Kwara United goalkeeper, Adewale Adeyinka opened up on some issues around his career.
Adeyinka in an interactive session with ‘Naija Footballers Forum’ a whatsapp platform which delve on Nigeria footballers had a chat with Gbenga Adeleye and Tosh Michaels.
Excerpt…..
NFF: Good evening Adewale and good to have you here with us.
Adewale: Good evening everyone and am also happy to be here.
NFF: It has not been a very smooth ride in the Nigeria Premier Football League, NPFL for you and your team, how do you feel?
Adewale: Actually this is football where sometimes what you don’t plan for usually happens, so I believe the season is not yet over and we can still get it right.
NFF: Like you said the season is not over and anything can happen, what his your team doing to change the narratives to a positive result and finish well?
Adewale: We have been talking to ourselves to put more effort and the management and the coaches too are really encouraging us to step up our game. We believe with there encouragement, we can change the narratives to a positive one.
NFF: Fifteenth on the log with 29 points from 24 games played so far, where do you see Kwara United finishing at the end of the season?
Adewale: As a player we no we have not done well enough but can still do better. Been 15 on the logs we no is not too go for us and is not encouraging to the State.
We are taking each of our next games very serious and I am confident we are going to finish strong on the log.
NFF: How did you react when you heard that your former General Manager, Bashir Badawiy is back with the team?
Adewale: I was happy for him because we worked together last season and I know how he encouraged abd pushed the players to do more for the team, So I believe his coming back is really going to help us the more. I am so much happy he is back.
NFF: In 2021 you won the Nigeria Premier League title with Akwa United a season you emerged as the best goalkeeper in the league with 16 clean-sheets, how was the feeling achieving this feat?
Adewale: To be sincere, it was like a dream come true for me because at the beginning of that season it wasn’t easy but eventually when the league was coming to an end we decided to double our efforts that was when we realized we can win d league. The feelings was so great.
NFF: Do you see yourself achievement that feat with Kwara United?
Adewale: As far as the season is not yet over the hope is not lost.
NFF: What has changed in your career since you joined Kwara United?
Adewale: Actually to me football is the same everywhere, so what I think as changed in me is love and closeness am receiving from the fans.
NFF: You conceded a late goal from a direct corner-kick against Katsina United on match day 23 of the Nigeria Premier Football League, what was running on your mind when that goal went in?
Adewale: Even up till now something is still running on my mind because that is the first I conceded such a goal.
If I should say what is going on in my mind at that moment we may not finish this session because is too much. But the most important one at that moment was can we still score a winning goal?
NFF: How did your teammates reacted to you after the goal?
Adewale: Is football anybody can make mistakes of which all of them know me very well. I don’t blame or talk to anybody who cause us a goal or dropping a point, so that day none of them say anything.
When I got home, I posted some self talk on my status and some of them called me and said I should delete those things I posted that is gone. We should move onto the next game, that am I not the one that is saving them before?
NFF: On a personal note. What are the challenges you are facing in Kwara United?
Adewale: To be sincere, there is no challenges because I have played some clubs too in Nigeria league. There is no club that is perfect.
You just sign your contract and you dedicate yourself for the club at that moment. When your contract is over, you move to another club and you still face anything that is happening there for the period of your contract.
There is no perfect club in Nigeria. Everyone has there own challenges, you just face it and move to the next one. There are no challenges that is beyond control here in Kwara United.
NFF: You were close to joining a Sudanese club from Akwa United before you arrived at Kwara United, tell us what happened with the deal and why you opted for Kwara United?
Adewale: Yes is true. A list of home base Super Eagle was out before I travel to Sudan, when I saw what I signed in the pre-contract wasn’t the same with what I met over there and the years they wanted to give me was too much.
I had other options of clubs to sign but the chairman of Kwara United gave me the best offer I wanted and I have to quickly sign a club in Nigeria when I came back so that I can meet up with the Super Eagles camp.
NFF: You missed out on the train to the 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup in UAE due to injury, how much of a disappointment was this to your career?
Adewale: It was a big disappointment and set back for me. I can say among all my mate in that time, am the only one that is still remaining in Nigeria league due to the injury.
NFF: We learnt that it was a severe injury that would have ended your career, can you talk us through how you managed to overcome this setback?
Adewale: Yeah. It is a long story after the U-17.
ABS FC signed me and thought I will be able to manage the leg. After the season, the leg got worse,
Because am on loan form Kwara Football Academy (KFA) to ABS, after the season, I returned to KFA. It was some coaches in KFA that told the administrator of KFA Paul Ashworth how good and important to the school and I have even played for the junior national team and he wrote a letter to the State Harmony because KFA was under Harmony to release funds for my surgery and he took 11 months before it got healed..
NFF: What lessons have your learnt from this disappointment?
Adewale: I learnt that we should always listen and follow instructions, because I was supposed to be doing personal training then but I decide to go and involved myself in contact training.
You know when you travel out or you went to national camp and by the time you come back if you don’t train with your old friends, it will be as if u are forming big boy for them.
NFF: Which part of your game would you like to improve on?
Adewale: The present coach am working with said I should improve on my communication to the defender and the team as a whole so I believe I can improve on that.
NFF: Who is that one goalkeeper you model your game around?
Adewale: Senior Dele Ayenugba.
NFF: Tell us your dream as a goalkeeper?
Adewale: Most of my dreams have come through. What is left now is to play outside Nigeria.
NFF: Any message to your fans out there?
Adewale: They should please keep praying 🙏 for me. They should please keep supporting me and not relent or give up on me because without them, am nobody.
NFF: Thank you for your time Adewale Adeyinka and all the very best in the remainder of the season.
Adewale: Thanks to everyone mostly for having me here.
