I placed 10-year curse on Man United – Ebuka Mic

Standup comedian Ebuka Ike-Mgbechi, known professionally as Ebuka Mic, talks about his favourite club, his love for Cristiano Ronaldo, the Super Eagles and more, in this interview with PETER AKINBO

What led you into comedy?

Well, it was right from time, when I was in secondary school or even earlier. It was something I could do and was always charismatic about. I had the abilities, so, I started doing it. I saw that there was a greater work to be done in the sector, there was space for me and I took it up from there.

In terms of comedy influences I’ll say I’ve always been influenced by Basketmouth, Bovi and Omobaba. I’ve met Basketmouth and Bovi at events we’ve done together but the person that I really had a relationship with was Omobaba. For a long period of time, we worked at his comedy clubs on the island and mainland. Another impactful meeting I’ve had is with Alibaba. I remember it was just before Untitled Lagos in 2022. It was a free mentorship class because he just demystified your business. And it was amazing having such connections with such people. Lots of comedians have been impactful too.

When you were younger, did you participate in sports?

When I was in school, I was very sporty. I played football, basketball and volleyball. I also ran, you know, athletics. I was good at volleyball. I was relatively good at football, I was a right-back then.

Did you pursue a career in sports?

No, I didn’t, you know when you’re a child, you think maybe you’re the best in your street or something, but by the time you get to the bigger world it’s different. When I went to secondary school and I met other incredibly talented footballers, I realised that maybe I was not born for this after all. I think that also inspired me to know that this is not my calling.

Do you have a favourite football club?

Yeah, some people will say that I’m not a real football fan, but that’s their business. Hala Madrid, that’s the best club in the world. People think that all of us that are supporting Madrid are just there because we don’t want to be teased. We want to tease everybody but I must confess, I did not start out supporting Madrid. I used to be an Arsenal fan but after several years of drought, I had to leave for Madrid. I remember when I was in school as an Arsenal fan, I would have 12 Man United fans against me, but then I laid the curse on them and I think it has worked. I cursed them in 2013 for 10 years but my time has exceeded, it is out of my hands now.

Who would you say is the best player to ever wear the Madrid jersey?

Obviously, it is Cristiano Ronaldo. If you want to look at Champions League success of recent time, you can’t write that story without Ronaldo. The truth is that he is the greatest Real Madrid player ever.Related News

Who do you think is the best between Ronaldo and Lionel Messi?

Let me explain it. I believe that in terms of the best footballer to ever play, I could say it is Messi but when you talk about greatness, it is not about just being the best. Greatness is the quality of your doings. The aura of your work. I mean, the best writers are not necessarily the greatest writers. Impact of culture and influence in people’s lives, you can’t take that away from Ronaldo. He knows when to come through, are you talking about Real Madrid vs Wolfsburg or Juventus vs Atletico? These are legendary matches, is it Portugal vs Spain in the World Cup 2018? These are matches that show supremacy and greatness.

What’s your opinion about the Super Eagles outing at the 2023 AFCON in Ivory Coast?

In terms of not winning the trophy eventually, I totally blame our former coach (Jose Peseiro) because performance at the competition was from the sheer determination of the players. From the employment of Peseiro, I’ve always been against his tactics, I see him as tactically inept. He didn’t have what it took to be coach of the Super Eagles. We were just dragging ourselves one way or the other to the final. And when he got to the final, he was clueless. I just feel like he is the worst. But all in all, vibes of the AFCON was legendary because, it’s been a long time I saw Nigeria like that, I’m talking about even as a team. I’m talking about even as a country, like the vibes of the tournament. I always believed in them, though, from the beginning, even when they drew with Equatorial Guinea.

Who were the players that impressed you at the AFCON?

Our best defender at the competition was obviously William Troost-Ekong, for goalkeeping, there is no competition, that’s for Stanley Nwabali. In midfield, I would say it was Frank Onyeka but our most creative player is still Alex Iwobi, whether anyone likes it or not. In the attack, I would give it to Ademola Lookman but when it comes to game presence, it’s always Victor Osimhen, with him on the pitch, the other team looks like they have 10 men.

Who is your pick as the greatest Nigerian player ever?

The best Nigerian player that I watched would be Austin ‘Jay-Jay’ Okocha. That guy was just sheer brilliance, he was a joy to watch.

What do you think the Eagles need to change?

Well, to be honest, I’m very sceptical because what Nigeria needs is a coach that is tactically sound, a coach that has a good philosophy, that has a clear vision, a clear goal, and who can combine our players into the best form possible. Truth is that we have players that can deliver if they are in the right system. Personally, I’m not a fan of home-based coaches but Nigeria always employ the lowest grade of foreign coaches. The home-based coaches are susceptible to things like ego, nepotism, tribalism, all the Nigerian sicknesses but the foreigner is mostly working based on facts and what you can see. I saw Finidi George during those two friendly matches and he did nothing to impress or not impress. I think he was playing it safe. I think we should just choose a coach that has shown pedigree in terms of tactical soundness.

What do you think about the Super Falcons?

Well, I think the Falcons are better now in terms of brand awareness, a lot of their players are more known today, before we knew them by their trophies and their winning margins of 9-0 or 7-0. They’re the nine-time African champions but now their social presence is increasing and we are getting to know our female players more than before. But it seems the dominance has dropped off, maybe other football nations have really improved as well.