THE NAIJA PUNDITS LIVE

Welcome to another interesting episode of your favorite online soccer interview show THE NAIJA PUNDITS LIVE. On today’s episode I sat down with Sharks FC of Port Harcourt safe hands CHARLES TAMBE.
It was an exciting time out with the Cameroonian, who discussed with us the reason behind Sharks FC slow start to the season. ENJOY!



WELCOME TO THE SHOW CHARLES
CHARLES:  Thanks.
HOW HAS THE SEASON BEEN SO FAR FOR YOUR TEAM SHARKS FC?
CHARLES : We thank God for this family of sharks, even though we didn’t have the best of starts but we hope to finish on a high note.
WHAT DID YOU THINK SLOWED THE PACE OF YOUR TEAM DURING THE START OF THE SEASON?
CHARLES : You know in any competition you are playing in, the way you start it is very important, we had a very slow start to the season due to some little problem that affected the team. For example, we started the season and players were owned about five to six months salary, and you should understand that most of this players are family men or bread winners, and in football if you are not in your right state of mind you cannot give your best. So all these factors or problems affected us seriously.
SO HAS THE ISSUE OF UNPAID SALARIES BEEN SORTED OUT NOW?
CHARLES : Not really, but after some talks and meetings that we held with the club’s general manager and some officials and then also with the promises made by the river state governor, that they are going to pay the money we the players decided to play because even our own names are at stake. If the club should be relegated then we are in a great mess, because no club out there will like to recruit a player that is coming from a team that has been relegated.
NICE TO KNOW ALL THIS. SO WHAT IS THE TARGET NOW FOR YOUR TEAM THIS SEASON?
CHARLES : Yes, I was expecting this question. We are going to do everything humanly possible for the club not to be relegated, that is the principal objective of the club now.
HAVE YOU EVER BEEN CALLED UP TO ANY OF THE NATIONAL TEAM CATEGORIES?
CHARLES : Yes, with the national under 17 team of Cameroon.
SO YOU ARE NOT ORIGINLLY FROM NIGERIA?
CHARLES : Yes, am a Cameroonian.
SO HOW DID YOU GET TO SETTLE HERE IN NIGERIA, WHAT REALLY ATTRACTED YOU?
CHARLES : Well, this is not the first time am going out of Cameroon to play football, so am not new into playing out of Cameroon. And what attracted me to Nigeria is to come and play football here also like any other player and I am enjoying myself.
HOW MANY YEARS HAVE YOU BEEN PLAYING IN NIGERIA?
CHARLES : LOL, years? This is just my first year and I have just been here for nine months now.
SO HOW COME YOU ARE SO FLUENT IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE?
CHARLES : LOL, yeah am fluent in English but I do make some mistakes. The thing is that I did English language education in Cameroon, so that is why I can speak it and not only English, I can also speak French fluently and that is an added advantage you know.
YOU SAID YOU HAVE PLAYED FOR THE CAMEROONIAN U-17 NATIONAL SIDE, SO IF CALLED UP TODAY BY NIGERIA FA WOULD YOU SWITCH NATIONALITY?
CHARLES : LOL, that is a very tricky question though, well let’s just wait for that time to come, only God knows it all so let’s just wait and see what the future has in store.
SO WHICH TOURNAMENT DID YOU FEATURE YOU FEATURE IN FOR YOUR COUNTRIES UNDER 17 TEAM?
CHARLES : The CEMAC under 17 championship that was organized in Cameroon and we eventually won the competition, and also AFCON qualifiers for the under 17.
WHAT YEAR WAS THAT?
CHARLES : AFCON U-17 qualifiers 2013.
YOU MUST HAVE COME ACROSS OTHER PLAYERS FROM YOUR COUNTRY RIGHT? HAVE YOU MET ANY?
CHARLES : Yes, I met here somebody we even played in the same club in Cameroon, am talking of Sunshine stars FC midfielder Tamen Medrano.
I  ALMOST MENTIONED HIM THOUGH, WHICH CLUBSIDE WAS THAT IN CAMEROON?
CHARLES : NQSA that is Njalla Quan Sport Academy, it’s a top flight side in Cameroon. The club is based in the southern region of Cameroon. And I hope to play again here for at least one more season, because am enjoying myself here in Nigeria. But if offers come from abroad then I will go, but for now am happy with my team sharks football club of port Harcourt.
SO WHICH CAMEROONIAN FOOTBALLER INSPIRES YOU?
CHARLES : Actually I love two Cameroonians that is Thomas Kono who was the keeper for Cameroon at the 1990 world cup in Italy, and also Samuel Eto’o Fils who has not just made Cameroon proud but Africa as a continent.
HERE IN NIGERIA, WHO INSPIRES YOU?
CHARLES : That will be Vincent Enyeama, he is the best in Africa now in goal keeping.

