Sports
I Thought My Career was Over – Obodo
Christian Obodo has stated that he feared he would never play football again during what he describes as the dark period of his injury torment.
Obodo, 27, tore his anterior cruciate ligament in April 2007 and spent over two years out of football.
“That was the worst time of my life. “Some days I would wake up in the middle of the night fearing that I would never play football again.
“It was so bad that I could not even bear to watch football. I kept thinking, if I can’t play, how can I watch.
“It was a dark period for me, but I thank God that I was able to overcome it”
The midfielder was training with Udinese for a midweek fixture against Empoli when tragedy struck.
“It was our last training session on that Tuesday. Our captain passed the ball to me and I was just running to control it when I heard something pop as I put my foot on the ground and then I felt the kind of pain that I cannot describe.
“We went for the check up immediately and they said it was a tear”.
That injury kept him out for about 8 months.
On his return in December 2008, he featured in just one game, the final match before the winter break against AC Milan before suffering a relapse.
“I was playing and just felt some pain. After the game against Milan, I had to go for a check up. It was there that they told me they had to re-open it and scrape it again.
“That was like doing the surgery all over again.”
Again, he was out for about another eight months, only to suffer more injury woes when he was kicked from behind in a pre-season game friendly against Ascoli in July, 2009.
“It was the last day of pre-season and we were playing against Ascoli. I went up to control the ball, and as I landed, one defender kicked me from behind, in the same place where I had the operation.
“As soon as it happened, I knew I was going away again.
“I felt really bad about this one because at that time, I had a lot of offers coming in. some were from England, one was from Spain and there was even one from AC Milan.
“But Udinese put a price of 20 million Euros and I had to even beg them myself to come down on it because that was too high for a player just coming back from injury”.
“Times like this show you the people who really care about you and I thank all the fans and the club fore standing by me”.
Eventually, the injury rendered that situation academic.
Obodo eventually returned full fit in January 2010 and played four months without injury with Uddinese before he was loaned to Serie B side Torino that summer.
This season, he has had again gone out on loan, this time to Lecce in Serie A. As he enjoys a career revival, Obodo said that fear of an early retirement haunted, then pushed him.
“It was like a nightmare. I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Sometimes, I was even scared to touch the ball because I was thinking I would get injured again.
“But I had to encourage myself because football is in my blood. It is the talent that God has blessed me with and I told myself that I can’t allow my talent to waste without trying.
“So I pushed myself during my therapy and I made sure I did everything they told me to do”.
The fierce defiance paid off. Since joining Lecce, the midfielder has started and lasted all 90 minutes of the club’s Serio camping, and although they have only managed to glean 4 points from seven, the Nigeria is basking in his rejuvenation.
“Every day I play, I discover how much I missed football. I always want the ball, and all the old things I used to do with it are coming back to me, and I am even trying some new ones.
“I am just like a little child that has discovered something new to play with.”
Obodo, who lost his father during that trying period, said his family was a rock behind him.
“My family always encouraged me. My mother kept telling me not to give up, and they were all behind me.”
Even the Udinese fans stood behind their injured player. “I got so many cards and letters from the fans of Udinese that I couldn’t believe it. Even when they saw me on the streets, they would wish me well.
“Times like this show you the people who really care about you and I thank all the fans and the club for standing by me.
“I think they are the best fans in the world.”
The silky midfielder now hopes to help Lecce stay in Serie A, and was heart-broken when they surrendered a 3-0 lead to lose 4-3 to AC Milan on Sunday.
“Milan are a big team, and even when you are leading 3-0, you have to keep your concentration. We did not, and they punished us for it.
“But that is behind us now. Our focus is to stay in Serie A, and we will do it.”
Obodo last played for Nigeria in a World Cup qualifier against Sierra Leone, scoring in a 4-1 rout, but says his focus is to maintain a consistent club run.
“It is sad what is happening to our national team. I could not believe it when I heard we did not qualify for the Nations Cup.
“But I think what is important for me is to continue to play well for Lecce.
“Whatever will happen, will happen.”
Only Denmark, ranked 21st globally, sits higher among nations that failed to qualify for the tournament, which is being co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
England and Chelsea legend John Terry was among those to voice his disappointment, describing Nigeria as a significant loss to a tournament that features 48 nations for the first time.
