Ideal Spirit of Football – Facts from Russia 2018 World Cup

We talk about spirit of football. To us, it’s all about the huge effect it has on all lovers of football; effect that can be more powerful than overdose of alcohol; effect that can make fans go hungry when their team or club loses and also make fans eat and drink uncontrollably to celebrate team’s or club’s victory; effect that can make fans skip religious activities and even neglect their businesses, we can go on and on.

Russia World Cup 2018 has come and gone, but the memories still live. Foot ball or soccer comes with thrills, excitement and jubilation, or with loss and pain to some fans, as the matches take place. Football or soccer comes with predictions and betting that could improve fan’s standard of living or take fans to another level of poverty. Some people have died because of their crazy love for football, some even committed suicide, probably because they lost in the betting, or whatever, while some have destroyed properties or even killed someone unintentionally, and in anger because their club or team lost to the other during matches. These situations have become the nature of football, the spirit of soccer that we know of.

Nevertheless, during matches, and in the spirit of football - the excitement and jubilation of the moment, fans are completely ignorant of the golden efforts and lifestyle that lead to the award of the golden cup to the winner. When it comes to football or soccer, I am more thrilled and excited about the efforts, and particularly the lifestyle of the teams. You may have taken notes of some football lessons applicable to you, but join me to share in the lessons I learnt during the 2018 Russia World cup, which are also applicable in all football matches.

1. Each team worked together, they carried each other along and used body language to achieve their goal or goals.

2. Each team has one goal, which is to score goals. They achieve this by application of their diverse skills.

3. One person’s mistake was tolerated by all, and one person’s goal was celebrated by all. There is no blame game.

4. No team ever lost hope, even when the match is not in their favour. The match between Belgium and Japan during Russian 2018 World Cup is a good example. Belgium missed a lot of chances and was hit by 2 goals, but they never lost hope, they pressed on, and scored two goals to equalize with Japan, and later scored extra goal to win the match.

5. In the dictionary of football, there is no ‘discrimination’. France won in Russia 2018 football and surprisingly, most of their players are Africans.

6. They play by the rules; sticking to the dos and avoiding the don’ts.

7. Fans spend to celebrate the victory of their club or team, even when they have no share in what the team will get for their effort.

8. There is transparency in football. Both players and spectators see everything that take place in the field; they all know why judgments are passed, who deserve punishment and who does not. There is no hide and seek game.

9. Losers accept defeat; they don’t fight the referee or the winners, they join to celebrate the winners, they don’t find faults.

10. Fans take their children to watch live football. By so doing, they transfer passion; they pass on their values as parents, for their children to carry on with.

Future World Cup Stars

11. In the course of football match, footballers focus their attention on the ball. They don't give in to distraction, they don't look away from the ball while on duty. They stay focused.

12. The presidents of France and Croatia were there live to congratulate the finalists. They made sure they played their own role to end the the world cup; not minding the rain that has drenched them.

If our families, offices and society can be like a football field, with players like you and me going by the dos and avoiding the don’ts, and in the ideal spirit of Football, the world will be a better place.

Written by Olive Chinyere Amajuoyi

Nigerian Soil is Red with Blood

Mass killings and destruction of property, bloodbath, cold war, jihad, terrorism, Fulani herdsmen, miyetti allah, etc; these are becoming the key words to search out Nigerian news. Nigerian soil is wet and red with blood – the blood of men and women working hard to meet their needs and that of others. Many souls have been wasted, yet those elected to protect the lives of Nigerians and property act like nothing is happening. Even if the presidency is acting unconcerned, what about the governors of these states; were they not elected to protect the people and properties in their states? Are they also negligence just to have a good relationship with the federal government and secure their positions to the detriment of the people who elected them? How can a group of people continue to play deadly game that questions the intelligence of the rest of people in a nation, and all those concerned still handle the matter like a game of ludo and chess?

