Obafemi Martins EXCLUSIVE: Learning from Ronaldo, Arsenal heartbreak & Osimhen appreciation

14:35Obi:Yeah. Yeah.

14:36Obafemi Martins:You just have you just need a little bit of luck to even play like 10, 15 minutes. So you can you can show yourself.

14:44Obi:Yeah. So you then you move from Inter to Newcastle, right? Yes. Yeah. So, Italian league or the Premier League? Which one do you prefer?

14:54Obafemi Martins:I mean, at the time that I played, right, I would choose Italian league. Really? Yeah. Wow. My time. My time. Okay. You know, so with time, you know, Premier League started getting... Better. Way, way better. Right. Than Italian league. And the clubs that came in for you, because Newcastle, Inter Milan, winning Serie A titles, Newcastle trying to build something. But were there any other clubs that came in for you, Oba? I mean, we have Liverpool as well and Arsenal.

15:31Obi:Oh, wow. So Liverpool and Arsenal wanted to sign you.

15:33Obafemi Martins:I mean, they didn't want to pay. And Inter Milan won. As a finger, then, wouldn't want to pay, right? Yeah. I mean, Inter Milan, you know, they won the money. Yeah. They want to use the money to sign all the strikers.

15:46Obi:Yeah, yeah, yeah.

15:48Obafemi Martins:you asked in my state i mean uh before yeah not now i don't really care yeah anymore but yeah when when i moved to newcastle it's totally different you know because inter milan is

16:05Obi:big it's big time yeah would you say though because a lot of people who watch you you know just when you bust into this onto the scene like you were quick absolutely rapid and some of these goals you scored your time at inter milan were absolutely fantastic tell us about your celebration how did that come about i mean uh it's uh it's from nigeria you know yeah you know in nigeria we

16:30Obafemi Martins:can do a lot of stuff you know just by ourselves with friends i mean we just try to you know try to do the flips and everything and um and from there just started getting better so you thought

16:46Obi:So you thought about it, right? Because obviously, I know, like you said, from Nigeria. So that's from playing with your friends on the street and stuff like that.

16:53Obafemi Martins:You know the soldiers, right? Yeah, exactly.

16:56Obi:And then you thought about it. You said, okay, if one day I become a professional footballer and I score goals, this will be my trademark celebration.

17:03Obafemi Martins:I studied it already from Nigeria. Right. You know, playing with FC Abede. That's the elder brother of Sondolise. Okay, okay. I played, I think, on the 14th with him. I played just one season and I moved to Inter Milan.

17:21Obi:Wow. I moved to Italy, yes. And what is the amount? What's the amount you've done? What's the highest?

17:29Obafemi Martins:I mean, I can do 10, 11, 12. When you say you can do, can you do it still now, Orba? I mean, if you pay me, I'll do it. Straight away. John, John, get your money out. Get your money out.

17:41Obi:10, 12 of it. When you score and you start doing backflips, in the back of your head, are you counting? Or when you're tired, you stop?

17:51Obafemi Martins:I mean, the camera is there, Mikel. You know that, right? I don't know. I'm just trying to find out. I mean, sometimes I don't even know how many. Right. I have to watch the replay, you know. And have you ever got injured doing that celebration? Yes. I always take my time to do that. Right. Even though you sleep a little bit, so I always take my time.

18:14Obi:Okay, tell us about your time in Newcastle. You played with some top, top strikers as well. And you moved to Newcastle. Up north, where the weather is not fantastic. How did you settle in there?

18:24Obafemi Martins:But I love it there. I love Newcastle. Newcastle United, I love it. Why do you like it there? What was one specific thing? I mean, it's just fun. And, I mean, like I said, you can't be single.

18:41Obi:Oh, yeah, I know what you mean. You can't be single. The nightlife, right?

18:45Obafemi Martins:Yeah, the nightlife is crazy. So you can't be single there. You just have to come with your girlfriend or you come with your wife. So you can focus more. On the football. Yeah.

