Uniao De Madeira of Portugal midfielder Usman Mohammed has told AfricanFootball.com his immediate target with Nigeria is to win the Rio 2016 Olympic football event in August.
The former FC Taraba skipper also said he is happy to join Uniao de Madeira and compatriot Shehu Abdulahi has made him settle down well.
He talked about other issues in this interview.
AFRICANFOOTBALL.COM: You are known in Nigeria as FC Taraba player, which other teams did you play for in Nigeria?
USMAN: I played for Ranchers Bees before I joined Taraba.
It's the dream of every footballer to play for their country, did you expect to get Eagles call-up at the time you did?
I will say it came as a surprise to me because I wasn't expecting it that fast, but I know I was in a good form playing for Taraba in the league then.
How are you coping with the new language over there in Portugal?
I thank God that I have my brother in the person of Shehu Abdullahi here, he makes everything very easy for me here, so I am very much at home here. I hope to learn the language soon.
You were on loan to Uniao De Madeira, what happened that it was changed to permanent deal?
It was because I didn't want to play in the lower division in Portugal, so an agreement was reached and I signed for two years with Uniao de Madeira.
How do you feel about it?
I am so happy about it and I thank God for everything.
What are your personal targets with Madeira?
To help improve the team and also improve myself as a player in Europe.
How was it helping Nigeria secure Olympic ticket in Senegal in December?
I felt proud because Nigeria had failed to qualify the last time, so it was something I will never forget. I was so happy to be part of the history.
How are you looking forward to the Olympics proper in Brazil in August?
I know is going to be very tough, but I believe so much in the team that we can win the gold as the 1996 set did for Nigeria. The players have the quality and the coaches are great too.