Killian Obinna Eke: The – not so – beautiful game of football (30 Days, 30 Voices)

by Killian Obinna Eke

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Suddenly, everyone had become a football tactician!   “That guy should be subbed!” “This man pass the ball! Give him a line!” “Old boy open!  THREAD THAT THROUGH BALL!”

I love football. I love talking about it even more. Everybody loves football, it’s a universal sport. About as universal as a sport can get. Even the odd American loves his ‘soccer’, which tells a lot about how far reaching ‘The Beautiful Game’ is. However, I’m going to talk about Nigerian Football, not Cristiano Ronaldo or Barcelona’s Tiki Taka. Simply because, at this point in time, it’s the one thing that can really, actually put all Nigerians on common ground.

After years of bad blood, civil strife and fratricide; in the midst of terror attacks, ethnic violence, religious clashes, widespread corruption, nepotism and a burgeoning proletariat population, common ground is the least we can ask for. This common ground is The Beautiful Game – Football. It is the opium of the people, in whatever variation: Conventional 11-a-side football, 5-a-side football, one touch football on a small patch, “passing-passing”, center ball, monkey post, etc. Nothing gets Nigerians crazy like football.

Nigerian Football is a classic case-study in “The Law Of Diminishing Returns”. This is a country that boasted some of the best teams on the continent, back in the seventies. Where the Enugu Rangers-IICC Shooting stars game was as hyped and intense as any European derby. Where Muda Lawal and the “mathematical” Segun Odegbami were LEGENDS.  A Country which went to the FIFA World Cup in 1994 and did Africa proud (their debut in the tourney, if I may add), boasted some of the best players around in the mercurial Austin Jay Jay Okocha (at one time the most expensive African player), Finidi George (who was rated as one of the finest right wingers of his time), the bull, Dan Amokachi and a host of others. A country who, on the cusp of defeat, pulled off one of the greatest comebacks in the history of football by beating the Great Brazilians 4-3, on their way to winning Olympic Gold in 96…

Fast forward 17 years. These days, if you happen to walk past a football viewing center in any neighborhood in Nigeria and suddenly hear a loud “GOAAAAAAAAAAL!!!!” Chances are, its a goal, but not a goal for Enyimba, Shooting Stars or any Nigerian Football Club for that matter. No. It’s either a goal for Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal… it might even be a goal for Hot-Shot Hamish Balfour. Nobody I know would spend money to watch a Nigerian League Game at a viewing center.

Why? What Happened?

Football is Football. Be it Premier League football, Spanish La Liga, Futsal, the Nigerian Premier League or Street Football. The passion felt is the same. Let me explain. During my time at the NYSC orientation camp, I remember watching the game between my platoon (9) and Platoon 5. We were down by a goal as early as the 15th minute.  You should have seen the look on the faces of the rest of the platoon. Suddenly, everyone had become a football tactician!   “That guy should be subbed!” “This man pass the ball! Give him a line!” “Old boy open!  THREAD THAT THROUGH BALL!” (this one was from me).  I was on the brink of hysteria when I checked my watch and realized it was just a minute  to the end of the match, then it happened.  A long throw. Right winger made a dash, whipped the ball across the face of goal. Lotanna (our center forward) was quickest to react. He controlled; he shot the ball. The keeper made a lunge to his right. Too late. The ball hit the net; and ALL HELL BROKE LOOSE!

I broke my leg while celebrating that goal, and I didn’t even care.  The passion for the game consumed me, to the extent I was numb to pain. Same passion felt by every person present in the stadium that day. The passion was unbelievably electric. How much more a game between Enyimba and Kano pillars?

The problem with Nigerian Football is not a lack of interest or passion on the part of the fans. I think the problem with Nigerian Football is the people running it. Grossly inefficient. Coaching staff salaries and player bonuses are never paid on time – or not at all. Our age grade teams are so ridiculous. The national U-17 team is almost always made to undergo MRI scans to ascertain their ages. Clean shaven 30-something-year old become 17 year old’s.

The solution is quite simple.

“Depoliticization” of Nigerian Football. Take the Politics out, and watch the football thrive again. The greatness of the 70’s clubs was based on the fans and the administration of the clubs – the great days of IICC Shooting Stars of Ibadan and Rangers of Enugu. They were not government run, the corruption did not make it to the stadia. Look how they thrived. Our recent African Cup of Nations victory and the current exploits of  Stephen Keshi might be some form of respite from the prevalent quagmire that is Nigerian Football, but we still have a long way to go. We are basically still at rock bottom. Time to get up on our feet and start making our way up. While we are at it, let me see where my team, Manchester United lies on the English League Table. Might even check the scores of Orlando Pirates versus Kaizer Chiefs – South African teams. I wonder if any South Africans watch the Nigerian League? God help us all.

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Killian Obinna Eke is a young Nigerian architect, unconventional writer and vast reader. He thrives on adversity, humor and happiness #AnyBodyCanWrite.

30 Days, 30 Voices series is an opportunity for young Nigerians from across the world to share their stories and experiences – creating a meeting point where our common humanity is explored.

Op-ed pieces and contributions are the opinions of the writers only and do not represent the opinions of Y!/YNaija.

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