Nigerian actor, Lanre Adediwura, popularly known as Mide Cobra for his role in the series Wura, talks about his love for Manchester United, pain of seeing rivals City win the Treble last season and more, in this interview with EBENEZER BAJELA
How much of sports do you know?
I follow football but I am not a fanatic. I support Manchester United, but I’m not so rooted in it for me to start looking into transfer windows, to start monitoring all the activities to know which players have been signed or not. But I love football on the surface. I love the game.
Being a Manchester United fan, which player would you regard as the club’s all-time best?
Trust me, it would be Wayne Rooney because he has actually made so many marks, till the point of retirement, this guy was proactive. He was extra active for the club, having led them through different championships and all that. I just feel he’s a cool guy, a dedicated guy to the team up till the point of retirement.
United have not been at the same level they used to be. As a fan, how does that make you feel?
Before now, I used to follow Ronaldo across clubs. Once Ronaldo leaves a particular club I go with him and I start supporting the new club. But unfortunately, I did not move with him this time. I stayed glued with Manchester United now. However, since the retirement of Alex Ferguson, the club has experienced major setbacks than progress. So, it’s a problem and I feel they will still get it right if they look inwards. I think beyond just having to buy players and all that, they need to understand what template Ferguson used in the past and look to bring that back. I just feel in a way, that the club is going through a hard time, every club goes through it. But I think Manchester United are quite extra. So, we are just hopeful that this season they will get their act together and do things right.
Do you see United winning the league?
I need to be realistic with you. Every club supporter is always positive. Even when I pound my yam and it has lumps I have to be strategic about it. Everyone sets out to achieve greatness. So, I will say that I am hopeful that Manchester United can win the league. Who could have thought that Manchester City would become a formidable team? Who would have thought a club like Leicester City could come out of their point of zero and take a league in 2016?
As a United fan, how did you feel when Manchester City won the Treble last season?
Don’t let us forget that they are still a club in England and a win for one is a win for all. However, it provokes you to realise that this same City that used to suffer at the hands of Manchester United have actually gone ahead of you to win the Treble. United also won the Treble in 1999 and that was under Sir Alex Ferguson.
What’s your view about the performance of the Super Falcons at the just-concluded Women’s World Cup?
I wish there was a tournament that allowed a mixture of genders, where the females and the males could come together and play. These girls can contend with their male counterparts. They were exceptional and you could see the hunger in them. They went as hunters but unfortunately, luck was not on their side. I mean holding down a team of that magnitude (England) to penalty shootout, it was a show of professionalism. It was a tough match for them.
Unfortunately, the girls were unlucky. I wish they had gone further than they did. But it was not a disappointing outing at all. They did not disappoint me. They went well and they fought well and they were really, indeed, super.
Who do you think is Nigeria’s best friend footballer ever?
I have always been an (Austin) Okocha fan any day and anytime.
Just before your call came in, I was having a discussion with a friend and we were talking about how good Okocha was even till today. There was this charity game by some retired players and I couldn’t believe the skills that were on display that day. If only he could come back on the field of play.
The Super Eagles haven’t been impressive in recent times. What do you think is the problem?
These Eagles are not flying because even the country itself seems to have its wings shattered. You can’t have a foundation that is faulty and expects the building to stand. There is a problem with the NFF and there is a problem with the government. We are not even looking inwards enough because there are good coaches in Nigeria. Even if you have a coach and you don’t have good management, then you won’t perform well. There is no how the Eagles will fly because they cannot triumph on a land that is not fertile anymore. Some of these guys prefer the attention they get abroad because most times we don’t appreciate our own enough.
Take for instance, Victor Osimhen is almost like a demigod in Napoli but the same cannot be said about him here. That should tell you how weak Nigeria is when it comes to celebrating greatness.
Why do you think a large number of Nigerian athletes suffer on retirement?
Every professional right now should start looking into their retirement plans. There’s a place of retirement for everyone. What is the retirement plan? What does it feel like in the future? I just feel that football evolved and some of these guys played football when the money was not as loud as what we have now.
Some countries are experts in some fields, which area of sports do you think we can develop as our strong point?
We can develop athletics and make it our own. Look at what (Tobi) Amusan and Ese Brume are doing out there and despite the allegations against Amusan she still made us proud. We can use that as a yardstick. There is the need to look inward and take a close look into track and field. That way, we can begin to see things. Football is borrowed entertainment for us, even though we do it better than some other countries. However, the government should invest largely in track and field. If you check the National Stadium, Lagos and the condition of its facilities, you will cry for this nation. The government should spend more in track and field.
While growing up, did you disobey your parents to engage in sporting activities?
I was involved in a lot of them because I wanted to play football but my parents were not in support, so, I would sneak out. I liked football and played in the same tournament that Obafemi Martins played in before he moved to Italy. But I sustained a severe injury that actually stopped me from playing football before I started acting. I and Martins were competitive teammates, I was a very good striker. I also played as a winger and at some point, I came into the middle. I was a skilful player that entertained the crowd after the game with my ball juggling skills.
