Do you engage in sports at all?
Not professionally and not often but yes, I do a little.
While you were growing up, what sport did you participate in school?
Truthfully, I am the lazy type, but I remember one time in JSS 2 when I was in Babcock High School at the time, I was asked to run because the person who was supposed to wasn’t able, so she asked me to partake in the 100m Junior Girls Race. That was the first time I did that and I liked it.
Why didn’t you continue with running?
I liked it but it wasn’t like I loved it enough to continue with it. I just liked it because I came third that day and I saw that I could do it. I never practiced it before I came third, so, imagine if I had practiced it. I liked the fact that I could do it.
What’s your favourite sport?
I think it’s football. Football is everybody’s favourite sport and a popular sport.
What football club do you support?
Manchester United.
How long have you been a Man United fan?
Like forever. Since Cristiano Ronaldo has been at Man United from the first and then to the second. I followed him around from Real Madrid to Juventus. I like him a lot. Even now that he has left, I am still a United fan.
If you had a chance to spend a day with Ronaldo, would you?
I’m a Ronaldo fan. So, of course, I’d want to spend the day with Cristiano Ronaldo.
Do you have a favourite player in the Super Eagles team?
I like Alex Iwobi. I remember there was a time Iwobi was really good, around 2018. He was the star of the match and that was when I really liked him. Last season he was very important for Everton when they escaped relegation, and he won the Best Player award, I am very happy for him.
How do you think the Super Eagles will perform at the next AFCON, knowing they are almost through from the qualifiers?
I think their performances fluctuate, that’s why I cannot really say. One thing about the Super Eagles is that one minute they are making you feel on top of the world, and the next you are wondering what’s wrong with these people. Consistency is their problem, they are not consistent.
Is there anything you think should be done to make them a consistent team?
I don’t know what it is actually. The thing is we need to understand why they are not consistent, I don’t think we understand it yet. I don’t know if they are dedicated enough, I don’t know if they get frustrated before matches. Whatever it is that they do to them before they win a match, I hope they continue doing it to them before every other match just so they are in high spirits, so they can always give us victory. It’s obvious they know what they are doing. They just need to be dedicated and consistent, so whatever they do to them before they win, they should keep doing it before every other match so they can make us proud. This is because we hear of how they are not treating them well and all these things can affect the players.
Do you think politics has too much influence on football?
Yes, I think so. I believe that politics play a major role in decision making in the Nigeria Football Federation because the truth is that there is always somebody there who is not always giving the players what they need, who is not always giving them what they deserve, there’s somebody who is always trying to pocket something.
Do you think sports can coordinate itself without the politics?
No. The truth is there is no organisation in Nigeria where politics doesn’t come into play, except you are speaking about government. The government needs to do better, just like in every other sector where the government is involved because the sports sector is suffering. I’m tired of hearing that these people are not treated well or respected and they go to their clubs and they are treated better, they go to their clubs and they perform better and it is because the government is not doing something right. I think the government needs to treat this people better. It’s our national football team and they need to put us on the map. Football is the biggest sport in the world, so the government needs to give us a good image.
If your children wanted to pursue a career in sports, would you support them?
The truth is that I’ve always prayed that my son will be a footballer.
What about a combat sport like boxing?
No. I don’t think I can handle my son coming back home with a disfigured face. And my daughter knows better than to do that. However, if my son proves to me that he can do it, maybe I can consider him doing it professionally, but my daughter, no. It’s not what I pray for. If it’s football, any of them can be a footballer, I can massage legs very well.
What do you do when you are not acting or making movies?
I’m not just an actor. Before anything else, I’m a journalist and a TV host. I’m probably behind the camera or in front of the camera hosting a show or basically just doing my skincare when I’m not acting.
