Ahead of the first leg of the AFCON qualifiers match slated to be played today in Calabar, Nigeria, The head coach of the Congo National team, Claude de Roy has admitted that Congo cannot play like Nigeria because Nigeria is far ahead of them in football levesl
See The Exclusive interview by GOAL's Kolade Oni in Calabar after the cut...
Kolade: Welcome to Nigeria legendary coach, Claude Le Roy!
CLAUDE LE ROY: Are you sure I am legendary?
Kolade: I am not just sure you are a legendary coach. I am certain you are one sir. Hope you were well treated when you arrived Nigeria?
CLAUDE LE ROY: I am very happy to come back to Nigeria. You can't actually imagine how much I love this country and your national team - the Super Eagles – I have met them so many times, a lot of good memory and always top quality to watch anytime, any day. We are not at the level of the Super Eagles but we will try to do something.
Kolade: Why do you think you are not at the level of the Super Eagles?
CLAUDE LE ROY: Well, they are African Champions and they were in the last 16 at the just concluded World Cup in Brazil. I would have to be repeating myself if I say that one day Nigeria would be World Champions in the future. I think it has been over some decades now that I made that prediction but it is yet to come to pass but I am still waiting. Your country still needs to do something better administratively. There are huge potential in the country in football. They have over 170 million people but we only have 4 million people in Congo. Nigeria has lots of young players in the range of 17, 18, 19 years old. Nigeria has qualified for virtually all the competitions that took place in various category for some decades now. Congo have qualified for the U20 African Youth Championship in Senegal next year and Nigeria will be there too. It is always sure for Senegal, Ghana and Nigeria but for Congo it is not. We will try to play very good football on Saturday.
Kolade: When you speak people listen to you because you are a very experienced coach. Knowing fully well that you always take your time out to study your opposition, what makes the Nigerian team so strong and special?
CLAUDE LE ROY: Nigerians are very strong and powerful. Even if Vincent Enyeama is not playing, (Austin) Ejide is also very good goalkeeper. (Efe) Ambrose is a very top right full back. He is very powerful and skillful and always operates from the side. (Ahmed) Musa is a super player. He is very intelligent. He goes into space very well. (Emmanuel) Emenike is also a very good player. He is an intelligent striker. (John Obi) Mikel is also a very good midfielder. He is a very skillful player too. (Chinedu) Obasi and (Ramon) Azeez we all know them. We worked on a lot of videos and did a lot of research on the Nigerian team.
Kolade: South Africa defeated Sudan 3-0 in the first match of the group. Does that put you under any pressure?
CLAUDE LE ROY: Me pressure? No pressure is on us. We are not the favourite in the group and we know where we come from and we don't have any pressure with us. We just want to play good football. We know it will be very difficult but we shall see what comes out of the match at the end of the 90 minutes. But with us there is no pressure. If we get a draw it is a good result for us and we will play Sudan on Wednesday. We have to be ready for that game because I think that we have to take the points at home and to get at least a win away from home based on the policy that if you win three home matches and one away, you will qualify.
Kolade: What will be your approach on Saturday because a lot of neutrals will say that a point against Nigeria is a good result for Congo. Would you come out to attack and seek a win or sit back to contain the Super Eagles?
CLAUDE LE ROY: If you give me one point and we stopped now and signed, we will be very happy to go back to Congo now. I am okay with one point because it is perfect. Nigeria are the African Champions and we are coming from another point of view. Congo has not featured at the Nations Cup for over 15 years. It is a huge big game for us. We dream to be in Morocco and we know that South Africa and Nigeria are super powers but sometimes, there is always one surprise.
Kolade: Everybody believes that South Africa, Congo and Sudan will all fight for the remaining slot while Nigeria are the favourites to top the group. Tactically, how will you be approaching the game?
CLAUDE LE ROY: I know that Nigeria and South Africa are the favourites in the group while Congo and Sudan are the minnows but like I said earlier, there will always be room for surprise.
Kolade: What were the strengths of the South Africans that you saw against Sudan?
CLAUDE LE ROY: South Africa had a beautiful performance and they got a very good result too. They did very well to win 3-0 in Sudan. Sudan played very well at the last Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa but now we know that we have to play a very good game against Nigeria and then dream of getting a good result. We didn't play very well in Namibia and we played very badly in Rwanda. I want to see an improved side that has recovered from those two away games against Nigeria in Calabar.
Kolade: You have coached many countries especially in Africa. What makes you to be passionate about African football?
CLAUDE LE ROY: I love this continent and I also love the people of this continent. This continent has been my educator and parents since I was a kid. My father fought for some countries in Africa. He supported some countries’ struggle towards independence. Africa has always been part of me. My daughter also married a pretty young man from Senegal.
Kolade: What is your ambition for this young Congolese team?
CLAUDE LE ROY: Our dream is to qualify from our group. I would be so happy if we qualify from our group. I got to Africa in 1971, I was a professional player in Congo Brazzaville in a Division Two club. It has been a very long time that the Congolese wanted me as coach but then I wasn't free. I gave them my word this time that I would come. We know it will be very difficult but if we cannot dream in football we have to stop playing.
Kolade: Chris Samba is one of your players but not in the present team. Does he still have a future with the Red Devils?
CLAUDE LE ROY: The door is always open but players have to understand that they don't have the powers to decide their own selections themselves. I am the only person that can decide who to call and whom not to. The door is open for all the good players but if he wants to come back he should not decide on which games to come and which not to. He cannot only decide to play in the big games against Nigeria and Ivory Coast while he then opts out of the tie with Lesotho or others.
The Game will kick off by 5.00pm this evening in Calabar and BG will bring you all the happening from the game as soon as it starts.
