 After a long 3-week off soccer, we are glad to report to you that SSFC is back in full action with an almost perfect 6-1 victory against International United. We cannot speak of almost perfect without mentioning our #1 goalie and also the MVP for our first cleansheet. We speak of no other than Erhomu. Our crew sat with the 6-6 goalie to ask him questions we know you are eager to hear. Enjoy.
Mr. MVP Can you tell us your Name and a little bit about yourself? My name is Erhomu Ofurhie, I’m from Delta state and I was born and raised in Nigeria. I love sports and my favorite teams are the Lakers, Colts and Arsenal.
How does it feel being SSFC's MVP for the week? It felt good because the team won and I performed extremely well. I think we had our first clean sheet that day.
Why did you decide to play for SSFC? I love playing soccer and the team needed a goalie so joining the team was a no-brainer.
Is your height a factor that helps you do your job better or does it affect you adversely? My height makes it more difficult for me to handle ground balls because it takes a little longer for me to get all the way down than it would a shorter person. But it helps me deal with high shots and crosses more effectively and I think it also intimidates strikers.
Did you always want to be a goalie or is it something you fell into? No. I always wanted to be a striker but I sucked at it. In secondary school I was pretty good at scoring one-touch goals but if I had to do anything more elaborate than that, I became a liability. When everyone realized I was a pretty good goalie, something I tried to hide so I could strike, it was a wrap. Maybe if we’re winning 5-0 and we have a late penalty the team will let me take it.
What’s your take on the team from the Goalie’s POV (point of view)? I think we are a talented bunch of guys who have finally started to gel. We have a deep team so we are able to withstand injuries. We still have a lot of room for improvement though and I think if we work on our weakness, like shooting the ball (not limited to strikers), we’ll be a much improved.
How does the performance of the other team members affect you? Not much. I just try to focus on the game and catch the ball when it comes my way.
Do you feel the defense is doing their job? What about the offence? I think our defense is good. We’ve had a few lucky goals scored against us but overall the defenders try to keep me out of harms way. The offense needs to score more goals. Apart from that they’re good.
Considering SSFC's recent performance, where do you think SSFC will finish on the table at the end of the season? I think we can make finish second if we play all our games. We’ll need some help but I think it’s possible. But with the way it’s been raining lately I doubt we’ll be able to play all the games that were postponed.
Considering your Team as it is now; what is your team’s weakest point, and in which areas would you like to see some improvements? We need to improve our long and short range shooting, endurance, passing, and our goalie needs to catch the ball consistently. Who amongst your teammate can you not do without? Fred. He is versatile enough to guard quick or strong forwards. And he is not even playing his preferred position.
Who is the Best Player in your opinion? Either Fred or Tolu but If James were more consistent he could overtake them. My Favorite though is Ofili. He hustles and I think his ability to go forward, a la Emmanuel Eboue, is a plus for our team.
Who would you say is the most Improved? Wole probably is. He’s stopped losing possession and has been delivering some nice crosses.
Can a woman do your job in the same capacity or do you think they can do it better or worse? If the woman is athletic, has good reflex and timing, and can catch the ball, sure she can do my job
Would you like to see the team integrated? No. Maybe if we have enough female members we can form a co-ed team but I like this team as it is.
How hard is it to make time for SSFC? Not that hard now that I’ve quit my job. The funny thing is since I quit we haven’t played a single game thanks to the rain so I’m bored to death on Sundays.
To better understand you, can you tell us your most embarrassing moment on the field? During on of our games in the summer an opponent took a shot which I thought was going out so I tried to guide it out even though I could have stopped it. Instead of going out, the ball bounced off the post, bounced off my body and into the goal. Also in secondary school my team was down 4-0 and my coach put me in to stop the bleeding. Instead the other team scored three more goals in less than 10 minutes in front of the whole school.
Which Soccer game do you wish you could have been present when it was being played? Brazil vs Holland semi-final match at France ’98. I was rooting for Holland but they ended up losing the penalty shootout. Way too many missed chances for Holland.
What do you think is the greatest Soccer moment? The greatest soccer moment is when Nigeria beat Argentina in the Atlanta ’96 final after they beat Brazil in the semis. My most memorable moment is Roberto Baggio blasting the ball 20 feet over the bar to give brazil the win in the ’94 world cup final. Terrible.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years and how do you intend to get there? I see myself financially established, maybe married with kids and still being a sports freak. I plan on accomplishing this through hard work.
If you create your own team with you and any 10 players (retired and still playing) in the world, who would you choose? Goalie: Erhomu Ofurhie.
Defenders: Taribo West, Cannavaro, Ashley Cole, Kolo Toure
Midfielders: Jay Jay Okocha, Robert Pires, David Beckham
Attackers: Thierry Henry, Christian Vieri, Patrick Kluivert. I wish I could find a spot for Rashidi Yekini.
Any wise words for your fans and admirers out there and can I have your phone number? We love the fans and admirers. Thanks for supporting us and please keep it up cause we need ya’ll. Admirers, let us know if you want us to wear short shorts for ya’ll. As far as my number, we can take care of that privately.
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