whenever a player scores a special goal. It was an equaliser to make the game at home, and you can imagine how the fans felt after the game. The goal and the support from the fans gave me confidence to do more for the club.

His performance in the game and the subsequent ones convinced some Spanish football commentators that Igiebor was better suited for bigger club.

He said, “Many journalists say that all the time; I only respond by thanking them each time such issue comes up. But I won’t get  carried away by the compliments. I’m still focused on my duties at Real Betis even though many clubs have shown interest in me.

“My employers want me to take things easy and play about one more season with them. I think by the end of the season or before that we might see something tangible.

“Things are not clear yet (on whether to stay in Spain or move to England ). There are many options and we have to sit and consider them all.”

With the season less than a month old in Spain , Igiebor has  set himself  the  target of competing for the La Liga title and also helping Real Betis as far as the semifinal of the Europa League.

 His focus is also on the Brazil 2014 World Cup for which Nigeria are yet to qualify.

He said, “We’ll be  playing in the Europa League this season so our target is to go as far as the final. For me, a semifinal berth will mean a lot. We want to also do well in the  league. It’ll be difficult knocking Barcelona and Real Madrid off the top but it’s not impossible for us. All we have to do is work harder and focus; we’ll have to take the challenge one step at a time. But we don’t want to end the season empty-handed.

“Every player wants to play at the World Cup so  it’ll be a dream come true for me to play at the 2014 World Cup; I’ve never been there before. I need to stay fit and play well to keep my place in the team so that I can be in the (Super Eagles) squad for the World Cup.”