Popular Nigerian social media influencer, Asiwaju Lerry, speaks on his lifelong Chelsea support, Victor Osimhen’s quest to surpass Rashidi Yekini’s Legacy, and why criticism of the Super Eagles remains justified despite fans’ unwavering loyalty, and more in this interview with OLAMIDE ABE
Can you take us through your sports journey from your early involvement in the game to how you still engage with it today?
Well, I think it is common knowledge that almost every little child, in every household, starts by kicking something around while growing up, whether a football or even plastic balls. Football has always been deeply rooted in our culture. I have been a football lover from a very young age, right from when I was a kid. My passion for football develops every single day, and to still be able to play up to this stage, even though I am not playing professionally, at least I turn up whenever and wherever I have to, so yes, the drive continues.
You are a well-known Chelsea supporter. What inspired that decision?
That was a very long time ago. I am not going to lie, I have been watching football for quite a while, but the moment I truly took a stand and said, ‘this is the football club I want to support’, was during the 2008 UEFA Champions League final that we lost. I actually started supporting Chelsea from the semi-final. Going into the final, the entire fan base, the atmosphere and everything around the club, even from the viewing centre where we watched it that year in Ibadan, everything was just so organised. I remember thinking, yes, this is the club I want to support. Before then, I had admired different kinds of players, but 2008 was when I firmly decided that Chelsea was my club, even though we unfortunately did not win the Champions League that year. I loved the fans, and when I decided to take that stand, it was heartbreak that I experienced first.
17 years after you made that decision, what has been the most joyful and proudest moment as a Chelsea fan?
I will mention two. The first is watching Didier Drogba lift the Champions League trophy against Bayern Munich, when he scored that equaliser from the corner in the 80-something minute, when we had almost lost all hope and felt there was nothing left to play for, I remember thinking he was going to convert it. The team then pushed it to extra time and penalties, and eventually won it. That was a superb moment and one of the greatest in Chelsea’s history. The second would be Chelsea 6-0 Arsenal, in Arsène Wenger’s 1000th game. I can never forget that match. It is one of my favourite games as well, giving Wenger a memorable send-off for that milestone. That was special.
What has been the most disappointing moment for you as a Chelsea fan in that period?
I am not going to lie, losing consecutive trophies to Liverpool in 2022 was very painful. The Carabao Cup and FA Cup were heartbreaking and really painful. I have had bad days, moments when I wanted certain coaches to be sacked and all of that, but the deepest pain was watching Liverpool lift those trophies after how well we played, that was it for me.
Locally, do you support any club in Nigeria, and if yes, who?
Shooting Stars Sports Club, also known as 3SC. Even though I have not attended many of their games, it is lovely seeing what they are doing, how they keep struggling and striving to maintain their position in the NPFL. I believe that one day very soon, Shooting Stars will have the opportunity to win the NPFL. I am very sure and very confident.
For someone who has attended games in Europe and elsewhere in Africa, what do you think we need to improve the league, make it more valuable and attract people’s attention?
First of all, it comes down to management and proper pitches. I have been to stadiums in Europe, and I have seen what they are like. Honestly, even the best pitch we currently have in this country cannot compare to what is obtainable there. My first stadium experience in Europe left me stunned, that is the best word to use. I was stunned, because a lot of work had clearly gone into it. And it is not just about management alone. We, as fans and as a fan base, also have our own part to play. Your team cannot lose at home, and then you resort to destructive behaviour, throwing objects onto the pitch, stoning buses, and doing things like that. It does not make sense. We have to coordinate ourselves. When you see how things are done in Europe, even when the best teams lose in the most horrific manner, by five or six goals, fans do not attack their players, opposition players, or team buses. We have to respect ourselves and be mature in our behaviour. When we do that, we can then focus our attention on the administrators and ask, if the fans are behaving properly, what are you doing to improve the league? Give us better pitches, give the NPFL better coverage. There is no reason the national league of this country should not be properly broadcast in the same way we are able to watch football from Europe. We should be able to watch our own Nigerian league. Even if you cannot go to the stadium, you should be able to watch the matches. When the league has better coverage, and people get to see how interesting and developed the game is, they will be motivated to go to the stadium to watch matches live. That is simply it.
To the national team, what does missing out on the World Cup mean to you, deeply, as a football fan?
It is heartbreaking. Every opportunity I had to watch a World Cup qualifier, I was there, every single game, we were there to support. So, it is very disappointing. The manner in which we crashed out was painful. It should not have happened, especially against that opposition, with the penalty and everything. But I do not want to go too deep into it because it is still very heartbreaking up till now. We were supposed to be there. We have some of the best players in Europe right now, so it was not good enough, it simply was not good enough.
Historically and in the present day, who do you think is Nigeria’s greatest player, and why?
Historically, one thing about me is that I only really speak about players I have seen and watched. However, judging by the clips available and the statistics out there, I believe Rashidi Yekini still remains Nigeria’s greatest player historically. If we are talking about the present moment, we all know that it is Victor Osimhen, and it is only a matter of time before he becomes the all-time top scorer and the best ever. Even though it would have made sense and would have been truly glorious if we were still on track for the World Cup, that would have added more weight to it. Maybe if we won the last AFCON as well, then we have a fair argument. But it is not just about surpassing goal records alone; there has to be something more. Yes, he already has iconic moments, look at that match against Benin, for example, that was special. However, there still has to be more. I want the team to leave a strong legacy. I want them to give us something lasting. The only reason I may not go as hard as some others in my criticism is because of personal relationships, not just with one player, but with the entire team, but the criticism coming from Nigerians is justified. What I will never justify is personal attacks. Criticism is necessary. It is one of the reasons they had to respond against Benin. Trust me, many people had already given up on them. I have said it before, and I will say it again, they have to give us something to believe in. They have to give us something to support. They have to prove themselves to us because we have been let down many times despite supporting them repeatedly. So, they still have more to do.
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