What does the World Cup mean to you?
It’s really important for me to go to the World Cup for the first time. It’s a good thing to have the World Cup in Africa for the first time too. It should be fun, nice – all the players want to go here.
Exclusive interviews: 32 players from 32 nations
What’s your earliest World Cup memory from childhood?
I remember the Brazilian teams playing in the World Cup and winning them. All the players want to be in the World Cup.
What are the expectations of your nation?
They want us to bring back something. If you go to the World Cup you have to do something. It’s easy to talk about it, but it’s not so easy to play. We want to get somewhere but we’ll have to see.
How far do you think Nigeria can go?
There’s no point saying what you’re going to do; you have to go there and do it. Me talking now – it means nothing. We need to go to the cup and prove ourselves.
What do your think of the other teams in your group?
We have a tough group. They are big teams with good players. But we’ve got to do our own thing and try to qualify.
Have you ever been to South Africa before?
Yes. We went there for the Nations Cup, so it’s not a new thing for us. South Africa is a good place: it’s very relaxed, and I hope the world will enjoy the country.
Who is England’s best player?
Rooney is the dangerman at the moment and he’s playing very well for Manchester United. All the players are in very good form, too, so I’ll say they are going to be dangerous. They have to try to win their first and second games and then plan from there.
If you won the World Cup, what would be the first thing you’d do when you get back home?
Something big would happen. People would be so happy. Some people would be too happy and you would never see them again!
Interview: June 2010.
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