Roma striker Umar Sadiq spoke to completesportnigeria.com as he embarks on his Olympic journey with Nigeria:
How excited are you signing a new professional contract with AS Roma?
It’s a rare opportunity for me to have achieved that alongside my friend Nura Abdulahi. I feel very happy with it and for me, personally, football has just started.
Talking about the Olympics, you got your first national team invite when you were named in the 35-man provisional squad for the games. How confident are you about making the final squad?
It’s not a do-or-die affair. It all depends on the coach and the kind of system he wants to play, if I fit into it. I’m confident in my ability and I will give my best to ensure I make the final 18.
The team lost their first pre-season game in the US. Do you think there’s hope for the U-23 team at the Olympics?
It was a test game and I believe we will get better in subsequent games. We just need to believe in ourselves and prove our inclusion to the team. For me it will be a dream achieved if I I’m selected for the Games in a year I made my Serie A debut and got a professional contract at Roma.