18:55Obi:Is that why a lot of players who play in Newcastle, the single ones, they always get injured?

19:00Obafemi Martins:No doubt, yeah. I'm just going to be honest. No, that's what we want, Oba. We want honesty. You played with some managers up there. Glenn Roder was one of them. Yeah. And Kevin Keegan came back. Sam Allardyce. Sam Allardyce. Of course, Sam Allardyce, JJ Ococha played with a Bolton. What was he like to work with? I mean, Sam Allardyce is Sam Allardyce, you know. He's just, you know, he's a funny coach. And, you know, he can be in training for over two hours, just practicing, even in the rain. and long balls all we do is just you know the goalkeeper to the strikers and we take it from there

19:47Obi:long balls long balls yeah but I mean how did that affect you obviously you're not the tallest so how did you

19:54Obafemi Martins:can you imagine for me to jump and run at the same time it's very difficult but they had good I mean it's fun though and they had good strikers you were there Michael Owen was there Mark Viduka yeah And that's incredible forward line. But they just couldn't get fit. Yeah. With Michael Owen, with injuries, with going injuries and all, and Viduka have his, I think, his Achilles, right? So, yeah. So it wasn't a good season for them, you know? Even for me as well, because, you know, I have a problem with my chin. Yeah, you were telling us. Yeah, so I have a problem with my chin. And it was so, so difficult for me even to run, to play, because no matter the painkiller, it's not going away.

20:51you know so uh you know i suppose to even stay you know in newcastle just to help them come back from second division you know but um voosburg want to pay a lot of money so they decided to let me go

21:08Obi:wow wow and and and off air you were telling me you played nine years nine years with metal on your, is it your knee or your ankle?

21:19Obafemi Martins:It's my chin. Right. Nine years.

21:23Obi:I have a cock. Wow. And you have metal there inside it. Yeah, so what they did,

21:28Obafemi Martins:the

21:33Obafemi Martins:metal is from my knee down here. So there's a screw here. So I played with it for nine years. Yeah, all started from Newcastle. All started from Newcastle, then I moved to Wurzburg. and I was struggling, you know, even with the injury. And then I moved to, I was even shocked because I believe I'm going to retire when I was in Wolfsburg. And Ruben Kazan in Russia just came with this huge amount of money. The big money move. Yeah, I just decided to go there. But I know I'm not going to do much there because of the injuries. So after like a year and a half, and I said, please just terminate my contract so I can just go home.

22:24Obafemi Martins:I don't want to play anymore. Then Birmingham City just came like, no, no, we want you on loan no matter what. We want you to come on loan. So the coach said, you know what? It will be better for you to leave. So if you do well, they can buy you there. And I say, oh, thank you, coach. Then I moved to Birmingham City. So from Birmingham City, you know, I played, I think about, I think I stayed there for like three to four months. That's when we won the Carlin Cup final against Arsenal. And after one week, I did the surgery. And it took me like, almost like nine, ten months.

23:05Obi:Wow. Wow. Wow. Imagine that, you know, you're about to retire. And then phone rings, huge offer, like. from Ruby Kazan. And you just couldn't turn it down, isn't it?

23:19Obafemi Martins:No, I can't. Yeah, yeah. I just have to, you know, as a Nigerian, I can't. I just have to go there. Even though I have a broken leg, I just have to go there and play. Yeah, you know.

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23:44Obafemi Martins:But you get that loan move to Birmingham, and you were talking with us last night about this, Oba. One of your most famous goals against Arsenal in that Carling Cup final for Birmingham, you were not fit in the week leading up to the game. I was injured. You were injured. So you were on the bench, and you were telling us that in training and the build-up to that game, you didn't feel that Birmingham had a chance. There's no chance. We didn't have no chance to win that game. But the moment we started playing, after the first 20 minutes, I was thinking, oh, wow. We were really doing well. So I think we have a chance to at least, you know, to do something.

