Why I chose to watch football from a distance

Present situation.

Russia 2018 World cup has come and gone and my country Nigeria did not make it to the knock out stage of the competition. A hearty congratulation to France, the reigning world champion. The Super Eagle’s first match with Croatia ended in favor of the latter. This threw Nigerian football lovers into a pensive mood for some days. The frenzy however returned as soon as Ahmed Musa scored the two goals that gave us the lead over Iceland. But like a temporal happiness of sort,  the Nigerian team was sent parking by the star studded Argentines, and that clearly marked the end of our 2018 world cup ambition.

The reaction of Nigerians to our loss

There was mourning of sort; In fact, Mikel Obi had to fight back tears in one of the interviews he granted soon after the match. Another funny scene was the fact that pained Nigerians trooped to the instagram page of the match’s referee, to ‘rain’ curses on him for not awarding us the needed penalty we deserved. Quite unbelievably, there were over twenty five comments, obviously from Nigerians within twenty four hours. I consider that ‘petty’ though.

Also, a Barrister friend on face book whose level of maturity I had always admired on varying issues baffled me with his reaction. He openly cursed his fellow Nigerians who had earlier predicted a win of Argentina over Nigeria in favour of their idolized ‘Messi’. He was so bitter that he threw caution to the winds with his choice of words, even on his business social-media page.

My neighbor too rejected his meal and was not cheerful for a few days. It was that bad! Unconfirmed report even has it that a man beat his own son to a pulp after the match. Just because the young lad had supported our opponent.

Sigh!   

Football was supposed to be just a game, regardless of the money making venture it had become. But the synergy put into it by the fans would have  been fun, if they weren’t negatively harnessed. From my angle all the same, I have not regretted the decision I took about fourteen years ago, never to take the game too ‘dear’, but to watch from a distance. Now, read on as I struggled;

How it all started

My dad forced all of his hobbies on me. This explains why I took after him in a lot of ways, especially the ability to learn handcrafts at first few glances. He literarily forced me to listen to the local TV news, even when I could barely understand a sentence. I had to read newspapers from page to page. Not just the entertainment section but the core politics, sports and et al.  All of which must have helped my writings. And then to watching football. He would tutor me on how penalties, free kicks, corner kicks etc are awarded.

I reminisce now and realized that the category of men I crushed on in my earliest days apart from the late Micheal Jackson and R Kelly were footballers. From Thierry Henry (only God knows what I was thinking), to the late Rashidi Yekini (God rest his soul), Austin Okocha, Kanu Nwankwo, Finidi George, Osaze Odemwengie and I got really heartbroken when John Utaka married a white woman. He was the man I had crushed the  longest period of time for.

The matches that left me disappointed

Matches played by the Nigerian National team prior to year 2000 didn’t really get to me; I was much younger and in my mid teens. Besides, the Eagles seemed to be on point then.

The real struggle started for me from the African cup of nations hosted by Ghana/Nigeria in the year 2000.The Nigerian team was ‘on-point’ all through the group  matches beating Tunisia 4-2, drew 0-0 with Congo and went ahead to beat Morocco by two goals to nil. Fantastic games weren’t it?  

We displayed our dominance over Senegal with the scores being 2-1 at the quarter finals. Sent South Africans packing with 2-0 at the Semi Finals. Only for the Eagles to leave me with a theatrical heart attack at the finals. They had met with the Cameroonian football team. A game that ended in a stalemate,(2-2). Hence, the call for a penalty shootout which we lost, no thanks to Kanu and Ikpeba. My heart was literarily in my mouth all the while the penalty lasted. And in a jiffy, the ‘love’ I had for Kanu Nwankwo, who was the footballer that I was crushing on at that moment ‘died’ a natural death. Childish!

I instantly turned pale, and for a few days after that match, I would cry myself to sleep and even dreamt about how we could have won the competition.

Next came the South Korean/Japan2002 world cup. Nigeria was paired with three countries of great football players. The group was tagged the Group of death (Sweden, Argentina, and England). We lost 1-0 to Argentina, lost 2-1 to Sweden, thereafter drew 0-0 with England. No wins from the boys that period, and I refused to be consoled.

May I digress a bit?

Quite vividly now, I remember Baba Onigbinde (full names -Festus Adegboye Onigbinde), my favorite Nigerian Coach of all times. I prefer him majorly because of his calmness. Baba exudes so much confidence, and despite all the criticisms he faced about being calmly seated during matches and not dishing late-hour tips to players by the pitch side common with coaches, I preferred him still.

