How close were you to giving up on your World Cup dream after surgery?
I honestly didn't think it was possible. When I made the decision to undergo surgery for the long-term benefit of my career, the doctors told me they rarely see people recover as quickly as I did. At that point, I almost gave up on the dream.
Then Jesse Marsch called me in the funniest tone and said, "We're going to give you as much time as you need. You'll be fine."
That conversation changed everything. I thought to myself, if he's willing to believe in me, then I have every reason to believe in myself. From that moment, I put in an incredible amount of work. Credit goes to my physiotherapists, the Canadian national team's medical staff and my club's medical team. They worked tirelessly to get me healthy enough to make the squad.
How did you cope with the physical and mental challenges of recovery?
Missing out on the 26-man squad would have felt like a personal failure. Thankfully, I recover exceptionally well. The pain was intense, but somehow my mind just shut a lot of it out.
I joke that if we ever start a colony on Mars, I should be the first candidate because I heal so quickly. Ironically, I have a terrible immune system — if I catch a cold, I feel like I'm dying. But when it comes to recovering from injuries, my body seems to have a mind of its own.
What did Jesse Marsch's support mean to you?
It meant everything.
I've had coaches who moved on from me when things were going well. Jesse was different. He stood by me when things were at their worst.
Deep down, I always believed I would make it. Jesse repeatedly told me that if I was healthy enough, I would be in the squad — provided I did everything possible to get fit. So that's exactly what I did.
Your career has taken you through Canada, Estonia, Croatia and Belgium. How many times have you been told "no"?
Countless times.
When I was playing in Estonia, I wrote "2026" inside my locker. Watching Canada at the previous World Cup inspired me at a time when I was seriously considering quitting football.
I saw players I had grown up with representing Canada and thought, "If they can do it, why can't I?" Someone laughed when I mentioned my goal, and that only motivated me even more. It became personal.
By God's grace, here we are.
You were born in Canada to Nigerian parents and represented Nigeria at youth level before switching allegiance. How do you view that decision now?
Canadian football raised me, so I feel I owe something back by representing the country at the highest level.
Playing for Nigeria was a wonderful opportunity, but I believe this Canadian team is building something special under Jesse Marsch. You can already see the progress we've made, and I wanted to be part of that journey and that history.
You also appealed to Nigerian fans to support Canada at the World Cup. Why?
This is football's biggest stage, and I will always appreciate the support of Nigerian fans.
Nigeria isn't at this tournament, but I've felt so much love from Nigerians throughout my journey. I sincerely thank them for that and hope they'll continue supporting me and Canada.
Which Nigerian footballer inspired you growing up?
It has always been Nwankwo Kanu.
He's one of Nigeria's greatest-ever players. My father spoke so highly of him growing up, and although I didn't watch him live very often, I watched plenty of highlights. I admired the way he played and tried to learn different aspects of his game whenever I could.