24:26Obafemi Martins:Not to win, but yeah, to play well. But I came in and it happens that I scored and everything. And then, yeah. Is it one of the goals? It wasn't the most spectacular. Anyone that remembers the goal, it was a mistake from Chesney. Him and Kachelny clash, the ball spills out and you just pass it into the ball. I was thinking already the goalkeeper is going to get the ball and that's it. So I waited a little bit, I paused a little bit and afterwards I just saw the ball in front of him. And I have to even take my time to tap it in because can you imagine if you lose that?

24:57Obi:If you miss it. But that's what a good striker does, isn't it? It's all about anticipation. It's all about being there at the right time, which you were. if you went there you wouldn't you know you wouldn't put in the back of the net which is a striker goal but coming back to to to who you are and what you became what do you make of the current squad national team with what's happening

25:24Obafemi Martins:i mean i only said about the national team i mean if you if you don't qualify to the world cup all the fans are here, they're watching me. It means all your effort means nothing. We want them there at the World Cup. The fans, the endurance fans want them there. They want them to do very well. They want trophies as well. So no matter what you do, it's just nothing. They just need more effort. and trying to win the Nations Cup and qualify for World Cup. Is there an over-reliance? We love him. He's been on the podcast twice. Victor Olsime, one of the best strikers in world football. Do you feel when you watch the Super Eagles, the Oba, there's too much over-reliance?

26:19If you keep Victor quiet, you keep Nigeria quiet.

26:23Obafemi Martins:No, you can't keep him quiet. I think that's what is keeping him going as well. Because the way he behaves doesn't mean you have a stinking attitude. That's how he can play better. So the majority of people don't understand that. And seeing him is a blessing. Like seeing the type of striker he is in the national team. as a Nigerian. So, I mean, we should try to make him happy and let him score more goals.

27:03Obi:Do you think, I think when I watch it, like you said, there's a lot of reliance on him. Back in your day, when you played for the national team, you had you, you had Yakubo Egben, you had Osasio De Wengi, you had Agahoa, exactly. And if one of you leaves the pitch, the other one comes in, he does the business. But now when we take Victor Simi off the pitch, it's like, that's it, we're done. Nothing else is happening. Do you feel like we need more competition to also push him as well to keep improving as a player?

27:37Obafemi Martins:I mean, if you don't have that, you're going to win. You know, I think you need someone that is going to compete with him. Compute with all the players, not just him. You know, because my own time, you have Yakubo there because if Yakubo starts the game I'll be on the bench waiting you wait just go out you will see because I know when you're out I'm going to score and if I score I'm going to start the next game you know so we're always like that and we we don't hate each other because of that it's just it's just football and

28:15Obi:we have to compete with each other so that's what we did and you feel like that like you said, you're on the bench. That 15, 20 minutes that you come in, you have to make a mark. You have to do something.

28:26Obafemi Martins:You have to prove yourself. That's how it is.

28:28Obi:Yeah, yeah, yeah.

28:29Obafemi Martins:Do you feel that you got enough opportunities at the national team? I look, and I said it as you came out, Oba, 18 goals in 42 games is a very good record. But only 42 games. Someone of your quality should have been double that number. I mean, and the national team, like I said, we have a lot of strikers. So if you're not fit, somebody else will play. That's what happened in our own time. So if not, if I'm the only one playing, probably we have like 100 to 120 caps. But it wasn't easy that way because we have like Yakubo, we have Agarro as well. There's a lot of players. Even Mikael wants to score goals too.

29:16Obafemi Martins:Everyone wants to score. Yeah. You know, everyone wants to play well. You know, so it was difficult.

29:24Obi:Do you feel like the problem with our national team? I know we talk about the players, but I've always said for me, it's from the top. When the top is not running properly, then it affects everything that happens on the pitch. I've always said it and I keep saying it, that the people that are running our game today, the NFF, they're the ones destroying our game. You know during our time the problems we have to go through you know in terms of money in terms of the basic things that we need sometimes wasn't there and in Nigerian national team should be better you know today we don't have our own national stadium pitch where we train or national camp where we when we come to play for the national team we We have a camp.

