•Otorogu Photo: Sun News Publishing

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With 14 goals in his kitty this season, Enyimba’s gangling striker, Eze Otorogu, is just three goals away from breaking a Nigerian Premier League record, which was set when Ishaya Jatau scored 17 goals for Iwuanyanwu Nationale in 1995.
Interestingly, Otorogu who joined the Aba Millionaires from El-Kanemi Warriors of Maiduguri two seasons ago is even looking beyond Jatau’s record.

He revealed that he had set a target of 20 goals for himself this season. With Enyimba having only seven matches to play before the end of the season, the tall forward has remained optimistic that meeting his targets are still achievable.

"I have set a personal target of scoring 20 goals this season and I believe it is achievable, especially with our home matches," Otorogu began in an exclusive interview with Globacom Premier League Splash in Aba recently.

Continuing, he said: "In fact, I’m not only working towards emerging as the highest goalscorer this season, but also, to break that record which has remained intact since 1995.
"I want to put more efforts on scoring goals in our home matches, because my experiences at away games have been terrible. The referees would always try to stop every attacking move the away side makes, sometimes the centre referee will even disallow a goal just to favour the home side. That is why I said I would prefer to intensify my search for goals during our home matches."
The striker also spoke on why he did not shine at El-Kanemi as much as he is doing currently at Enyimba, where he is making the headlines for the right reasons.
Excerpts:

You are currently the highest goalscorer in the Globacom Premier League with 14 goals in your kitty. How have you been coping with the tackles from defenders of the opposing teams?
I must confess that it has not been easy, but I try my best to score for my team regardless of the crunchy tackles I get from tough defenders. When I joined Enyimba last season, it was not easy for me. I merely managed to score two or three goals because I was only coming in as a substitute all through that season. But things are working in my favour this season. I hope to score more goals for Enyimba in spite of oppositions.

Before you joined Enyimba from El-Kanemi Warriors of Maiduguri, you were not scoring as much as you are doing now, how did you discover your scoring boots at Enyimba?
I was not the point man when I was with El-Kanemi. Rather, I was a support striker to my close friend, Ikechukwu Ibenegbu, who was once the highest goalscorer in the league. Then, I had to assist Ibenegbu to score during matches, that was why I could not score many goals while at El-Kanemi. I was doing most of the job for Ibenegbu, who then was doing the finishing as the main striker.
Again, I could not score much then because of the problem I had with the management of El-Kanemi shortly before our FA Cup game against Sharks FC of Port Harcourt. I was to play against Sharks, but before the game, it was discovered that there were flaws in my transfer to El-Kanemi and because of that, I missed that game. Unfortunately, we lost in that match and the fans felt that I sabotaged the team. For that reason, my relationship with the fans become frosty, that, invariably, affected my performance on the pitch. But towards the end of that season, when I started scoring goals, they became my friends again.

I guess you must have heard that no player has broken Ishaya Jatau’s record of 17 goals since 1995, having scored 14 goals already, do you think you can break that jinx this season?
In fact, I am not only working towards emerging as the highest goalscorer this season but also, to break that record. I have set a personal target of scoring 20 goals this season and I believe strongly that I can achieve it, especially with our remaining home matches. You know what happens during away matches in the Nigerian League. Most times the referees will stop the away team from scoring. That is why I would want to concentrate on scoring goals during our home matches where I believe the atmosphere would be conducive.

In your team’s African Champions League game against Simba of Tanzania in Aba, you were substituted in the second half after missing several scoring chances, what really happened on that day?
I don’t really know what happened to me in that game. I would just say it was a bad day for me. I just noticed that I was not in my best form, though I struggled until the coach decided to substitute me. My consolation was that we beat Simba convincingly, which was the most important thing. If I cannot score in a particular game and my mates score, the glory comes to everyone in the team.

As a striker, what are the shortcomings in your game that you would want to improve on?
Most times, I would be in a hurry to put the ball in the net, but eventually would miss the chance. Again, in some matches, I would find myself in the box for more than 10 times, but my inability to decide quickly on whether to score or pass the ball to a mate who I might think was better placed had been my greatest undoing. I think those are the problems I have at the moment and I am working towards overcoming them.
As for the fans, they would always want you to score in every match, but I try to put such pressures behind me any time I am in the game.