SO CHARLES, WAS PLAYING SOCCER REALLY YOUR CHILD HOOD DREAM?
CHARLES : Yes, all my life even right from my tender age I have been dreaming of playing football I hope by God’s grace I will play in the bigger level one day.
DID YOUR PARENT GAVE YOU THEIR FULL SUPPORT?
CHARLES : Yes both of them gave me their support, in fact my father was a footballer back in the days, so he and my mother were in total support of my chosen career.
WHO AMONG THEM BOUGHT YOU YOUR FIRST PAIR OF SOCCER BOOT?
CHARLES : My father, and it was a tempo Nike boot black color.

NIGERIA PLAYED CAMEROON IN A FRIENDLY RECENTLY IN BELGIUM, THOUGH YOUR COUNTRY MEN LOST TO THE EAGLES, DID ANY OF YOUR NIGERIAN CLUB TEAM MATES TEASED YOU ABOUT IT? KNOWING THE FACT THAT BOTH COUNTRIES ARE ETERNAL RIVALS
CHARLES : LOL, yes some of them where mocking me, even my girl friend told me that if Nigeria should lose that she will stop talking to me. But that is football, we just have to accept the result the way it comes and if it is good fine and if it is not we just have to keep working hard because only hard work can move us to the next level.
NOW TIME TO TALK ABOUT YOUR PERSONAL LIFE
CHARLES : Ok ride on.
WHAT EAS THE BEST MOMENT OF YOUR CAREER?
CHARLES : It was when I helped my team gain promotion in Cameroon. It was special to me because I was very instrumental to that promotion and I was also voted the best goal keeper after playing 26 games I was only on the bench 4 times that season, so that made it very special to me.
WHO IS THE TOUGHEST STRIKER YOU HAVE EVER COME AGAINST THROUGH OUT YOUR ENTIRE CAREER?
CHARLES : That will be Kamilu Daoda, he was playing then for Coton Sport in Cameroon and that year they were the champions of Cameroon and he was voted the MVP for the season. He is not a Cameroonian though but from Niger republic.
WHAT ABOUT HERE IN NIGERIA?
CHARLES : That should be Gbolahan Salami of Warri Wolve FC and the Super E agles of Nigeria, He is good.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE FOOD?
CHARLES : Ripe plantain and white beans with fish.
IS CHARLES SINGLE OR ENGAGED TO SOMEONE?
CHARLES : Charles is still single but he is in a relationship with a Nigerian lady named OLA.
OLA? IS THAT NOT A GUY’S NAME? PLEASE LETS KNOW HER FULL NAME.
CHARLES : Hmmmmmm that is one of the ways I call her, well for personal reasons I will like to keep it personal for now.
OK CHARLES I RESPECT YOUR PRIVACY. SO WHERE DID YOU MEET THIS YOUR LADY?
CHARLES : LOL, here in Nigeria, in the football field.
THAT’S WONDERFUL, SO WHICH TEAM DO YOU SUPPORT ABROAD?
CHARLES : Manchester United.
WOW! THAT IS MY TEAM ALSO. WHICH CITY IN NIGERIA IS YOUR BEST?
CHARLES : That should be Enugu city.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CAR AND WHICH DO YOU RIDE PRESENTLY?
CHARLES : For now I don’t have a ride but I love Vensa.
IF YOU WEREN”T A FOOTBALLER, WHAT ELSE WOULD YOU HAVE LOVE TO BECOME?
CHARLES : A banker or a lawyer.
THAT IS NICE. FINALLY WHAT IS YOUR MESSAGE FOR YOUR FANS OUT THERE FOLLOWING THIS SHOW?
CHARLES : They should keep supporting us, these is the moment we need them most and we are promising them that we are not going to fail them by God’s grace and also we love them all.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME CHARLES
CHARLES : I should be the one thanking you, may God bless you for this good work that you are doing with this show.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH CHARLES WE BLESS GOD, DO HAVE A NICE DAY MAN.
CHARLES : You too.





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