30:09Obi:We don't have those basic things. How do you feel right now as a fan? As a fan, yes. Exactly. What do you think about those people running our game today? I mean, it's always been like that. So we just need someone that can help.

30:32Obafemi Martins:Someone, a young person that understands the game, that understand the system that can help us and i and i think shayi to nobu can do that too you know he he understand he's young and he understand what nigerian people wants you know i think it can change that shayi to the boy he can change that wow the president's son

30:55Obi:yeah he can change that if he wants to right if he wants to you can yeah yeah and you feel he's not doing enough he hasn't done enough yet i mean he's not the president but still

31:04Obafemi Martins:who's making an effort.

31:06Obi:Yeah, yeah, yeah.

31:08Obafemi Martins:Because you've often talked, John, about it's the NFF, but it's more about the facilities. Where are the football pitches? Where are those facilities to allow youngsters to go and hone their game? Does more need to be done on that front, the infrastructure, Oba, to find the new John Obi-Miquel, to find the new Obafemi Martins? Yeah, but you have to understand that we have these stadiums. It's the maintainers that is the problem. We have the stadiums. In Abuja, we have a very beautiful stadium. We do, yeah. The last time I went there, I can't even play on it. So I think there should be change. Because it's been...

31:54Obafemi Martins:I mean, I left the national team now since 2000... I think 2008... Is it? I can't even remember.

32:01Obi:Long time ago. Long time ago, yeah.

32:02Obafemi Martins:But still, nothing has changed. Nothing's changed. And even with, what's it called, the league, the league game, the Nigerian league game, I don't even know some of the players, majority of the players, I don't know their names.

32:21Obi:Wow. Wow.

32:22Obafemi Martins:And they play, you know, they play on the top, you know, the synthetic.

32:27Obi:Yeah, synthetic pitches.

32:28Obafemi Martins:So we don't have a real proper pitch in Nigeria. And that is sad. Sad.

32:35Obi:It is sad. Do you feel like you need people who's been there, who's done it, to be able to go in and run the game and be able to change the situation? Because this is the second time we're not in the FIFA World Cup. A country like Nigeria, 250 million people, and with the magnitude of who we've become in terms of our football, the culture, football is our culture. And for us the second time in a role that we're not going to be at the FIFA World Cup, we have to set things straight if we want to make it to the next World Cup. What do you think needs to change for us to be able to achieve that?

33:17Obafemi Martins:I mean, there's a lot to be changed, you know. The thing is the infrastructure, you know, the game, and the people that is around. Yeah, the governance. You know, the NFL, whatever, you know, if it's something that they want to change, you have to be the Nigerians that have to do that, you know, because I can't do it by myself, you know. So I think there's a lot to be changed. I can't even say everything. There's a lot. There's a lot. It's a question we get a lot on the podcast. John and yourself, you've been there, you've seen it, you've got the caps, trophies, all the rest of it. We get a lot of messages on the podcast saying, John, when are you going to run?

34:04Obafemi Martins:When are you going to come back and make an impact on the NFF? Would that ever interest you, Oba? Would you ever be interested in saying enough is enough? I can help out. I want to get involved in making sure that the same mistakes are not repeated for another decade, another generation? I mean, I remember when, I think if Mikael can remember, in the national team, when he told me to track back and everything. And he was young at the time he came to the national team, but I can't be angry with him because I was like, wait, this young lad have this passion for me to track back. And I did. Then I started understanding more about him.

34:50Obafemi Martins:But these days, if you're trying to tell probably the older player or the young player to do things on the feet, they started getting angry about that. They do that a lot. So I think we just need a coach that they respect and they can play for him as well. I think that we need that.