The special adviser to the president on media and publicity, Femi Adesina, while answering questions on citizens attachment to ancestral lands on a morning programme on AIT  said that it is better to be alive than to keep a land as a dead person. He also said that Nigerians are better off living with the ranches and colonies than dying through the persisting conflicts. Since when has it become a law for one to give out land to another by force? And since when has it become a practice for people to kill others because they refused to give out their lands?

Our president told the governor of Benue state in January to learn how to live with herdsmen. This only means that we should not expect any solution from the presidency.  Is it a crime if the herdsmen also learn how to live with their neighbors for the relationship to work? Femi Adesina once told us that the killings done under Buhari in three years have not equaled the number of deaths that occurred under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). We are really trapped in the government of comparison, or are we not?

A journalist with The Nation newspaper, Yusuf Idegu, had said in a report that the leader of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, Plateau chapter, Danladi Ciroma described the killings in Plateau as retaliation for 300 rustled cows and loss of some herders’. He said this based on the interview granted him by Ciroma, who had denied saying such to Idegu. But we believe that even if Idegu is lying, the truth is not far from us.

According to Daily Post of May 1, 2018, Governor Otom of Benue had said: “These people had, after our ranching law was signed, addressed a press conference and said they would mobilize their kinsmen to attack Benue and true to their words they started attacking Benue. Maybe, Benue State governor is also lying.

According to Daily Post of July 1, 2018, the Chairman of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Alhaji Abdullahi Bodejo, had declared that land all over Nigeria belong to the Fulani. According to him, those claiming to own land and would not release it to government for ranching were being selfish and do not want peace in the land. He said “if Fulani have the culture of staying in one place, do you think anybody can claim land more than Fulani”? That means if they have the same culture of land ownership, they will never let go of their lands; so why are they angry if people chose to hold on to their inheritance?

Furthermore, he said “Is it not a good idea to also settle the Fulani? This will be a solution to the herders-farmers’ conflicts Insha Allah”. He also said that Fulani’s have not gained anything from government and that if they close all the cattle markets in Nigeria, the economy will come down. What settlement are they talking about? Are they the only people contributing to Nigerian economy? Do they even pay the tax that other entrepreneurs are paying? Even if they do pay tax, there is no reason for government or citizens to be responsible for their ranches because they are just like any other person in small and medium enterprise.

Idealolive considers the words of Alhaji Abdullahi Bodejo as a cheap blackmail. His words only describe their level of insensitivity. Are we all going to die because we have herdsmen living among us? Is it supposed to be anybody’s problem if most Fulani’s are insensitive, uncivilized and antagonistic? Are there not exposed persons among them that can teach them to attain at least a level of understanding? 

According to First Africa News on July 5, 2018, Southern and Middle Belt leaders had stated that the role of the President of Nigeria and the duty the President owe to the herdsmen are in conflict and that there is greater allegiance to the cowry above the country. They added that Nigerians would have to proceed to the International Criminal Court with the charge that what we are facing is state-sponsored terrorism. Whatever legal approach that must be taken to stop these killings should be encouraged and pursued.

A stanza of “The Second Coming”, a poem by W. B. Yeats states:

Turning and turning in the widening gyre  

The falcon cannot hear the falconer;

Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;

Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,

The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere  

The ceremony of innocence is drowned;

The best lack all conviction, while the worst,  

Are full of passionate intensity.

This is the Nigerian situation. Recall that idealolive had sometime also described Nigerian situation as “Animal Farm” scenario where brainwashing and propaganda are the mechanisms used to gradually enslave the gullible masses. The time to restructure is now, as scorpions and rabbits cannot be in a relationship. It is clear that the fulanis lack all the characteristics needed for a peaceful cohabitation. They are forcing others to understand them but do not want to understand others. They want to seduce everybody to dance to their beating using cheap blackmail. They are just being who they are, and will always be who they are, but others should not go into extinction or lose their inheritance just because of them.

Written by Olive Chinyere Amajuoyi