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So Far, So Good!
By Toyin | November 5, 2009
The second round of the ongoing FIFA under 17 championship in Nigeria lived up to the patter set from the first group matches. Goals, lots of it, were scored yesterday even as two giants fell along the way. Germany (European champions) and Argentina were knocked out by Switzerland and Columbia respectively. Within those two matches, 12 goals got slammed into the net!
And the goal from Sergio Araujo of Argentina would have had even the great Diego Maradona clapping! After putting to sleep about four players from the midfield, he dropped his shoulders and unleashed an unstoppable shot from 25 yards to beat Bonilla. As superb as that goal was, it was not enough to stop the Columbians who accorded their fellow South Americans no respect to move into the quarterfinals.
Apart from a few hitches here and there, this tournament has been a wonderful one so far. With attendance improving by the day, no team would lay claim to lack of support across the country. As a matter of fact, it became glaring from the start that Nigerians, despite the hardship and their terrible living conditions are one of the most football loving people in the world.
It took me almost two hours to get into the stadium in Lagos for the match between Mexico and Brazil. The crowd was almost uncontrollable. The interesting thing is that the two teams on display had in attendance their “local supporters” who danced, and did the “vuvuzela” to the delight of all. Personally, I was amazed at the energy displayed by the trumpet blowers. And yet the Golden Eaglets are based in Abuja!
I have seen FIFA organized tournaments in the past where the stadiums were almost empty but that has not been the case in Nigeria. While we may not have the best infrastructures compared to our peers in world football, I dare say that we have the best supporters and fans in the game! The depth of the love an average Nigerian has football may be deeper than the proverbial well; we just love the game!
From kaduna to Lagos to Enugu, Abuja to Calabar; the world has been treated to the true reality of our country as that of a loving, accommodating and friendly people. We are indeed not what the world projects us to be!
While it is true that there are many criminally minded Nigerians out there, it is even truer that for every one of those, there are hundreds of thousands of genuine, struggling and determined people fighting hard to make their lives better. We could all see the joy in the faces of the people as they throng to the stadiums to watch the matches. These are not criminals but people who wants to enjoy themselves.
I will not pretend that I have not heard of the rumours of embezzlement from administrators of the game concerning this tournament but as they say- the fox must be chased away first before we return to the chicken! The truth of the matter is that all the Federations represented here in Nigeria have given kudos to the LOC for putting together a good game.
Most significantly, FIFA has continued to express its satisfaction with everything so far and that’s a big relief knowing the level of our preparations before the tournament. It must also be made clear that this is an opportunity for our administrators to impress the world football governing body for future considerations. It is a great opportunity that must not be squandered!
Topics: Biz Football, Crazy Fans, Nigerian Football |
November 6th, 2009 at 12:57 pm
I think we should give ourselves a pat on the back for a job well done so far! I hope we don’t get carried away though! Proper accounts must be rendered at the end of the day for all funds used. I also wish the Golden Eaglets a successful defense of their title!
November 6th, 2009 at 12:59 pm
I wish that the crowd control could be better than what’s been witnessed in Lagos. All in all, we are doing well and I hope it continues till the end!