In this interview with EBENEZER BAJELA, Nigerian comedian Tunde Awhangasi, also known on stage as Turapa Emmanuel, discusses his early days as a hopeful footballer, the Super Eagles' AFCON experience, the impending Osimhen move, and more.

As a comic, do you enjoy sports?

Of course, I do, and I enjoy sports just as much as I enjoy humor.

What would you rate yourself on in terms of your sports knowledge?

On a scale of one to ten, I believe I will get a five, and my favorite sport is football. Football is my favorite sport because it appears to bring people together regardless of their differences. Football brings people together regardless of their background, which is why I am drawn to it.

Were you ever involved in any sporting activities?

Yes, I played football, and I was really good at it. I was a member of my secondary school's football team, and I also represented my department at university.

What position did you play?

I was a utility player since I could play multiple positions. I played right-back in high school, but I've always wanted to play midfield, which I experimented with more at university.

Given your football abilities, why did you pick comedy over football?

We all know how things are in our country. Sometimes you don't get your way, but you have to make do with what life provides you. I believe that not everyone is aware of the possibility of pursuing a career in football. Many people enjoy the game but are unsure how to make it to professional football.

While growing up did you disobey your parents justs to play football?

My mother coped with me as a child, and it all stemmed from football. I recall vividly that as a teenager, I joined a football team in Badagry called I was dealt with by my mum growing up, all because of football. I can recall vividly while I was just a teenager, I joined a football club in Badagry called Puma Football Club and I go to training every day by 4 pm. Back then I had a bag of Ghana-Must-Go filled with boots and for me, the routine then was to come back from school, do my chores, and straight to the field but there was this particular day my mum asked me to get some things done but I was already late for training and I didn’t do it and went for training. When I came back I saw her looking very angry and she whipped my butt severely that day and even banned me from playing football. She reported me to my dad, who supported her, and for some days I wasn’t going to training until one day he (dad) came back from work with a new jersey and it seemed more like ‘I endorsed you to return to training.’ Puma Football team and went to training every day at 4 p.m. Back then, I had a bag of Ghana-Must-Go filled with boots, and my routine was to come home from school, do my chores, and head straight to the field, but there was one day when my mother asked me to do some things, but I was already late for training, so I didn't do it and went to training.

The Super Eagles finished second at the last AFCON in Ivory Coast. Were you impressed with their performance?

I was highly impressed by their performance in the tournament until the last game against Ivory Coast. I was dissatisfied with how they performed, not because we lost, but because we did not perform to our full ability. If we had played well and lost, it would have been a good game, but we didn't, and that was the only one I didn't enjoy. Also, I was pleased with Stanley Nwabali's performance at the AFCON.

Speaking about Nwabali, do you believe our goalkeeping dilemma is over?

Yes, I'd like to believe those days are behind us now that we've seen his performance, but the truth is that we're easily distracted and lose concentration. I hope we can keep the current squad and grow from there.

The Eagles will be playing their next round of the World Cup qualifiers in June and are currently without a coach. Does this bother you?

Recall I mentioned previously that we are frequently distracted by minor successes, and I'm not sure why we are without a coach since Jose Peseiro quit shortly following the AFCON. Though I can't say for certain why he departed, I believe he should have been allowed to stay so that they could pick up where they left off during the competition. A new coach will undoubtedly arrive, but this means that we will be starting over. I'm not sure what magic we expect him to do, but we might have to accept whatever outcomes we get. I'm crossing my fingers and hoping that we can make it through, but we need to do better.


Imagine yourself being the Nigeria Football Federation president, who will you go for as the Eagles coach?

Recall I mentioned previously that we are frequently distracted by minor successes, and I'm not sure why we are without a coach since Jose Peseiro quit shortly following the AFCON. Though I can't say for certain why he departed, I believe he should have been allowed to stay so that they could pick up where they left off during the competition. A new coach will undoubtedly arrive, but this means that we will be starting over. I'm not sure what magic we expect him to do, but we might have to accept whatever outcomes we get. I'm crossing my fingers and hoping that we can make it through, but we need to do better.

Your name indicates that you are affiliated with people from the Benin Republic. When the Eagles and Squirrels face off, who do you cheer for?

(Laughs) My great-grandparents emigrated from Benin Republic, but I am a full-blooded Nigerian, and I always support the Super Eagles when they play against Benin Republic, and I will continue to do so when the two teams face off in June.

Who would you pick as the best Eagles player of all time?

(Speaks in pidgin) This is a tricky one. But let me take it back to when I first started watching football since choosing the greatest player of all time will be difficult. Choosing from this age is still a challenging task, but I would appreciate it if you could allow me to choose three. Austin Okocha is the first player I'll pick because of his influence on the national team, followed by Mikel Obi and Vincent Enyeama.

What football club do you support?
I am an Arsenal supporter, and I know the next question you will ask me. But first, let me clarify that being knocked out of the Champions League is not a big problem. It happened to Manchester City and Barcelona; the fact that we advanced to the quarter-finals when no one expected it proves that the club has more to offer.

What age were you when Arsenal last won the league?

I'm not going to answer that because it will undoubtedly lead to more banter, but we're almost there. Yeah, we lost to Aston Villa last weekend, but it's not over, and who says City can't lose a match? The league is still quite open, and I feel Liverpool has a chance too. It's the first time in a long time that three clubs are contending for the title at this point in the season, and football is unpredictable.

Finally, Victor Osimhen has been linked with a move away from Napoli; where do you think...

(Cuts in) He should just come straight to Arsenal; there is no better place for him to shine. He is going to enjoy his football there; he will receive plenty of playing time and score a lot of goals. What better club in the world could he go to than Arsenal? A player of his caliber should be playing for a club where he can flex his muscles, which I don't see him doing at Real Madrid. He is a player who is up for any challenge, but I believe he should join Arsenal.