IDEYE:MOTHER SOLD FRUITS, WATER TO RAISE US
Brown Ideye
Dynamo Kyiv forward and Super Eagle Brown Ideye has been interviewed by http://WWW.DYNAMOMANIA.COM , the unofficial website of the Ukrainian vice – champions, and he spoke on a variety of issues. Ideye is in the form of his life, bagging 6 goals in his first 5 games of the Ukraine Premier League.
BROWN, tell us a little about yourself. You were born in Yenagoa, as stated in Wikipedia?
Wikipedia is wrong. I’ve been playing for a team from the city of Yenagoa, but not born there. Made a mess! Yenagoa – a center of crude oil and natural gas, and I was born in the largest city in the country with ten million people – Lagos!
What were your parents’ proffession?
My father worked in one of the refineries, and my mother was standing behind the counter – selling fruit, water.’
How many brothers and sisters do you have?
Seven. Four brothers and three sisters. I am the youngest in the family!
How did your family live?
Not to say in abundance, but my family can be said to be middle class. We were not running barefoot and naked. We had a TV and all that.
You have received schooling?
I graduated from high school. Learned so much. I saw myself in football, as I said, and my parents, they supported me, not forced me to bring good grades home from school. Through football, I could become a financially secure man. Therefore, my parents have been sympathetic to the fact that I am completely devoted to the sport.”
You had no other hobbies besides football? Maybe basketball?
We had another fun, pure African. From bottles of Coca-Cola, we cut out the bottom, took the lid and tried to put them in the hole.
How did you become addicted to football?
I was eight. I started at the goalpost. I was very pleased to jump, with somersaults in the goalposts. But it eventually came to an end. All because I broke my middle finger. I realized that it might not be the last time (I would be breaking my finger), and decided to retrain as a forward. Professionally, I started playing football at age 16.
You started in a club, Bayelsa United. This is one of the two clubs representing Nigeria in the league from Bayelsa State, and the derby with Ocean Boys is one of the most famous in Nigeria. And after playing one year in Bayelsa Utd, you went on to play for Ocean Boys. Risky move!?
The truth is that I never played in Bayelsa United. No, indeed! It’s intrigues of Wikipedia. I do not understand why they give the data, which in principle should not be. In the championship of Nigeria, I debuted at 18, spent two seasons and won the title of national champion in 2006!
How much did you earn (every year, ed.) in the championship of Nigeria? Five Thousand Dollars.
In 2007 you played at the Youth World Championships in Canada. In the first World Cup match against Costa Rica, you become a hero of the match. Alas, this was your first and last goal in the tournament. Were you satisfied with your performance?
Of course not! How can I stay happy, if in five matches, scoring just one goal? Disastrous tournament for me. In every game I had opportunities, but never used them. I wanted to score, but it did not work.”
Nigeria crashed out in the quarter-finals, losing to Chile 0-4 in extra time. What happened to the team?
I think we were exhausted. Most of the time football is double-edged, we responded to the attack, attack. And then once we got up suddenly. Apparently, the Chileans were in the best physical condition which affected the final result.”
Interestingly, the youth team players were rewarded financially by Nigeria for an exit in the quarterfinals?
We received 2, 000 dollars but if we had won the World Cup, the money could have been more decent.
In the 2010/11 season “Sochaux” ranked fifth, and you scored 15 goals in the championship. What kind of clubs were you dreaming about at that moment?
I dreamed about England. But I am well aware that I have not had 75% of caps for Nigeria so could not join West Brom! I believe that one day I’ll find myself in England. And not just any team, but in a few of which I dream. To do this, I have to develop. I am glad that it was Dynamo Kyiv. It has everything you need for a footballer. ”
You went to the 2010 World Cup, but did not play a single minute. Were you upset?
I cannot stand to watch football from the bench! It’s not for me. I need the emotion, and I just scoop them directly in the game. A trip to South Africa – it was a bonus for me. Coach (Swede Lars Lagerbäck, ed) had not seen me in action and did not dare let me onto the field.”
How do you evaluate the performance of the Nigeria Team?
Very bad. I know the capabilities of our guys, but they did not show even half of what should have been. Nigeria could have qualified from the group. One point and fourth place in the group with South Korea and Greece – is clearly not what the Nigerians had expected!
Will Nigeria get to the World Cup 2014? And what should be my response?
Of course – yes! I believe in my team. Without faith, nothing is achieved. Nigeria is required to play at the World Cup!”
One of your competitors in the national team of Nigeria is Spartak Moscow’s Emmanuel Emenike. Do you watch his games for Spartak?
Saw a few of his games. A good striker, he’s one of the leaders of “Spartacus.” In the national team alongside Emenike I played a couple of games, and we hit it off well.