ALIYU ABUBAKAR: I want to follow Mikel’s footsteps

Four years after helping Nigeria to clinch her fourth FIFA U-17 World Cup title in the UAE, Aliyu Abubakar believes it’s just about time that he featured for the Super Eagles with some strong showing at FC Dila Sori in Georgia.

Built like a tank, you can’t miss out Abubakar, and his presence reminds one about the towering Uche Okechukwu – the Gentle Giant – in the heart of the Super Eagles’ defence in the 1990s.

“One of the players I admire so much is Uche Okechukwu and I have  watched some of his tapes while he was playing for the Super Eagles with all other big boys like the late Stephen Keshi, Sunday Oliseh, Daniel Amokachi but John Mikel Obi is my super hero and mentor,” Abubakar  told The Nation.

“There are so many reasons I love Mikel. He’s a player with quality, great personality, fighter, winner and a leader. I have the opportunity of speaking to him and have also had the opportunity of watching him closely at the national team  and he has always been a big motivator for me.

“One day, I hope I can follow on his footsteps in the national team . Presently, I’m really excited about the progress I’m making in Europe and I believe I’m ready anytime I’m giving opportunity to play for the Super Eagles,” he remarked.

They say impossibility is nothing and Abubakar’s fledging career is indeed a study in perseverance after he made the cut to represent Nigeria at the youth level in 2013. He was just one of the many boys under coach Manu Garba at the start of his career in the national team, but with several key players missing out after the mandatory Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Test, the bulky lad played himself into the team and fitted in like gloves in the hands of a professional boxer.

“Though I was invited to the U-17 camp from Mutunchi Football Academy FC in Kaduna, I told myself that ‘ I’m going to push and fight my way into the World Cup squad’. And with focus, hard work and prayers, God guided me through,” Abubakar now says. “It was difficult at first because I met talented players in the camp who had already been together for some time and lived like one big family. The first player who welcomed me with open hands was Isaac success who is now with Watford in England.

“But apart from the coaching crew, two other people that helped me maintain stability in the team were the doctor (Deji Olarinoye) and media officer (Morakinyo Abodunrin) and they really pushed me hard when my game was dropping because they kept reminding me that ‘you have the quality and you can’t afford to be lazy’ and I really appreciate the contributions of these people in my life.”

Abubakar was such a humble kid at heart and it was there for all to see that he was willing and ready to learn but it was at the World Cup in the UAE that he virtually exploded and he played all the seven matches as the Nigerian youngsters shone like neon lights in the dark by winning the U-17 World Cup.

“One of the best moments of my life was being part of the Golden Eaglets squad to the World Cup in 2013,” admitted Abubakar, the 21-year-old centre-back with FC Dila Sori.

“The coaches and the backroom staff, the secretary (Tayo Egbaiyelo); kits manager (Muhammed Kafa) and coordinator (Suleiman Abubakar), as well as the doctor and media officer impacted so much on me. All these amazing people left their respective families and gave their positive energy always to me through the journey.

“ I have also had the opportunity of playing in the national U-20 team but it was not the same experience as when I was with the U-17. But what makes me strong as a person is that I’m not afraid of facing challenges since this is what every great player has to face. The race is not to the fittest, but with prayers and endurance God has been helping my career.”

Abubakar said humility and the will to be the best has long been his rule of life, explaining that playing in Finland en route to Georgia has prepared him for future challenges.

“It has been a while since I moved  Europe and I’m getting better  every season,” he stated. “Up till last season, I played in Finland with Kups F.C and where I played almost 30 matches before moving to Dila FC in Georgia this season.

“Playing at Kups helped me a lot since I had the opportunity of mixing with more experienced players. I was one of the younger ones in the team. I was always pushing to do more for the team and I was not surprised when an offer to move to Dila came.

“Switching from Finland to Georgia was not easy. I love new challenges because it helps me to know how strong I have developed and I always want to learn new things. In fact, the coach at Dila told me ‘ I will help you to develop more and move your career to the next level’ and this has been a great motivation for me,” he remarked.