It all keeps pouring out now. The list of great Nigerian players that I knew. The likes of Ike Shorunmu (the goal keeper), Celestine Babayaro, Austin Ejide, Vincent Enyeama, Eric Ejiofor, Isaac Okoronkwo,  Efe Sodje, Ifeanyi Udeze, Taribo West,  Mutiu Adepoju, Justice Christopher, Garba Lawal, James Obiorah, Austin Jay Jay Okocha, Joseph Yobo, Julius Aghahowa (his acrobatic celebrations still rings a bell) , Finidi George, Pius Ikedia (Man who had great speed on the pitch in lieu of his height,-kidding though), Nwankwo Kanu and John Utaka. I hope I left out no one?

Back to the crux of the matter.

 In the same year came Mali 2002 African cup of nations. At the group stage was Nigeria, Mali, Liberia and Algeria. The boys made me glad by having a 1-0 win over Algeria. It was a 0-0 draw against Mali. Another 1-nil win against Liberia. A good game at the quarter finals against Ghana, the score line was 1-0. The Senegalese were victorious in the semis with a 2-1 over Nigeria. By the time the Super Eagles played Mali for a third place position, I was  already battling malaria, and my body mass had reduced with a few kilograms. And even though we won 1-0, I wasn’t pacified for a while.

Like a civil servant nearing her retirement age, I wasn’t really getting down with how my health reacts anytime the Eagles lost a match. I was beginning to have a re think on being a live football spectator by the way.

At the Tunisia 2004 African cup of nations, Nigeria, Morocco, South Africa and Benin were paired in a group. Morocco bashed us one-nil, and as if the boys were angry, the score-line when Nigeria battled the South Africans ended 4-0 in our favor. Nigeria later won their match against Benin by 2 goals to nothing.

One of the happiest days of my life was the fact that we ditched the ambitions of the Cameroonians from proceeding to the semi- finals at the quarter final stage with 2 goals to 1.

 That was a great pay back for what they did to us at the previous nations cup.

 Be that as it may, Tunisia, the host country held Nigeria to a 1-1 draw at the semi- finals. The penalty shootout wasn’t a good one for us with Osaze’s shot not finding the net. We played Mali for the third place position which we won 2-1. Tunisia won the competition eventually.

Needless to say I felt uneasy all through the match in company of my dad. Quite unconsciously though, we kept moving from one edge of the sofa to the other. Fidgeting! Screaming on top of our voices! ‘Mouth-controlling’ the movement of the ball. My temperature rose so high that I could feel the heat from inside. I was also oozing annoyance, and now I wonder at whom precisely?

And Titi wept after the loss!

 In the midst of my sobs however, my Dad couldn’t help but dash to the dining for his bowl of Eba and Egusi (African meal). And how he managed to gulp down two bottles of chilled beer despite the fact that we lost a match (like it was his business though) and that I was all teary got me baffled.

After his meal, all he could do was pat me on the back for being patriotic;

“Your reward is in heaven” he had jocularly concluded for rejecting my meal while my mum joined him in the banter;

“Those Nigerian footballers who failed you right now are in bed with their Tunisian babes making away. So keep starving yourself my dear”She concluded and my parents blurted out laughing.

I must confess, that got me!

Football is just a game that you either win or lose. So what’s the fuss for?  

By the way, watching football live isn’t jut meant for some set of people! I am one of them.

To be saved of any hurt, bitterness or pettiness that may arise, I chose to watch matches many days after it had been aired. All frenzies gone down, calmly seated on the sofa, and not oblivious of the scores at the end of the match. With a chilled can of malt in hand, and a cookie in the other.

Another pointer to the game

Ex international footballer of French origin, Thierry Henry is the Assistant Coach that co-tutored the Belgium’s National team that later lost to France in the just concluded 2018 World Cup. As patriotic as he would have loved to be, he is paid to support Belgium over France. Now that’s pure business.

To hell with emotions!

And that football being just a game, it not only unites people of different tribes and tongues, it is a major source of livelihood to millions in the world.

On a lighter note

Anyone that knows Mikel Obi should tell him to help Nigerians recover their MMM money from Russia. He should be able to do that through the help of his Russian fiancée and mother of his twins: Olga Diyachenko.

Meanwhile, have you seen the trending meme lately shared across the internet that says, FIFA simply means Football Isn’t For Africa.

This could be true anyway, since no single African country made it to the last sixteen.