35:17Obi:Do you also think we need a bit of more leadership in the team? Yeah, for sure. The character, the leaders that we have back in the day. For sure, yeah. You look at the team now. Who is that leader that can hold people responsible? Yes, we're talking about it off air as well. Some of the things that they do in social media. I know today's world, social media is there. We can't deny it. It's not going to go away. It's only going to get even worse. I mean, the Gen Zs, they will continue to do that. Exactly. But do you think there's enough leaders in the national team now that can hold people, these kids, responsible when they're doing the things that are, you know, in some way negative to what we're trying to achieve on the pitch?

35:54Obafemi Martins:Do you think they understand that? I don't think so. I don't think they understand it. You know, I watch Senegal. You know, their national team. I went to my Instagram, every platform, any platform. Right. I didn't see them post anything, any funny things.

36:19Obi:Senegal, you mean.

36:20Obafemi Martins:I mean, Senegal, sorry. Yeah, Senegal, yeah. You know? And I was shocked by Nigerians. I mean, they can do whatever they want to do. It's, you know, it's their life. But it's just, I just see it differently. because in our own time, we just focus on the game and then go home. But I think it's just different for them now to do whatever they feel like doing. Just on that subject then, Oba, you know, John mentioning there, taking accountability, taking responsibility, leaders. In that Nigerian team when you played, who were the leaders? Who were the men that you would turn to and know that they've got my back?

37:04Obafemi Martins:I know that they will look after me in the national team. I mean, we have a couple of ladies that if anything happens, we call each other. And, you know, we speak about it. And then we now have a proper meeting. You know, we talk to ourselves and we carry on, you know, with football. You know, it's not just one person. Yeah. So we have almost like four or five, you know?

37:33Obi:Yeah, yeah, yeah.

37:34Obafemi Martins:We talk to each other, and then we have to call all the teammates, and we take it from there.

37:41Obi:Yeah, yeah. For you as a striker, what is the perfect hat trick for you if you have to score a hat trick? I know you're left and right. You can use both feet really well. So for you, a perfect hat trick, is it a header? left foot and then right foot?

38:02Obafemi Martins:It's how I see it. It's how I see the ball, you know? You know? But I prefer my left foot.

38:10Obi:Your left foot? Yeah. So that's your strongest? Just to be sure. Your left foot, just to be sure. Just to be sure, yeah. And do you remember, what is the best goal you've ever scored as a striker? You scored a lot, but do you remember which one, when you look back, you say, wow, that is the goal?

38:27Obafemi Martins:Probably against Bologna. I was back in the goal and I did like what do you call it in Nigeria? You choked back. Yeah. Yeah. I think, yeah, that goal. I remember it. And the goal against Bolton. Bolton as well. Bolton won. I'm back in with my chest and yeah.

38:51Obi:Yeah. Or the one you chest and then Yeah.

38:55Obafemi Martins:You know when I chested the ball, right? The ball was like very low. and I have to manage to flip it around. You scored a lot of good goals. I've got to ask, who was the best teammate, Oba, of all the players you played with? Who was number one? Who was the best one? Your teammate. My teammates? You can say John if you want. Yeah, he's one of them. I mean, I played a lot of clubs. I just have to choose from national team and my club as well. So, yeah, it's part of them too.

39:36Obi:Yeah, yeah, yeah. Thanks for that. Annoying though. All right, tell us. We'd like to know. I'm sure a lot of these fans here would like to know. As a striker, who is the toughest defender you've ever come across? Maldini. Maldini. Wow, wow, wow. Everybody used to say that he was tough.

39:56Obafemi Martins:Very strong. And that's it. Strong could read the game well. He's very strong. He's very good. That's it. Proper, complete defender. Defender.

40:07Obi:Yeah, yeah, yeah. So no striker in the Premier League that you look, you'd be like, John Terry, no? No? You don't think he's...

