Exclusive Interview with Ahkeela Mollon.
By: Inshan "Flex" Mohammed.
1. Ahkeela, obviously you became the first T&T woman player to gain a foreign contract to play in Europe. How do you feel to carry such honour.
AM: It’s have been tremendous, the opportunity in which the heavenly father have bless me with. The opportunity to be able to continue my football career after college and being able to complete on such a high level have certainly have a huge affect on my life. I now can reap the benefits off all my hard work and determination during the past few years.
2. How is the experience playing in Sweden?
AM: The experience thus far has been wonderful; the Swedish people have shown me nothing but love and respect during my time there and I am looking forward to returning to such welcoming and loving people. The level of football is high and there is so many female footballers in Sweden. As a society the Swedish people is known to take their football seriously and once u around that type of environment you can’t help but have the same feeling, which can be so encouraging for you as a football player to continue to take football serious and work at improving yourself daily as a player because people is always expecting the best. So thus far my experience has been great, and so fruitful, in the sense that, you feel like you growing daily in the game, because everything in Sweden is about football.
3. How were you spotted.
AM: My opportunity to play in Sweden came about, because of my involvement during the summers playing for my W-League team the Charlotte Eagles. It was during the past two summers that I was spotted by an overseas official and one year later here I am playing in Sweden.
4. Give us a run down on how hard it was for you to adjust there, the food, how the fans and your teammates treated you.
AM: The very first day I got to Sweden it was like -3 degree’s weather, not good at all since I just left Trinidad and the weather was clocking about 40 degree’s, so I had no time to get adjusted to the weather. The food was ok, matter of fact the Swedish people is known to be healthy eaters, since I myself believe in healthy eating, it was ok adjusting to the food. The people on the other hand were very sweet, really nice people, but a bit to shy. Wow, Swedish people are shy, but one quality they have that amazes me, is there equality. They very equal as a society, which was so amazing to me, because I grew up in a society that thought us to be competitive and try to out do others. But it’s not like that in Sweden, everyone is equal and that’s that.
5. Your biggest accomplishment. And proudest moment?
AM: My biggest accomplishment was the day that I started to gain a relationship with your (?). He is my life and my salvation, and no other accomplishment could be greater than what the God has blessed me with and that is his love. My proudest moment was being able to be the first Trinidad and Tobago women football player to attend a big division one University like South Carolina and graduate on time with my degree in psychology, while competing at such high level of football in the USA.
6. Who do you admire the most.
AM: I have two people that I really look up to, the first person is my mom, she is my rock and the person that helps to keep me grounded. I could not have asked God for a better queen in my life, she is simply amazing. And secondly my psychology professor, during my two year at the University of South Carolina, she have taught me so much about life and understanding how the human mind works, which have been contributing daily as I face day to day challenges in my life, and my footballing career.
7. Which current T&T women player/s you feel is capable of playing in Sweden.
AM: Tasha St Louis and Mariah Shade. Both have what it takes currently to play in Sweden at the highest level. And mind you Mariah Shade is still at the U-20 level and has not completed her schooling in Trinidad, still in form five and only 18-years old and already have what it takes to play at that level. Well Tasha can play at any level, in other words she is simply “good”.
8. Do you feel we should have a professional Women League in T&T.
AM: Yes, with the increasing number of female players currently taking interest in football in Trinidad, the TTFF should be looking into forming a professional women football league, so the younger one’s coming up in the game have something to look forward too.
9. What do you feel should be done for us to qualify for a first ever world cup.
AM: More investments must be put into place for the women’s national team to benefit, in order for us to be able to go on tours, or hold weekly camps or whatever preparation is needed to take us to the next level. Women football in Trinidad must be taken more seriously, because the women game is vase becoming a power house all over the world. For a small country like Trinidad, we have the talent, but we don’t have the financial backings.
