We didn’t deserve the World Cup. Stop crying over spilled milk. You don’t go winning the world cup by accident. Gernot Rohr chorused it and the radio blasted it loud and clear. That their intention is to win 2022 edition.
If the plan was not to win. What right do you have to advance to the next stage over a team that is hunting for the trophy? Drop sentiments and patriotism my ass.
When I was all over here crying that we didn’t take our 23 best to the tournament. That’s when you all would have gathered your protests. Its late now.
At some point in the match Argentina took off Di Maria. They also made subsequent changes. Our coach couldn’t make a change. Apparently the plan was not to have a bench.
I was pained we lost. As a Nigerian, more parts of me wanted the victory and my facebook-blogging during the match showed it. But when we lost I had a consolation. Messi was going through. He had his comeback. A Hollywood story. A movie plot of life. Ronaldo started well, scored a couple of good goals. And Messi had only a missed penalty to show for.
AntiMessi peeps cheered. Messimists buried their heads in their shoulders. But Ediale did said it was impossible that CR7 was better than the magical Messi. If messimism is a movement, Ediale is its president.
Now Ronaldo has a missed penalty to his name as well. And Messi has raised the dead. Table is turned. One will face Uruguay, the other will face France. Equal tests. From that stage the Ballon d’Or is up in the air. Both hands would stretch to pick it.
That is my consolation. And patriotism or not, it is valid. Same way I have had to find solace in the EPL and La Liga consolations. Where was the NPFL when I needed to feed my passion for league football? So don’t preach patriotism to me.
We kill our brand. As simple as selecting the best 23 players seem, we squander the opportunity with politics and so on. We do not deserve a game more in Russia. How can the nation keep shouting ‘a goaaal’? When a section of its people are shouting anguish, and mourning in sorrow.
I have learnt long ago to divert my attention to a consolation when pained or unable to have the desired. I am a grown man. I grew in darkness. Nigeria thought me to adjust to it. I remember as a kid. How I focused on a TV show or keep up with a good task under the electric light bulbs. How NEPA always ensured that task was never completed. It was usually horrible for my kiddie mind. Why couldn’t we just have 24hrs light I use to soliloquize.
What kept me was the capacity to adjust. As I grew, I had to console myself with a pen and papers. If the lights go off. I start drawing or writing. Later I got a radio with s chargeable battery. These was me learning how to console myself.
We are all selfish people in Nigeria. We are not selfless. That’s why we produce the leaders we deserve. After all, they are picked from amongst us. That’s one thing we can’t give to the white man to do for us. We can’t have a white president.
Before you crucify me for consoling my self with the Messi concept. Look around the globe and see how the world has gone passed us. We have electrical engineers in their millions. We have oil and other mineral resources. But we are yet to figure out how to have 24hrs light.
Our NPFL is a child’s play. There is no structure for anything in Nigeria. Nollywood is accidental, Nigeria Music is accidental, and just go ahead to mention any sector…they are all structureless. How many certified grade A coaches do ypu have in Nigeria? How many proper soccer academies? How many centers for coach/or soccer trainings?
So we are in the World Cup and the entire nation is hoping the Super Eagles make it to the finals? How? Why?
So we lost and everybody is heart broken? Why? How?
Do we really love football that much? So why do we have football clubs in each state and yet the local stadia are empty? Why are they not occupied the way we occupy our churches and mosques? Why do we not have MFM FC, Enyimba, Katsina United jerseys in our wardrobes?
Common, stop lying. We are not pained. We are not as patriotic as we claim. Let’s stop the pretence and keep up with the norm. Let’s queue up behind team Ronaldo, team messi, team Spain and team England. After all, soon, after the World Cup we will resume our massive followership of the EPL and co. We will buy the latest club Jerseys of these foreign clubs. And wait another 4years to buy the one that is designed for Nigeria.
Nothing will change. We are like that.