No miracle can save Nigeria’s football — Edo Boy News

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No miracle can save Nigeria’s football — Edo Boy

By Daily Sports Nigeria on September 28, 1015

Nigerian entertainer Bobby Okojie, also known as Edo Boy, talks about the nation’s football structure, sports content creation, his admiration for Cristiano Ronaldo, his heartbreaks from Messi’s triumphs and more in this interview with OLAMIDE ABE

At what point did you realise comedy and content creation would become a career for you?

I would say I started contemplating it in 2018. That was when I was in 100 level at UNIBEN, but the point where I realised it could actually be a career for me was in 2021. From that year, I started seeing it as something that could really be a career for me. That was the year I got featured in my friend’s YouTube series titled Young Love, and I ended up being the hero of the whole story. The character blew up, and from that point, I knew that this whole thing could become a career for me. Also, my friend was already living well, making money from content creation, and at that point, I realised that this could really be it.

So, what made you tilt into sports content creation?

Growing up, I loved football so much. I played football while I was in school. I’ve always loved football. I am an Arsenal fan, but I have also always loved Ronaldo from the start. There was a particular skit I wanted to shoot in early 2022. The concept was that I wanted to cheat on my babe, but I needed to be creative about it. So, I was supposed to lie that I was going to play a football match, meanwhile I was going to meet another girl. To make the idea more creative, I thought, “Okay, since I’m saying I’m going to play football, I should put on a jersey.” So, I asked myself, which jersey should I wear? I love Ronaldo, and at that time, he was back at Manchester United. I thought, “I’m an Arsenal fan, but Ronaldo is at Man U now. Let me just get a Man U jersey and customise it with the number 7.” Then I asked myself, “What should I write on the back? Instead of Ronaldo or my own name, let me just write ‘GOAT’ – meaning greatest of all time.” At the end of the skit, my friend suggested I do something like Ronaldo: just spread my legs, take a deep breath, the way he does before a free kick. I did that little part, even without the full move, and posted the video online. Boom – it got a lot of engagement. People loved it, people liked it, and from there, I started adding more creativity. That was how we came up with the whole “GOAT” idea. I even took a random voice note I found online, added it to the video, and it all just clicked. The whole thing blew up. Basically, my love for sports was always there, and I just infused it into my regular skits. That’s what made my content very special.

What is that one Nigerian sporting moment you wish you had witnessed live in the stadium?

I only started watching Nigerian football seriously, not too long ago. I don’t think there’s any moment yet that I’ve been dying to have seen live, maybe when they get to the semi-final or quarter-finals of the World Cup, but the truth is Nigeria rarely even gets to the round of 16. So if they ever got to the quarter-finals, that would be one I would love to watch live in the stadium. In the past, I think I would have loved to witness the Olympics, the Atlanta 1996 Olympics. People always talk about it, and how Nigeria won the gold medal. I would have loved to witness that one.

Who do you think is the greatest African footballer of all time, and why?

For me, I will say Jay Jay Okocha. Even though I never watched him play live, I have seen his highlights and I’ve read about him. He had a relatively short career, but the skill, the flair, the way he played—it was unbelievable. I’ve also seen how European players talked about him in interviews. That told me a lot about how good he was. From the highlights alone, I could tell he was one of the greatest. If I am to mention other great African players, I would say Didier Drogba, Mo Salah and Sadio Mané. Those are the ones I can remember now.

Who do you think is the most underrated Nigerian player?

The issue with the Nigerian squad is that it has never been consistent. The squad is always changing. One set of players today, another set tomorrow. Even now, I know they are trying to build a more constant squad, but it has always been a problem. If I am speaking from the current squad, I will say Victor Osimhen. In Nigeria, we rate him highly, but I still feel we don’t rate him enough.

What do you think of our chances of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup?

