كتب : Ahmad Saied
The Portsmouth striker bears on his shoulders the hopes of a whole nation looking to reestablish itself as one of the football powerhouses in the dark content.
In an exclusive interview with FilGoal.com just a few hours before the anticipated clash between DR Congo and Egypt in the quarter-finals LuaLua talked about his team’s ambitions, Egyptian veteran striker Hossam Hassan and his battle with a deadly illness that changed his life.
Do you feel that your fairytale is coming to an end after being paired with host nation Egypt in the quarter-finals?
On the contrary, we feel we can beat Egypt and go on to reach the final even though we know very well that they have a strong team that is gradually improving.
But Congo’s qualification to the final-eight stage was a miracle by itself some analysts say?
It wasn’t to us, because we needed to bounce back and prove that we are one of Africa’s football powerhouses, and what better way to do so than by qualifying through a strong group that includes Cameroon and two World Cup finalists.
Did any Egyptian player make an impact on you so far?
Egypt have many great players like Mido, who is one of the best strikers in England, Mohamed Abou-Treika and veteran striker Hossam Hassan.
Do you think Hassan is still valuable for the team despite turning 39 years of age?
When a player keeps his sharp form, he becomes more dangerous with time. Hassan can be in the right place and time to score without excreting too much effort.
A good example is Teddy Sheringham, who is one of the best players in West Ham this season.
Aren’t you worried about the Egyptian fans who will be filling the stands and supporting their team
I don’t fear huge crowd. In fact, I enjoy playing before them as I have been through this situation on more than one occasion.
Nevertheless, some of your less-experienced teammates may disagree.
This is correct, but we have talked about this in the last few days and we vowed to hold our nerve, especially after collecting several cards in the first round because of some silly mistakes.
People say that LuaLua is the entire DR Congo team, is this true?
I am happy to hear such praise and thank all people who see I’m that valuable, but let me tell you something, I can’t play without ten other players around and supporting me. Football is about team work and no one can play it on his own.
Do you think you managed to drop the bad-boy image you sustained after being suspended in Tunisia 2004?
I feel so and I thank God so much about it. One moment of madness in Tunisia could have cost me a lot but I am a totally different person now.
It seems you have been affected by your dramatic illness.
No doubt about that. When I was infected with Malaria I couldn’t even move and was dying but now I am back into the game, scoring goals and leading my team to victory. This changed my whole view of life.
Do your ambitions exceed Portsmouth who are second from the bottom in the Premiership?
The club is not as bad as the standings may indicate. We had a new manager in the middle of the season and that affected us a lot. Anyhow, I just have one year left in my contract then I may see my career in another club.
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