El-Kanemi Warriors of Maiduguri attacking winger, Nur Mohammed has said the game of football consoled him after his parents were killed by insurgents currently ravaging the North-Eastern part of the country.
The 17-year-old left-footed player, who missed out of the Flying Eagles squad to the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Poland said that football has kept him going since the tragic incidence.
Mohammed, who was not selected for the AFCON U-20 Championship in Niger Republic and the World Cup in Poland said that he felt disappointed because he wanted to make a name for himself and also do his country proud at the championships.
He however, said that he is still eligible to play for the Flying Eagles, as he is presently few months after 17 years of age.
‘I was like 16 years getting to 17 when I played in the last squad. As a matter of fact, when I signed up for El-kanemi Warriors, I was the youngest player in the NPFL. So, my dream of playing for the Flying Eagles is still intact’ , he explained.
‘Football is everything to me because the game gave me a new life. I owe my survival to Allah and the game of football.
It was not easy and it is still not easy but I must always thank Allah for keeping me alive’
‘Playing football helped in reducing my pains. It is the same football that brought me to the limelight. Before I started playing football, nobody knew about me but when I started playing I became popular even beyond my immediate community in Maiduguri.
‘For me, football is everything. I will remain grateful to coaches Imama Amapakabo and Salisu Yusuf for their encouragement.
‘Altogether, football has greatly contributed to peace and unity in the state. Even at the height of the insurgency, football continued to thrive.
‘Football has remained the only unifying factor among the people. In football, there is no religion, ethnicity or social status.
He lamented the relegation of El-Kanemi Football Club, a development that he said, almost made him leave the club.
‘We started the season very well but suddenly things began to fall apart for us. El-kanemi will return soon to the Premier League even if I leave or stay. El-kanemi must come back to the topflight. It is not about any player.
