Orlando Pirates' Nigerian star Olisa Ndah spent between seven and eight months on the sidelines, recovering from an injury he picked up after the Soweto Derby against Kaizer Chiefs during the second half of last season. He scored an own goal in that game back in February and his return to action was for the big one in the MTN8 final against Mamelodi Sundowns over half-a-year later in October. On his return, the lanky defender looked as though he had never been away, playing a key role at the back as the Buccaneers defended their title. Since then, he has been growing in confidence, helping the club keep three clean sheets in their last league matches. In this interview, Soccer Laduma's Tshepang Mailwane speaks to the 25-year-old about his return to action and how he was able to stay strong mentally while on the sidelines.
Tshepang Mailwane: Olisa, you were out with an injury for about eight months and your first game back was the MTN8 final against Mamelodi Sundowns in October. How crazy was that?
Olisa Ndah: Ha, ha, ha. First of all, I was really delighted to be back. At training, I was already excited. I was not able to train properly, so I was already excited. It was so unfortunate that I had to come back like that with my teammate (Nkosinathi Sibisi) getting injured. It was frustrating, but I was happy to be back.
TM: Going into that final, did you honestly believe you would play, considering you had been out for so long?
OD: Initially, I did not think I would play. I thought maybe I would have come on at a time we were winning and we were looking to finish off the game. Initially, I did not think I would be playing. But it shows that you have to be ready. It takes a lot of strong mentality, belief and discipline because you have to keep yourself prepared. You don't know when anything can happen. When you are not prepared, it becomes a bad day. I was really prepared because I had a couple of months trying to get back and I worked personally on myself a lot in those months. I was prepared.
TM: You say you were working on yourself personally in those months. What exactly did you work on?
OD: It was not just the physical side. I worked more on my mental health because in the beginning, I was really frustrated. You know when you are frustrated, you don't think properly, but I had time to rewind and had time with my family. I knew it was something beyond my control. I tried my best to stay focused. It's a wonderful feeling (being back). I think I was prepared enough. I am just trying to get back to my old self. I know I am not there yet. I still have a lot of things to work on, but gradually I will get back to my best again.
TM: Does the team provide you with a psychologist or do you, by any chance, have one of your own?
OD: We are fortunate enough to be in a wonderful team like this because on different occasions we've had psychologists come to speak to us and if you need extra help, you can go meet a psychologist. I personally have my own psychologist and people I talk to and they help me deal with stuff. That's important for me because the job we do is full of ups and downs. If you are mentally weak, it's going to affect your game. I try as much as I can to stay away from social media and you hardly see me doing interviews unless the club tells me to. So, I stay away from social media because sometimes it puts a bad feeling into us.
TM: The last game you played before the MTN8 final was the Soweto Derby against Kaizer Chiefs in February, in which you scored an own goal. When you came on in the final, did you have any worries about making an error in another big game, especially after being out for so long?
OD: No, I did not worry about that at all. I put the own goal thing behind me a long time ago because I am not someone who dwells on the past. I was really content with myself coming back. I was not really under pressure, and I was not scared of anything. I went into the game to try to keep the game where Sibisi left it. He was doing well before I came on. I am just happy we won. To win that trophy was great. It was the second time winning it and I think a lot of people wrote us off before that game. I am really glad we won because we showed we could compete.
TM: Why do you think people wrote you off?
OD: Whenever you play Sundowns, you are obviously the underdog. You can't blame people because of what they (Sundowns) have done and their achievements.
TM: You beat the Brazilians in the MTN8 but have struggled to compete with them when it comes to the DStv Premiership title race. Why do you think this is the case?
OD: I think we lack consistency. We've had good games and bad games. I think what makes a big team is looking for a way to win, no matter how difficult it is. They have been more consistent than us. That's just it.
TM: How do you go about creating that consistency as the Buccaneers?
OD: I don't think we lack confidence or anything like that. We've created a lot of chances, and we just didn't score. That's just the difference.
TM: How big will the remaining games of 2023 be to get you back into the Top Eight and closer to the top of the standings?
OD: These games will be very important. We have to take each game as it comes, but it's important that we collect maximum points. Looking at how we are playing, I feel we are not where we are supposed to be. So, I think the last few games of the year will be important for us to finish well.
TM: You mentioned that you are not one to dwell on the past, but how sweet was the Soweto Derby victory over Kaizer Chiefs recently, considering you scored an own goal the last time you played them?
OD: It was wonderful. I think it was my first Soweto Derby win since I arrived, so it was a different feeling altogether for me. I was really excited to get that win. I've played in derbies back home and I never lost any. It's always nice to play in the derby.
TM: You were linked with a move to Italy and other parts of Europe not so long ago. What do you know about this?
OD: Personally, I had no idea about the whole thing. I think maybe the club communicated with them, but at that time I had no idea. I was focused on the team at that moment because we were thinking of how to get more points and finish strong. I was not really focused on those transfers and rumours.
TM: Did your agent, Mike Makaab, not say anything to you at all?
OD: No, he did not say anything.
TM: Whether or not the stories were true, how did it feel to be linked with a move to a league as big as the Italian Serie A?
OD: Yes, it's a good feeling. But it's not just about me doing well, it's the whole team. At that moment, our team was doing wonderfully. It's more like a team effort. If I am personally doing well and we are constantly losing games, I don't think it would really show, but if I am doing well and the team is also achieving things, then it benefits all of us.
TM: Do you want to move to Europe?
OD: Of course, everyone wants to go to Europe to play at the highest level. I don't think I've ever met any player who says they do not want to go to Europe.
TM: Do you not worry that time is moving and it might be too late to move in future?
OD: I don't really worry about those things. There are some things you cannot control. You look at when Jamie Vardy started playing for Leicester City in the Premiership, he was 29, so everyone has his time. When it's my time to go to Europe, then it will happen.
TM: Before we let you go, how disappointed were you to see the team getting knocked out of the CAF Champions League in the preliminary rounds?
OD: It was a really bad feeling, and it was something that we definitely learnt from. You know in football there are no small teams. That was an eye-opener for us, and it was a lesson that we learnt the hard way. For me, looking at that team (Jwaneng Galaxy) and if our minds were right, we could have done better. But it's football because they went on to beat Wydad (Casablanca). It's funny how football works.
TM: Why do you think your minds were not right?
OD: I think maybe we took it too lightly, from my perspective. In Orlando, we played exceptionally well. We had a lot of chances. But in Botswana, we were not at our best. Obviously, it comes with a lot of conditions, like the weather conditions there and the field and everything. But I think we could have done better.
TM: Thank you so much for your time, Olisa. Enjoy the festive season.
OD: Thank you.
OLISA NDAH FACT FILE
Place of birth: Enugu State, Nigeria
Nickname: None
Position: Defender
Jersey number: 49
Club: Orlando Pirates
Previous clubs: Remo Stars, Akwa United (both Nigeria)
Honours: 2020/21 Nigerian Professional Football League winner (with Akwa United), 2022/23 Nedbank Cup winner, 2022 MTN8 winner, 2023 MTN8 winner (all with Pirates)
