Thirty- two countries, one ball; one cup! God, I sometimes wonder how you handle such situations. Irrespective of their strengths and weaknesses, all 32 countries will be begging for your mighty intervention to win.
Although I know you are a just and principled God, and therefore have clearly defined laws of success, you sometimes choose seemingly weak links to make powerful statements. Oh God, please permit me to discuss football with you and forgive me if I blaspheme.
I have a winner in mind. It may not be Nigeria, a country which makes you giggle in my mind anytime I begin to wonder about its contradictions. You often remind me that destroying talents, as Nigeria does, is perhaps worse than burrying them as in the popular parable but do give them a good run in the tournament though, but not further than my beloved Ghana.
My wish may not matter much in this case but I believe you will allow me to express it. First, my heart goes out to players who for four good years dreamed about this competition and prepared for it, only to be ruled out by last-minute injuries.
God, before arguing my case for the winner, permit me to talk about some of the countries that have no business there. North Korea has demonstrated by its primitive belligerence that it has no place on the table of dignified and civilised society.
While its citizens die of poverty and starvation, it has continued to invest heavily in nuclear weapons. And it is so paranoid and unnecessarily aggressive. It is believed that its President Kim Jong may have ordered the torpedo attack that sunk a South Korean warship on March 26, in which 46 sailors were killed.
Truly, they have no business in SA, but if their participation is to allow the team see the civilised world, it is fine, Sir.The highly provoked South Koreans are also in SA, but although they displayed some brilliance two World Cups ago, they need some more time to grow. This is not Taekwondo.
The French are there, but they are an aging team, not as strong as they used to be. Although, the number of my African brothers in the team thrills me, I don’t like it that they stole their way to SA. God, I know you don’t forget.In extra time during a match with Ireland on November 19, last year, Thierry Henry clearly controlled the ball with his hand before passing it on for the goal that secured France’s ticket to South Africa.
The referee
The referee didn’t see the incident and allowed the goal to stand despite howls of protest from the Irish players. After the game, Henry admitted that he had touched the ball, but in a manner implying it was accidental. But replays showed he actually touched it twice, the second time with a certainty that suggested it was deliberate. God, it is an insult to call that incident “Hand of God 2”. But the man who started it all is also in SA.
Diego Maradona is the star in “Hand of God 1”. He had used his hand to score in a World Cup match between Argentina and England in 1986.At the time, he described it as “A little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God.” But he later admitted the use of hand and that the goal should have been disallowed.
Maradona is in SA as the coach of Argentina, which struggled to qualify for the last 32. That was strange for a squad that boasts of Messi, Milito and other fine players. Maradona will not accept that he is the cause of the team’s woes, but I don’t see Messi shining in the team as he does in Barca.
In truth, God, I don’t think Argentina is a suitable country to win the cup. Its coach, after disgraceful battles with drugs, is hardly a role model.He has already said if his team wins, he will go naked in public. God, I know you will find that nauseating. Unlike Argentina, England has a gentleman coach.
A seasoned coach, Fabio Capello has a good team, but, ah, I fear the team’s wild army of hooligans o. South Africa’s security challenge will worsen with the more matches the English team wins, and to have them in the advanced stages of the competition would mean wahala. My hand no dey o!
God, for many of the 32 countries, appearance in SA is good enough achievement. So, I don’t want to spend much prayer time on them than the wish that they continue to grow their game.
African teams
The African teams are in this category, and as an African, my prayer is that they are not disgraced with basketful of goals against them.I pray that at least one of them makes the embattled continent proud.
South Africa must be credited for its ability to host the competition.I hope they stay long so I can enjoy more vuvuzelas and the laska (I call it Ajaso) dance. God, I can hear giggles in my heart again.
That seems to be your response anytime I wonder about the contradictions in Nigeria. This is a country you have blessed abundantly with material and human resources, but yet is so poor. So poor that over 70 per cent of the population is impoverished; so poor that basic socio-economic infrastructure is lacking; so corrupt that looting of public treasury is becoming a fad; and so poor in organizational ability that we hardly prepare well for competitions.
Ill-prepared teams. The Nigerian team is one of the most ill-prepared teams in SA. And it shows. It was tough qualifying to be among the 32. The narrow qualification at the expense of Tunisia was disappointing and the late friendly matches have not been impressive.
The only win was against North Korea. God, I hear the giggling in me again. And it doesn’t matter if the President is called Goodluck?I agree that you are a God who rewards hard work and abhors laziness. I agree that you may be sending out wrong signals and may be seen to be breaking your own rules of success if you allow an ill-prepared team to win.
Nigeria has very urgent developmental challenges to tackle and I am sure you will not get them drunk on World Cup successes to forget their problems. God, I am not sure you will want to make football the opium of impoverished Nigerians.
The hot favourites to win the cup include Spain, Germany, Italy (after his experience in the last World Cup, Zidane will agree on their inclusion), and Brazil. Out of the favourites, my wish is for Brazil to win. It is not because of their mastery of the game and the samba style football I enjoy so much. I get lots of that from Barcelona Football Club these days.
Oh sorry, God! As I write some three million people are involved in a gay parade in Sao Paulo, Brazil and you must be upset about that. But God, remember Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, fondly called “Lula”, who you made President in 2002 after his four failed attempts. Remember his sad background and the statement you have made with his story – from abject poverty to be President of Brazil.
The son of a poor, illiterate peasant family, Lula worked as a peanut seller and shoe-shine boy as a child, only learning to read when he was 10 years old.It was feared that he would be a ranting demagogue and a rabid socialist, but he has been so successful that US President Barack Obama recently described him as “the most popular politician on earth.”Lula has deeply entrenched Brazil on the world stage, but more than that, he had made his people happy with a strong economy and lifted millions out of poverty.
Its economy is forecast to grow 6.5 per cent this year. By increasing the minimum wage well above inflation and broadening state help to the most impoverished, Lula has transformed the lives of some 44 million poor people, and built a strong middle class. Brazil is confident that it is on course to become the world’s fifth largest economy by 2026.
It is today in the company of India, China and Russia as countries on the road to being global leaders. God, for a man who has raised Brazil’s profile on the international scene, presided over its longest period of economic growth in three decades, and lifted so many people from poverty, I think Lula deserves a World Cup glory in his last year as President.
It will not be out of place for the best football nation in the world. But God, all said, I believe your will should always be done!
No comments:
Post a Comment