We're very poor because the sports ministry has not done enough. If elected, I will sit down with the federation and come up with plans that will turn our country into a football superpower.

I am aware that many regard me as an anti-sports character person, but the truth is that the country’s economy by then was in bad shape. Tanzania being among the highly indebted countries, I had to give sports the least prominence during my first term, while setting priorities in revitalising our economy.

I want to be one of the best players in the world. That’s my goal, that’s what I want to achieve.

After my football career, I'm hoping to give back to the community. I'm hoping to probe into young talents, and I want to use my experiences that I've got in football to change people's lives.

n 1985, Bob Munro volunteered his time to go and serve in the poorest slums of Africa on behalf of the United Nations. He loved football. One day, he was passing through the Mathare slums in Nairobi, Kenya, which happens to be one of the poorest areas in the world, and where more than a quarter million people live in abject poverty and filth. He saw some children playing football, bare feet, in total grime — they weren’t actually playing football, but kicking each other. As he saw one of the children kick the other, he immediately shouted, ‘Foul’, and the game stopped. He got out of his car and being the white man, obviously stood out. As an ardent lover of football, he said, ‘This is not the way to play football.’ He took the ball and told the boys, ‘Tomorrow I will bring another ball and teach you how to play football.’ The next day, 600 children were there to play football. He made a rule that only those children who clean up the place be allowed to play. He started a volunteers’ group for self-help and said, ‘Those who want to play football as part of my team must clean up.’ The children got involved and started cleaning the slums, and out of love for football, slowly the entire area was cleaned. As time went by, he developed teams to play. He developed referees from within. Guess what was the result in four years? The Kenyan football eleven national team emerged from the same Mathare slums. Bob Munro has created thousands of football teams from there, but the rules are very unique. The rules are very clear that every player in those football teams must contribute 60 hours to social work and community service per month. Only then can they play football. They get additional points not for winning a game, but for completing a community service project such as cleaning, counselling and helping others. He has created 8,000 volunteers out of this system of community service through the love of football.

Football gives the African people hope, a true motivation for their life.

I grew up in Nigeria and played from U-12 all the way to professional level and I think I’m in a position to encourage those in the grassroots that they can play football and also be educated at the same time which will help them after the game.

I am excited that Tanzania is the only country out of 53 African nations to host the relay. This is a rare opportunity for our nation and a challenge for the government and the people to promote sports.

If people didn't love me when I was scoring goals, putting South Africa on the map, why would I expect them to love me because I tell the truth about women's football?

Today, football has become an extremely important part of our development as individuals and our development as a nation (Ghana). Sports is about development, it is about skill, it is about commitment, it is about dedication, it is about the tenacity to win against the odds, it is about the willingness to say that I will go the extra mile. There is so much more to it and we collectively should leverage football to drive our country (Ghana) forward because it is one of the few things that we all agree on.

I told them (TFF) that I will pay the salary of a foreign coach but to date nobody has come to me with any plans concerning the hiring of a coach. I have only heard them saying that Tanzania has been drawn in a tough group. They are just complaining instead of starting preparations. They are waiting to make excuses when the team fails to qualify.

As one of the leaders, it is my job to bring Cameroon back to the top with help of other players

If you know me, you would know that I love football and film. It’s a dream come true. ‘Onyeegwu’ was a story I wanted to tell for a long time but it was such a big journey