To be very honest with you, I don’t think Nigeria can make it to the 2026 World Cup. And even if we make it, we are going to come back home very early. Because, as it stands now, the Nigerian football system needs a total reform. If you keep trying one thing for a very long time and it doesn’t work, you change it. Nigeria has been changing coaches, but it’s still not working. That means the real problem is not the coaches—it’s the football body itself. Nigeria, as a country, has a lot of football talent. I grew up seeing many of my friends who I was sure could have gone far in football, but none of them are playing today. They all gave up and are doing other things with their lives. Why? Because football has not been prioritised in this country. It’s the youth who prioritise football, not the government. The leaders of this country have not prioritised football. If they ever do, I don’t think any country in Africa can beat Nigeria. But because of the way football is run here, it’s dying. That’s the fact. It’s dying. And it’s only the youth who are striving every day to make sure it doesn’t completely die. So, until the government and the football authorities get serious, Nigeria won’t progress. Even if this current team somehow qualifies for the 2026 World Cup, trust me, we will still come back home early. There is no magic about it. We can’t keep relying on miracles—we have to be deliberate and serious about our actions.

What are the changes that you feel will make Nigerian sports work for you?

If I had four years, the first thing I would do is check the budget allocated for sports. The problem with this country is that people are given positions because of who they know, not because they are qualified. They don’t even care about your knowledge or competence. As long as you have the right connection, you get the post, even when you have no idea what to do. That’s how positions are filled. So, the first thing I would do is clear all those people out. The people running sports now are the same ones making decisions at the grassroots level. They are not sport-oriented, and that is why nothing is working. We need the right people in the right places. If those in power want to make sports work, they can. It is possible. I saw a video once where they were recruiting U-17 players. The crowd was unbelievable—so many young boys rushing in. But the problem is, they told everyone to gather in just one location. How do you want to scout them properly like that? How do you want to finish such a process in one place, in one day? That is why I say the whole sports system in this country is scattered. The organisation is not there because the people in charge are not concerned with sports. Everybody is only looking for money. But if you put the right people in charge, we will definitely get the right results.

Will you consider personally investing in a sports project?

Yes, definitely. That is one of my plans. If I am in the right place and I have the right resources, I will definitely do it. I will because I owe a lot to sports. Sports gave me a lot, and I want to give back. I will also try to make sure one of my children goes into sports. If I see one of them following that path, it will give me so much joy. So, if I have the resources to create an academy, invest in sports, or build something meaningful, I will definitely do it. One day, Nigeria is going to be great again in sports. I just know it. It cannot remain like this forever. Look at other countries—England, for example. Football is part of their economy. Their league is the best in the world. But here in Nigeria, we are so blessed with natural resources that we don’t even care about sports. If we didn’t have other things giving the country money, maybe we would have looked at sports seriously. But because oil and other resources bring in revenue, sports are neglected.

Do you think Nigeria celebrates its athletes enough while they are still active, or only when they retire?

At this point, I will tell you no. We don’t. Nigerian players should be given more recognition and respect than they currently get. The way the sports sector is being handled is the reason everything is like this. Most of our athletes play in Europe. They are celebrated and well paid there. Here at home, it’s a different story. They don’t get the love and honour they deserve.

What is the biggest heartbreak football has ever given you?

I have two. The first was during the last World Cup when Portugal played Morocco. Ronaldo was knocked out, and I felt so much pain. I had hoped he would win the World Cup before retiring, but he didn’t. That same tournament, I prayed to God that if Ronaldo wasn’t going to win it, Messi too should not. But when Messi lifted the World Cup, that was the most painful football moment of my life. The final between Argentina and France broke me. I was supporting France as if I were French. When Argentina went 2–0 up, France had no shot on target until the 70th minute. Then Mbappé equalised and made it 3–3. At that point, my emotions were all over the place. That game made me realise how football can hurt you deeply. I was angry, bitter, everything. I felt like the game itself was created by the devil, not God, because of how much pain it gave me. That day, I was in real pain.

Source Punch Ng

Posted September 27, 2025