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‘Why it’s been difficult to get another set of Super Eagles like ours’ -Ben Iroha

A couple of weeks back, we ran into Super Eagles assistant coach and ex-Eagles left fullback, Ben Iroha, in Abuja.  It was at the launch of the debut music album of another ex-Eagle, Emmanuel Babayaro, which held at Sheraton Hotel.  The UEFA Grade B licensed coach chatted with ENCOMIUM Weekly about his playing, the raging NFF crisis, age cheats, his family, business and the plans he and chief coach, Austin Eguavoen, have for the Super Eagles…

Since your retirement, apart from your commitments with the Nigerian Football Federation, what have you been up to?

Ben-Iroha-LineUp-980624-AI-300When I retired, I went to live in the United States with my family.  There, I did some business and coached teams of young boys and girls in football until I was called back to the country in 2006 to coach the Golden Eaglets.  Coach Yemi Tella was afterwards made the chief coach and I assisted him and since then, I have been in and out of the national teams.  Then, I went to Heartland FC of Owerri and now I am back to the Super Eagles as an assistant to coach Austin Eguavoen.

Since 1994, we have not had another strong Super Eagles squad, how do you feel about it?

We have lots of talents here, it’s just a matter of patience.  We need to give a coach a long contract and have faith in his abilities before we can get another Super Eagles team like that.  A coach needs at least five years to build a team.  That was how Westerhof did his.  We started in 1989 and by 1994, we became one of the best in the world.  We need to give a coach time to build.  Even when the coach is not doing well, he should be allowed to continue for sometime.  There should be patience because everything is not about winning.  You cannot sack a coach every time he loses a match.  It’s a long process, and except that is practiced, it will always be the same.

Which do you prefer, local or foreign coach?

Local, of course.  What does a foreign coach have that we don’t have?  With due respect to them, we’ve been there also.  All of us played abroad, we learnt from them, we attended the same coaching courses with them and we still mingle with them.  So, I think it’s time for a local coach to prove his mettle with the Super Eagles.

We know you have invited up to ten home-based players for the forthcoming Nations Cup qualifiers, why is it that most other coaches in the Super Eagles prefer foreign based players?

It depends on the coach. I and Eguavoen have a different philosophy. I came from the local scene, I made it to the national team while still home based.  So, we recognize the needs to pick home-based players in order to expose them.  The more they are exposed, the more confidence they have and if you don’t expose them, they can’t do anything.  It’s just that things are not really settled now, when they do, we plan to have a lot of international games with only local players so that the national team can become very competitive and no one can walk in and just pick up the jersey anymore.

During our time, that was what made us the best. Then, if you play in any wing, it means you are the best in that wing and not by favouritism.  If you make any mistake, you are out of the team.  These days, you can make mistakes and still be in the team for the next game because there’s no challenge.

Now that coaching position is being thrown open, are you and Eguavoen interested in taking the job on a permanent basis?

Right now, we are interested in staying.  We have not yet applied because we have not been asked to apply, and you cannot apply for a post you are already holding.  We are interested in doing things right and winning our games because the better you do, the more confidence your employers will have in retaining you.

How is it working under Eguavoen who was basically on the same level with you as your team mate then in the Super Eagles?

Eguavoen was not only my team mate he was also a brother.  He was my room mate almost throughout our career.  So, working with him is no problem.  We are very good friends, he comes to my house and I also visit him and working has even brought us closer to each other. I respect his office, he’s ahead of me as my boss and when someone is made the boss, no matter what kind of friendship you have with the person, you have to respect him.  Everybody has their own time and this is his time.  We play around, but whenever it is work time, a line is drawn.

Have you noticed that we are always able to get quality left fullback for the Super Eagles as against most of the other wings?

The right foot is popular but the left wing is special.  So, when you see a good left footer on the left wing, it is a very beautiful sight to behold.  Since Amunike left we have not gotten a replacement for his wing. It’s rare to find a good left footer.

How have you been able to maintain your fitness since retirement and what do you advise others?

When you leave football, it’s a different ball game.  You have to let a lot of things go and regularly check yourself up.  You have to exercise regularly, that’s why there are gyms everywhere.  You have to avoid drinking too much and make sure you eat the right foods.  When playing, your body is active and you let out a lot of things but when you stop, you are accumulating a lot of things and if you don’t exercise, you’ll just bulge up.

I have still been involved in football since I retired.  I coached Heartland FC of Owerri for two years and I always trained with them and now I’m with the national team, it’s the same.

Apart from the coaching jobs, how have you maintained your happiness and fulfillment?

I have been able to spend more time with my family.  I have been out a lot, but it’s not as it was during my playing days.  I have also been into cars. I love cars a lot and I import and sell cars.  That was my business in America even while I was playing.  A lot of people have bought cars from me and I have helped many others to buy.  Sometimes, they advance me money and I buy for them or I buy and they come and buy from me. I don’t have a company or a permanent place where I park cars, I have my cars scattered everywhere.  Sometimes park them in friends’ shops and they take their commission when they sell them.

Tell us about your family.  Did you get married during your playing days or after?  And what about your children?

I got married in 1994 after the World Cup.  I met my wife in 1990.  Her name is Patsy Iroha and she is from Isuikwuato in Abia State.  We met in 1990 and God held us together while I went to play in Holland and we got married in 1994 here in Nigeria.  I have three kids.  My first child, a girl, is named Larissa and she is 15 years old.  She is schooling in the United States and visits home during the holidays.  She is a very good athlete.  She plays basketball and has already grown taller than me.  My son is 12 years and is called BJ –Ben Junior.  He has a lot of passion for football and says he wants to be like Rashidi Yekini in scoring goals.  Everything about him is just football and I will take him to London very soon to register him in one of the academies.  The last one is Leana, she would be five years old this month.

What is your opinion of the situation at the NFF?

It’s sad because the country has grown very big.  We are blessed with so much talent and it’s unfortunate that these types of things are happening. But things like this always come out good so we are hoping that it will soon be resolved and people in charge will take over and things will start moving again.

What do you say about the problem of age falsification in the national teams?  How was it during your time and what can we do about it?

Everybody wants to play football and it’s not right.  You should play football at your own level and not when you are 30 years old you want to play in the Under-17.  It’s not right but clubs will still buy you as a 17 year-old.  But when they take you on the kind of rigorous training meant for a 17 year-old and you don’t measure up, then it’s a dent on the country’s image.

But I like what Monday Odega is doing with the present Under-17 team.  That’s why we didn’t qualify, because he went with the real young players and Congo came with averaged ones and you can see the result.  But if we can keep those boys together for the next two years, then we would have started off on the right path.

Was it like that during your time?

It wasn’t because you can see that most of us played for a very long time.  If not for injuries, I could have played till 2005, because I had a contract with Watford FC of England till 2005.  Look at Kanu Nwankwo, he is still playing.  Jay Jay just left a few years ago.

What are you final words for the nation?

Nigeria is blessed and I would like this present situation to be rectified quickly.  Football brings the country together, gives us happiness, name and passion.  Football doesn’t care about race or religion but makes everyone happy all the same.

This story was first published in Encomium Weekly on Tuesday, October 12, 2010

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