10. What is your dream.
AM: My dream is for one day to play for one of the best women team in the world with all the right players around me J. Also, my main purpose, goal or dream is to use the talent God has blessed me with to be a role model for the younger ones. Our youths are being taken away from us because of all the criminalities taking place not only in Trinidad but all over the world. People in high places, say for example; athletes must be setting a good example for the youths to follow, because believe it or not the youths are looking on and they looking on to us for some sort of guidance and hope for the future. As athletes we can help, and we should never let these youths down, the ones who is looking on and hoping for a way out. So that’s one of my dreams to impact as many kids life as I can through sports, through football.
11. As we understand your cousin Clyde Leon is a member of the national men's team. Do you have any more family playing for the T&T national teams.
AM: No, Clyde is the only one currently playing for the national team, but Marvin Phillip, he is my brother in law, if that’s counts J.
12. Have you ever visited the Soca Warriors Online ? if so, what's your thoughts.
AM: Honestly, I have not visit the site in a long time.
13. What are your thoughts on Debe High winning it first ever SSFL title in 2009.
AM: Well, they have been a great team throughout the season and every game they got better and better. Mariah Shade as I mention before plays for that team, and she is a good role model for the girls there, and I know for a fact a lot of girls are looking on at her for leadership and she have accepted that role with grace. They have a great coach, he coached me during my years at Pertrotrin and I could only see that team continuing to be a power house in the women game in Trinidad.
14. Where do you see yourself in the near future.
AM: I see my self, going up and up from here on. I am a fighter and I go after what I want. I am never a quitter and would never settle for less. I know in my heart God would want me to achieve all that he will for me, so knowing that, you will only see or hear great things about me in the future, because God is in control of this ship and once he is in the control, I know that all the things that I work for in the future will be given unto me.
15. What's your thoughts on T&T hosting the FIFA Under-17 Women's World Cup in 2010.
AM: That will be a tremendous opportunity for us to showcase the talent and help bring the Trinidad community together for such a grand occasion. It will benefit our country a lot and will go a long way in showing the Trinidad and Tobago nation how serious the women game has become and will continue to be in the future.
16. Who do you feel would make a good coach for the T&T senior woman team.
AM: No comment!! I will work under any coach as long as they put the best team on the field when game day comes.
17. Your favorite T&T player/s men and women.
AM: Was always a big fan of Russell Latapy would like to meet him one day, my email is even ladylatapy (smile), and my favorite women player, was Tamara forgot her last name, but I always use to admire her as she was real good and I use to look up to her and say one day I would like to play like her.
18. Your favorite food.
AM: I love, crab and dumplings. Give me crab any day, any hour, with dumplings, it would make my day.
19. Do you believe foreign born players have the commitment that can help our team. Or do you think it would be better to invest in T&T born players instead. Giving them the necessary exposure to become better players.
AM: Well, it’s a give, and a take, I believe that everyone should be given the chance to represent the country in which they were born or their parents were born. It’s then up to the coach’s to pick the right players that is fit and ready to represent the country, be it local players or players born in another country. Once the love is there and they know to come and play with all that they got, everyone should be given the opportunity. I think it will make it more of a competitive thing, and help to motivate players to bring there best.
20. If you had to name an All-Star T&T team. Who would they be?
AM: If I had to pick a team, this will be my team; Defenders-Nadia James, Leslie Ann-James, Ayanna Russell, Janelle Nedd, Midfielders-Tasha St Louis, Avenel, Maylee Attin Johnson, Ahkeela Darcel Mollon, Forward-Mariah Shade and Kennya Cordner, Goal keeper-Nicole. - subs, Katrina Meyer, Aveann Douglas, Dernelle Mascall, Niasha Reyes, Mohammed twins.
Note: On behalf on the Soca Warriors Online and Warrior Nation, we say thank you to Ahkeela for taking the time out to do this Q&A Interview for us. We wish you all the best in the future. May Gob Bless you and your family.