40:14Obafemi Martins:I mean, I didn't play against him a lot. You remember? Just probably twice or three times against Chelsea. But it's good, too. He's like similar, similar player. You know, very strong, can read the game. I mean, he's the captain of the game, you know. You can tell, even though he doesn't wear the captain band, you know. You can tell he's like the leader. He's like Maldives. I know there was a video that went viral recently. You gave an interview and you were asked, are you quicker than? And the interviewer listed a lot of players. Mbappe was on there. Kyle Walker was on there. Thierry Henry, and you said, nope, nope, nope, I'm quick.

40:57Obafemi Martins:My pride, my pride. Your pride. Yeah. Have you ever come across anyone quicker than you? No, I don't think so. Wow. Did you ever see any players? No, he's explosive. You were explosive, though. Yeah, you were quick. Mikael, come on, you know about that.

41:14Obi:I know. You were quick, honestly. like your explosion, like when you go, so you think in like the first 10, 15 minutes, no one, no one can catch you.

41:27Obafemi Martins:No, no one. My prime, no one. Wow. Not even Henri, Cristiano, no. Did you see them say anything? Brazilian Ronaldo, all of them are in your wake. Don't say anything about that. Don't worry. I don't want to mention it again. It is true. It is true. You were quick. No, it is true.

41:47Obi:You were quick. because obviously when I joined the national team, I saw that. That was the first time I got to play with you and I got to see the pace that you have. And it was electrifying to see how you can just get away from the defenders. And when you go, no one stops you. So I'm just thinking, when you watch the game today as well, do you think the game has become very, very soft in terms of the tackles you used to receive back then? Do you still think the game has become way too soft now? We see a lot of fouls given for absolutely things that back in your day was accepted.

42:26Obafemi Martins:I mean, it was more difficult in my own time. Very, very difficult. You know, there's some fouls that, you know, the referee will just carry on. You carry on playing. You know, you get injured. Sometimes they didn't even like, you know, the referee will just carry on playing. So I think it's more softer.

42:45Obi:And then what do you make of VAR? are you a fan of the VAR or are you against it? No, I'm not. You're not a fan of the VAR? You think the VAR has killed the game?

42:53Obafemi Martins:Yeah. I mean, it makes the game more slower.

42:58Obi:Because as a striker as well, when you score a goal, you want to straight away celebrate. But now you have to wait to see what the VAR says.

43:06Obafemi Martins:A majority of the players that scored, they will celebrate and all of a sudden it's not a goal. And then they will continue like that. So it's not a fun game.

43:15Obi:Betwinner, your bets, your wins

43:18Obafemi Martins:So do you reckon if you played today, Oba You would score? I mean, we see crazy numbers Harry Kane in Germany, 50 plus goals Erling Haaland, 40 plus goals Kylian Mbappe's got 85 goals in 100 games for Real Madrid If you played now, do you think you would score more today than you did? No doubt, but you know now It's hard to find a striker They don't use a striker like me anymore.

43:46Obi:They don't make you anymore. No, they don't make me anymore.

43:51Obafemi Martins:I'm way too small as a striker. I'm too short as a striker if I want to play now. I'd rather play as a winger. Not as a top striker because they want a tall striker like Oceme, like Allen. Yeah, they want those kind of strikers. It's not a striker like me. Wow. And it's true. It's a fact. Yeah. If you played today, they would stick you on the wing. I might not even play.

44:22Obi:Wow. Really? You reckon so?

44:24Obafemi Martins:Yeah, I think so.

44:25Obi:Wow. Wow. Yeah. You're a big fan of Victor Ossimae. I'm a big fan as well. And as you know, a lot of people know, I almost brought him to Chelsea. Do you think the English Premier League will suit him really, really well? Do you think that's where we'll see the best of Victor Rosime? I mean, no disrespect to Galatasaray, but do you think if he comes to the Premier League, he will absolutely smash it?

44:50Obafemi Martins:But what team, though? OK, let's list them. Does he smash it?

44:55Obi:Does he do it at Chelsea?

44:58Obafemi Martins:Chelsea's not doing very well at the moment.

45:00Obi:Oh, don't say that.