“Nigeria will be a big miss. This is a World Cup for participants who haven’t had the opportunity to play in the tournament. I would have loved to see a top team like Nigeria there because they’ve got some great individuals. They’re a great nation,” Terry said during a virtual roundtable session organised by SuperSport.
“I think they are a big miss because Nigeria probably would have gone further in the competition, but unfortunately, one side’s loss is another’s gain,” the former England captain added.
Eric Chelle’s side finished second in Group C of the CAF World Cup qualifiers behind South Africa, who secured automatic qualification. Nigeria kept their hopes alive with a playoff semi-final victory over Gabon before falling to the Democratic Republic of Congo on penalties in the decisive playoff final — their second successive absence from the World Cup after also missing the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
The Nigeria Football Federation later challenged DR Congo’s qualification, alleging the use of ineligible players during the campaign, but the appeal was dismissed.
Despite missing the World Cup, the Super Eagles remain Africa’s 3rd highest-ranked team behind Morocco, who sit seventh in the world, and Senegal. Algeria and Egypt complete the continent’s top five.
Defending champions Argentina enter the tournament as the world’s top-ranked side, ahead of Spain, France, England and Portugal. Brazil are sixth, followed by Morocco, the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.
The next FIFA World Ranking will be released on July 20, a day after the World Cup final.
Chima Akachukwu and Miracle Akhigbe are among the 16 notable stars picked by the Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF) for the forthcoming Namibia Tour, where the YellowGreens will compete in a T20 and 50-Over Tri-Series, featuring hosts Namibia and Hong Kong China.
Both players make their way back into the YellowGreens fold after periods away from the side and will be eager to contribute their experience and quality as Nigeria pursues success in Namibia.
The NCF said yesterday that the squad, which departs Nigeria today, forms part of the national team’s continued preparations for future international assignments as the YellowGreens seek to build on recent performances and strengthen their standing on the global stage.
Leading the squad is Captain Sulaimon Runsewe, who will spearhead Nigeria’s campaign against two formidable opponents in what promises to be a highly competitive series.
The selected squad combines experienced internationals with emerging talents, providing the technical crew an opportunity to assess player development and team combinations in both the T20 and 50-over formats.
The team will be led on tour by Coaches Leke Oyede and Tamuno John, who will oversee preparations and match operations during the opening phase of the series.
Joining the squad later in Namibia will be the newly appointed Head Coach and High Performance Manager, Stephen Magongo, whose arrival marks another significant step in the Federation’s commitment to strengthening the national team structure and enhancing player development pathways.
Supporting the coaching staff are Team Analyst Jamal Okechukwu, Strength and Conditioning Coach Seye Olympio, and Team Physiotherapist Timothy Adesomowo, forming a well-rounded technical crew focused on maximising player performance and welfare throughout the tour.
The NCF views the Namibia Tri-Series as an important platform for the continued growth of the national team, offering valuable international exposure and competitive match experience against quality opposition. The series will provide the players and technical crew with another opportunity to evaluate progress, fine-tune strategies, and build momentum ahead of future international competitions.
The YellowGreens will face Namibia and Hong Kong China in both T20 and 50-over contests, with the matches expected to test the team’s adaptability, discipline, and resilience in challenging conditions.
Blessing Otu on Monday overcame hard-fighting Kelvin Bebe- Emmanuella in two sets of 6-1, 6-3 to qualify for the second round of the women’s singles of the ongoing 47th Central Bank of Nigeria Senior Tennis Championship, held at the Tennis Courts of the package “B” of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.
Speaking after the round of 32 game, Otu, who will be 19 years old in September, said she capitalised on her opponent’s weaknesses to gain victory, having studied her game very well.
“Bebe is a very good and tough player. But I studied her game and did the job well.
“Although she tried to come back in the second set, I punctured all her tricks to win the match and move on. I wish I could continue like this in the rest of my games,” she said.
Another member of the Otu family, John Out, was also victorious as he defeated Mohammed Abdusalam 2-1 (6-2, 6-7, 6-1) in the men’s singles category to advance into the round of 32.
But the third Otu in the game, Thomas, was not that lucky as he lost by 6-0, 7-5 in two straight sets to Danjuma Isaac.
In other matches, Michael Emmanuel defeated Ibrahim Aminu to advance, while Drimiya Mevi outclassed Seyi Ogunsakin by beating him 2-1 (6-7, 6-3, 6-1). Action continues tomorrow when other top players, including the men’s singles top seed, Abua Cannice, join the chase for honours.
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