My dream is to help Eagles win AFCON again – Nwakali

Kelechi Nwakali


Chaves midfielder, Kelechi Nwakali, opens up on his career, return to the Super Eagles, playing in Portugal and his AFCON 2023 dream in this interviw with JOHNNY EDWARD

Having been out of the Super Eagles for a year and 11 months, how did you receive news of your inclusion in the provisional squad for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast?

It feels good to be back in the team once again ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations next month and I will do everything to ensure that I make the final squad again. I got the news from a friend last week and I thank God because it is an honor to be considered to play for your fatherland. I just want to keep working hard and I believe that I have a lot to offer the team at the Nations Cup. My dream is to help the team win the tournament again.

As you said, I played for the team at the last edition of the tournament in Cameroon, where we reached the round of 16 and I believe this time we can get to the final again, like we did in 2013.



What do you think are the chances of the Eagles at the tournament, having been drawn against hosts Ivory Coast, Guinea-Bissau and Equatorial Guinea?

The Eagles chances are very bright considering the talents we have in every department of the team. I feel we’ve got a very good squad to win the AFCON. I believe our squad is capable of matching any team but obviously it’s one thing having that and another being able to do that consistently throughout a tournament. We must start the tournament well by winning because doing that will give the team confidence and we must not underrate any team. We must also take every game as a must-win and avoid the mistakes of the last edition. Guinea-Bissau and Equatorial Guinea won’t be pushovers because they are equally solid too but the Eagles will be ready to reclaim their crown in Ivory Coast.

What mistakes did the Eagles make at the last edition of the AFCON ?


It is basically not taking our chances during games. At the last edition, we were just unlucky not to have defeated Tunisia. After we conceded that goal, we dominated play but the red card to Alex Iwobi affected our attack and we could do little to force the game into extra time. We had a good side and believed we could win it because we were the only team that won all three group games. We outclassed a star-studded Egypt that had Mohamed Salah in great form then. Before our game against Egypt, I remember reading and watching analysts writing off the Eagles but we shocked them. This time around, the Eagles will have Victor (Osimhen), who with his current form can lead the team to the title. He is the best striker in the world at the moment.

Are you saying Osimhen was sorely missed by the squad in Cameroon?

Yes, but the other strikers in the team did well, don’t get me wrong. I believe that if he (Osimhen) was in the team it would have made the team a stronger unit at the last AFCON.

Looking at the array of midfielders in the current squad, do you think you can break into the team?

It all depends on the coach, he decides which player he wants in his team but I hope to be part of his team to bring the trophy home. I can offer the Eagles a lot.

Do you think the Eagles stand a realistic chance to claim a fourth title?

Of course, the Eagles have a good chance. We just have to believe in ourselves, that we can do it.


Which position is your favourite in midfield?

I can play as a number 10, 8 and 4 and I believe it’s a great advantage for me because I can always help the team. Anywhere in the midfield suits me well but as a player you must always learn to adapt to teams, tactics, formations, your teammates and the coaches you are working under. It depends on what the coaches want from you.

Throughout my career I’ve adapted to different situations and different teams I’ve played for, and I have no problem doing it. In football you need players who can play in different positions. I’ve always felt like I can play in different positions. I am capable of playing in different positions and that is one of my strengths. To have players like that in your squad is really important.

Do you regret not being a key player for the Eagles like your former U-17 teammates Osimhen and Samuel Chukwueze have been for the Eagles?

In a way I do at some point, I even had doubts about myself but thank God for my inner strength. I’m happy with what they have achieved so far with the team and I believe their best is yet to come with the Eagles, even me as well.

I felt bad that things were not moving the way I wanted them to and the way I had planned, but not because I was seeing my colleagues doing well. I believe in time and if it’s not the time for me, it’s not going to happen. I understand things better now because life is about ups and downs, sometimes we just have to bring back our human feelings and support each other when things aren’t going well.

What do you think you can bring to the team?

I can offer Eagles a lot in terms of creativity. The coach knows I can be deployed in defensive midfield position as well.

How did you manage the setbacks during your spell at FC Porto and Huesca?

I took up the challenge to play for Porto but it didn’t work out, I had my time and learnt there and the rest is history. At that time, I needed to go to another place where my interest was at heart and where they could focus on me. I was told when I moved that I would train and play with the first team and there was an option to buy me on a permanent deal, which sounded good. But after three months of training with the first team, it wasn’t looking like I would join them any time soon. For Huesca, I don’t even want to remember my time there. It is a new beginning, I have had my ups and downs, but this is the time to make it right again, this is the time to get it back on track and stay there. As the season progresses, I believe I am going to play more games and do great things.

How is football in Portugal compared to Spain and in Holland, where you played earlier?

It has been very good since I arrived here at the start of the season from SD Ponferradina in Spain. Just like the countries you mentioned, football in Portugal is also technical and physical and I’m enjoying my football here again. It’s been tough considering the position we are at the moment and the results we have being getting.

You have been ever present for Chaves this term. How has this boosted your confidence playing topflight football again?

Playing regularly has boosted my confidence a lot and I want to continue doing that.
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Chaves face Porto in their final league game of the year on Friday (today). Do you think your team can cause an upset, considering Porto’s form?

In football anything can happen. It will be a tough game against Porto and a special night for me playing against Porto, a team that I played for in the past. I will give my best for my team to ensure we end the year on a good note.

Currently bottom in the Portuguese league, do you think Chaves can avoid relegation at the end of the season?

It is difficult to say now if we can beat the drop, looking at the table. But what I can tell you is that we will fight to escape relegation. This is football, anything can happen.