Nollywood actress, Yvonne Jegede, talks about the Super Falcons performance at the World Cup, her love for Kobe Bryant, Enyimba FC, and more in this interview with PETER AKINBO
When you are not on set shooting movies, how do you relax?
I just go home and spend some time with my family, my son especially.
When you were growing up and in school, what sport interested you?
I was never really a sports person, I never played sports, apart from when I was being rebellious, and then I used to play basketball in school, because we were told not to play basketball.
Was there anything that drew you to basketball then?
I was a tomboy back then and it was the only sports that I could play without having to run around too much and get tired. I could also just watch others play sometimes and it was a very interesting game.
Were you good at basketball then?
I was not good. I don’t think I am good at anything when it comes to sports, but it was just a lot of fun to have back then especially since we were being rebellious.
Did you follow the Super Falcons journey at the World Cup?
I couldn’t watch them because I was very busy, but I followed them on social media. I saw the whole drama around Asisat Oshoala taking off her shirts when celebrating her goal and people were hyped about that. I was impressed with the Falcons really, they did very well, it was very impressive and I was impressed with them. We are proud of them.
Do you have a favourite sportsperson ever?
My favorite sportsperson, I would say is Kobe Bryant because I’m a big fan of basketball. I like basketball, there is something sexy about the game. It’s not as rough as football somehow. Kobe was a fine man, a good looking man.
If you got a chance to actually pursue a career in basketball, would you have taken it?
Yeah, I would have. I might just have been the shortest person who will play it very well because there’s nothing I do that I’m not good at.
What’s your favourite basketball team now?
The Los Angeles Lakers, and of course, it is because of Kobe, I don’t care that Kobe left, I am stuck with them.
Do you think they still have the chance to win the NBA championship?
Of course they do. They believe in themselves, and they can beat any team. Any team they are facing, I would be by their side, and there’s no way they can lose with me there with them.
When it comes to Nigeria, who are your favourites?
Football is my favourite sport when it comes to Nigeria. My favourite Nigerian player is Odion Ighalo, he is a senior man in the team, and my favourite Nigerian team is Enyimba, they won the Nigeria Professional Football League last season. I am always supporting winners. I think Enyimba is the biggest Nigerian team. If you ask me, it is the most popular. For me to even know Enyimba with my small knowledge of sports, that means it must be popular. They’ve also not been doing not badly too. The Super Falcons too are doing good and they have my love. So football is my favourite sport in Nigeria and then followed by basketball. The D’Tigress also won the Afro Basket title for the fourth year in a row and it was even with a female coach, Rena Wakama, so I just really like what the women are doing this year. I am very impressed with them. I always try to watch these teams a little bit more and I will continue to support them. I hope as they continue to win, the Nigerian government is also making them smile because there’s a lot of work to put in with little or no facilities and still winning and still breaking bounds and all these things. I hope the people in place are making them all happy. If they are making us proud, we should be making them happy too. The Federations need to let the money go round. I know there’s money in the sport industry, but they should make it go round. You guys are not the ones playing the football, you guys are not the ones running on the field so the people who are doing this, they should feel the impact of what they are doing. So, they should please make the money go round. Nobody’s asking them not to embezzle, not to steal, but let the money just go round. So, the people who are actually doing the work will do it better.
Would you encourage your kids to go into sports?
Yes, why not? Gone are those days when parents will say if you’re not a pharmacist or a doctor or a lawyer, you are not going to make it in life. Even these days, you hear people telling you, even if your son likes to paint, get brushes and encourage him, hearing things like that now. I guess that’s a good step. I even heard Basketmouth recently sent his son to Liverpool FC academy. Congratulations to him and his son.
I saw you posted Israel Adesanya on your Instagram page, what do you think of him?
I am not really a fan of combat sports, but it was just a moment for me. He really made Nigerians proud and I could not help but express my happiness. I will not sit down and naturally watch men beat each other and bloody themselves up, but I really think he is making Nigeria proud and we have to acknowledge him.
You wrote that you had fallen in love with him back then, do you still feel the same?
Oh my God. Only if he wins again, then I will feel the same way again, I am not really a fan of men beating each other, but I like when Nigerians make us proud so that is why I like Adesanya.
