TheTerras.com caught up with Abdulai Baggie after Weymouth impressive victories against Chesham United and Slough Town.
theterras.com: Who is the greatest player you have played with/against?
Abdulai Baggie: I would say the greatest player I have played with would be Glyfi Sigurdsson. Coming through the Academy at Reading FC.
theterras.com: Wow! Even back then could you tell he was going to progress far and make it professionally?
AB: Yes for sure. Technically he was the best at the club growing up and he was always the first one in training and last one to leave the training ground. He was always practicing his set pieces, free kicks and corners.
theterras.com: You can really tell that he must have practiced his set pieces so often in his performances in the Premier League. What’s it like representing Siera Leone on an international level and what made you choose them over England?
AB: Yes, he has scored a lot a goals in the Premier League and it definatley paid off staying doing extra. Representing Sierra Leone was an amazing feeling, playing on the big international stage against very good international players is always a good test to see where you are at as a player and testing yourself against the best players. I chose Sierra Leone because that is my home country, where I was born and playing for them was always a dream. I was raised in England but when your home country comes calling you to play for them I was not going to say no because it does not get any bigger than that.
theterras.com: That must have felt so amazing! You have played at Poole Town previously as well. How do you compare them with playing for Weymouth?
AB: Yes it was one of the best feelings ever. I would say close to as my first little boy was born it was nearly that special. Hmm…. well that’s a hard and difficult question haha! I would say they are two different teams with two different managers with the type of football they play, I think Poole have had a lot of success over the last couple of years for being a tough team to play against, a hard working team, they play to their strengths and physically, they are a powerful side that like to get the ball out wide and get balls in the box which is hard to play against. I was getting dipped in and out the team start of this season which didn’t suit my type of football. I want to play and it works best for them but on the flip side being here now at Weymouth suits my type of playing style. I see myself in and like myself to show what I can do, I like getting the ball down and playing football and since being here at the club, it has allowed me to start enjoying my football again, playing the right way that I see myself playing. It’s a good team we have here and good bunch of hungry boys that want to do well for each other!
theterras.com: Especially when you have players such as Goodship and Thommo to finish off the crosses. Must enjoy cutting inside and trying your luck every now again like that brilliant goal against Chesham on Saturday! Who do you think would win in an arm wrestle between Zubar and Cazé de Silva?
AB: Players like Goody’s finishing and Thommo’s hold up play and his strength and pace helps a lot. I think Zubar. You wouldn’t want to be getting into any sort of physical contact with him in anyway because he is a very strong boy! No one goes near him in training because he always smashes people!
theterras.com: Can imagine so! Going into these last run of games how much does a win like that against Slough do for the team in terms of confidence?
AB: It certainly does give the team a lot of confidence for the running for the play offs. I don’t think you can just go on one game beating Slough, but we have kept a consistent run of games that we have won to get that confidence within the team to be where we are.
theterras.com: Do you think this current Weymouth side has what it takes to go all the way and get promoted this season?
AB: I think we do have what it takes but there’s still six games left to go and nothing is certain in football until it’s mathematically over. We believe that we are in the play offs but we can’t start thinking about that. There are still games to be played and points to be won!
