Nigerian rapper Akitoye Balogun, popularly known as Ajebutter22, talks about supporting Arsenal and watching the Super Eagles at the 1998 World Cup, in this interview with ABIODUN ADEWALE
Watching football as a child, were you ever inspired to become a footballer?
Being a footballer was not something I thought was possible, even though I played a lot with
every chance I got, but I was never good enough to say I wanted to make a career. I didn’t train properly like a normal footballer would, it was just in school, and I didn’t really have neigbours that would play with me, except when I was young.
Do you still play at leisure?
I play mostly basketball now. Football is just sometimes.
So, what’s your favourite football club?
Arsenal, and I’m not even going to hide that.
It’s good to know you are an Arsenal fan, but aside from football, what other sports do you follow?
I’m inclined to football and basketball mostly. Those are like the sports I am so into. I am an Arsenal fan, and I also used to support the Miami Heat in the NBA, although I no longer follow basketball as much as I used to.
How have you managed being an Arsenal fan in recent years?
You are not an Arsenal fan if you don’t know heartbreak. You should understand disappointment very well. I’m not complaining; there are times when games haven’t gone our way, but as fans, we just have to keep believing.
How long have you been supporting Arsenal, and what are your best memories?
I’ve been an Arsenal fan since 1998. It was after the France ‘98 World Cup. I supported France then, and I saw there were some French players in the Arsenal team when I started watching them. I didn’t know what other teams like Man United looked like, but I just felt Arsenal looked like another version of the French national team back then, and over a period of time I just started liking them. Winning the Premier League with an unbeaten record in 2004 has to be the greatest moment for me as a fan. It was special to support the Invincibles.
The EPL title has eluded Arsenal in the last three seasons. Any hopes for the near future?
We just need to keep the belief, keep the strength.
How much do you also remember about Nigeria’s participation during the 1998 World Cup?
I was seven years old during the ‘98 World Cup, and I remember Nigeria’s match against Spain, and that was the game that made me start liking football. I remember we won 3-2 and everybody went crazy over that result. Sunday Oliseh’s goal in that match cannot leave my head, it almost made all of us run mad. That time, even if there was no light in your house, you would know Nigeria scored; it was thunderous. I also remember that we lost to Paraguay, and that was probably where the heartbreak began, and then Denmark in the second round. I can never forget how I watched that game with my sister as well. They scored us at one point, and there was a power outage, so my sister and I went upstairs to pray, and afterwards, power was restored. Before we got back, they had scored another goal. I really hated Denmark for a long time then.
Do you also follow the Nigerian league?
Not at all, but I know the names of some of the teams like Enyimba, Shooting Stars and others.
If the local league has to be viable like our entertainment industry, how do we get there?
The Nigerian league will need a lot of investment and media attention. And it has to be one step at a time. It’s not until we replicate what is in Europe or elsewhere, I think we have to create something unique to us, like our music. We will need to build a culture of going to the stadium to watch games in large numbers. The magnitude can be as small as community football, and we also have to take advantage of technology to tell and push good stories about our athletes.
Finally, the Super Eagles were really good in the 90s, but we can’t say the same lately. What are your expectations?
Nigerians are attracted to winning. We have a great team in terms of individual talents who are playing in different clubs around the world. So, it’s up to us to bring back the winning mentality, it’s really what we can do.