45:02Obafemi Martins:Don't say that, Alba. Fact. Does he smash it at Arsenal?

45:08Obi:I mean, he's going to struggle. at Arsenal? It's going to struggle. So what team do you think out of Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United, which team do you think will suit Victor Simé if he comes to the Premier League? Oof. Good question.

45:26Obafemi Martins:I think Arsenal. Yeah. I think Arsenal. Yeah. I'm not a fan. No, don't say that. Kill them. I'm going to challenge you. No, don't say that. No, no. I need to bring him to Chelsea, man. Don't make him come there. Let him go to Barcelona to play. He needs to score more goals. He doesn't need to struggle a lot.

45:49Obi:But do you think that's what we need now? When we look at Chelsea, we are missing a goal scorer. Somebody that can put the ball in the back of them. And Victor Ossimeh will do that for us.

45:58Obafemi Martins:You don't need Ossimeh there. Keep Ossimeh away from Chelsea. That's what Opa's telling us. Ilike knows what he's doing. I'm disappointed. I'm disappointed at him.

46:07Obi:He knows what he's doing.

46:08Obafemi Martins:Oba, here's a big question for you. Who is Victor, obviously, Nigeria's main man. In your career, when you look back on it, who is the best player to come out of Africa, in your opinion? In your time.

46:31Obi:I'll just make it easy for you. Didier Drogba, Samuel Eto 'o. JJ. okay jj yeah yeah tori kanu yeah jonobi mikhail who's who is the greatest in your opinion

46:50Obafemi Martins:in my opinion oh i'll choose my father obi mikhail oh no don't say that why not we're nigerians we're nigerians i have to choose my brother Okay.

47:06Obi:But DJ Drucker, were you a fan of him when you watched him play? Yeah. Was he someone that inspired you growing up, DJ Drucker?

47:14Obafemi Martins:I mean, I really started my career a long time too. Yeah, I know, I know. Yeah, so, yeah, but it's a beast. It's a beast. Yeah. It's a goal scorer. I love him. I love the way he played. I love him. Very strong. There's no doubt. Samuel Etu, you're a fan of Etu? Yeah, I am. There's been so many goal scorers. They're very good. We have good, talented African players that I really admire. Like them. Yeah. You want to see more. We talked about it. We want to see more Nigerians playing in Europe. We want to see more Nigerians playing for the biggest clubs in world football. Hopefully, we'll get that again.

47:55Obafemi Martins:I mean, it's about time to start recruiting them from their young age.

48:00Obi:Yeah.

48:01Obafemi Martins:Because I was so lucky to leave Nigeria when I was very young. We'd need something like that from the boys too. That's why we need the scouts to come around and everything. That's why we need all these good facilities and all that for them to train. Because at the time when we used to play, we don't have good facilities. We were just so lucky to leave Nigeria. Yeah, because there's a lot of good players in Nigeria. You have to pray a lot to leave Nigeria. Did you need a chance? Yeah, yeah.

48:36Obi:And what do you make of the national team coach, Eric? Are you a big fan of him? I mean, I've not.

48:45Obafemi Martins:We haven't met. I haven't seen him before, but I mean, it's not bad. They just need to give him like a chance to, you know. to prove himself. Yeah, give him more time. Yeah, you need more time. I am conscious of time here, Oba. I want my last one. Who's the best coach? Speaking of Eric Scheller, the boss of Nigeria, who's the best coach that you've ever worked under? In the national team? Or ever in your career? Oh.

49:21Obafemi Martins:In the national team, I'll pick Iguavon.

49:26Obi:they go out oh yeah I love I love it as well top top man and in the other hand I will pick um

49:43Obi:Hector Cooper Mancini oh Mancini yeah Mancini yeah Mancini is great not not Samala dies uh no Mancini Mancini

49:55Obafemi Martins:Mancini Mancini is a good coach Ladies and gentlemen One more time Give it up For Obafemi Martins And John Obi Mikel Thank you guys