Olaha's sharing about SLNA after the reunion

This time Olaha's return is expected to help the yellow team improve their playing style and help the club stay in the league successfully. To better understand this Nigerian player, Nghe An Newspaper had a direct conversation with him.

After 2 years playing in Israel, Olaha decided to return to his old team SLNA. Photo: Duc Anh

PV:OlahaCan you share about your family and personal life?

Olaha:I was born in 1997, in a family of 6 siblings. My family has a tradition of sports. My father used to be a football player, but only played for amateur teams. He is a person who loves football very much, he is the one who blew into me the love and passion for the round ball. He is also the one who taught me how to play football since I was very young. To be able to grow up like now, I am very grateful to him.

In real life, my friends say I am a closed and introverted person. I rarely share my personal love life with my friends and teammates. But with football, I play with all my passion. Whether in training or in competition, I always show my passion and seriousness. There have been matches where I played with all my heart despite being injured.

At the age of 17 I joined SLNA, after 3 years I scored 29 goals after 125 appearances atV.LeagueIn 2019 I moved to Israel and joined Hapoel Kfar Shalem, scoring 11 goals in 34 matches.

3 years playing forSLNAhas helped me grow up a lot both professionally and in forming a lifestyle. It can be said that SLNA is like my second home.

PV:Why did you want to leave SLNA in 2019?

Olaha:In 2019, the reason I gave for coming to the club in Israel was because at that time my contract with SLNA had expired. On the other hand, Hapoel Kfar Shalem Club (Israel) continuously raised the issue and earnestly wanted me to join them. This Israeli club offered suitable terms in the contract so that I could develop professionally. And another important reason was because at that time SLNA was preparing to change sponsors, which made my future at the Nghe An club uncertain. Therefore, I chose Hapoel Kfar Shalem Club as the next destination for a new stop in my football journey.

PV:But at this time, many clubs in V.League wanted you to join, but why did you choose Hapoel Kfar Shalem?

Olaha:The reason I didn't choose any club in V.League even though they made very good offers is because, during the 3 years playing for SLNA, I really loved this club, considered it as my home. I love Nghe An fans because they are passionate about football, they cheer enthusiastically in every match we play. They always stand on the side of the players, on our side, so I have a lot of motivation every time I play. And moreover, at SLNA Club, the coaching board always trusted me, always put their trust in me, so I didn't want to join another team to compete with the club.

Olaha practices with SLNA. Photo: Duc Anh

PV:Nghe An fans always have a lot of affection for Olaha, what do you think about this?

Olaha:I see that Nghe An fans always give me a lot of love, I really appreciate this. I always try to play to the best of my ability on the field, although there are times when the club and I personally do not play well, but the fans do not turn their backs on us, they always encourage and cheer enthusiastically. I see that as the motivation for me to play better. And it is also the love of the fans that helps us overcome the difficult stages of the season.

PV:Is this part of the reason you want to come back to SLNA?

Olaha:This is one of the important reasons why I want to return to my old team SLNA. In 2020, SLNA called and wanted me to return to play. However, at that time, I still had a contract with Hapoel Kfar Shalem. And they did not want to release my contract, so I could not return to play for the Nghe An team. In 2021, SLNA continued to contact me and wanted me to return. Because I have a lot of affection for the Nghe An club, when my contract with Hapoel Kfar Shalem ended, I did not hesitate and immediately decided to return to SLNA.

PV:In this return, do you see any significant changes in SLNA Club?

Olaha:The biggest change is on the shirt I am wearing. This shirt has been changed by a new sponsor. This is very important to me. Because when there is a new sponsor, the team has changed a lot. Nutrition, salary, accommodation, training, and facilities have been improved. My teammates and I here feel more motivated to compete. And I think the team will grow in the future, which makes me very excited.

PV:After 2 years playing in Israel, what has helped you improve in your playing style? How will the knowledge you gained at Hapoel Kfar Shalem Club help you when you return to SLNA?

Olaha:It can be said that Israeli football is very different from Vietnamese football. Here, their playing style is more powerful, faster and more modern, unlike many in Vietnam. Therefore, after two years of playing here, I have accumulated a lot of professional knowledge as well as playing style. Previously, my playing style was often holding the ball a lot, handling it cumbersomely, which sometimes caused my teammates to lose opportunities. However, now I have improved this, this time I will return with many innovations for SLNA.

In this return, I have only been training with SLNA for a short time, but I see that the new coaching staff has changed many tactics. In the past, I was arranged in the role of a striker, often passing the ball to other teammates. But in the last few training sessions, I was arranged to play higher, so I feel that when playing in this position, I will be able to score more goals. And in fact, in the recent internal matches, I have scored more goals. I find the current team formation very suitable for me.

Playing higher than before, Olaha hopes to score more goals for SLNA in the future. Photo: Duc Anh

PV:What can you say to the many fans of Nghe An?

Duc Anh