Saturday, October 8, 2011 is no doubt another sad day in the history of Nigeria Football as the Nation fails to qualify for the Gabon/Guinea African Cup of Nations following the 2-2 score line with their visiting opponent – The Guinea national team.

Expectedly of a typical patriotic and football loving nation, immediately the final whistle was blew by the central Referee, the fans who took their time out to watch the match live at the Abuja National Stadium went on rampage over the failure of their beloved team (Super (?) Eagle) who only need to beat their opponent either by a lone goal or by two clear goal margin. As what could be described as a way to demonstrate their bitterness to their ‘beloved team’, it was reported in some sport newspaper that the aggrieved fans, took laws into their hands by throwing water bottles which most of them had urinated into at their ‘beloved Super (Chickens) Eagles’. Not only that: stones, broken chairs and pure water sachets were other missiles thrown unto the pitch particularly in the areas where the SE had converged to pray. Another sport newspaper also had it that, a few other (aggrieved fans) who sat close to the dressing room’s entrance where the players were walking towards booed them and continue to pelt them with anything they could lay their hands on. As is that was not enough, some was even reported to have laid ambush besides the road and the stadium’s exit gate where they held all manners of object as they awaited the team’s gate.

If you think it’s only the SE players that are at the receiving end of these aggrieved fans missiles you are definitely wrong as the commander-in chief of the team, Samson Siasia was not spared either. War songs were sung around the stadium blaming and calling for the immediate removal of their once-beloved and highly recommended Chief Coach of their National Team – SiaOne. The fans were also reported to have wanted to burst their way into the media centre to vent their anger (face-to-face) on Siasia in an anticipated post-match conference but the move was frustrated by the security men who were reported to have done a great job controlling the aggrieved fans against all sorts of attack on SE players and coaching crew, I think I should just stop sharing the various ways and manners in which these aggrieved fans demonstrated their anger and bitterness on the SEs for dashing the Nation’s hope of featuring at the next ACN or else I would have missed out the real message that I intend to disseminate in this piece.

As patriotic these angry fan may sound to be (or what other reason could be more justifiable for their show of bitterness), I still considered them as NOT as a shameless angry football fan but more of a group of shameless Nigeria citizens! I won’t be surprise if you (the reader) will also join them in throwing missiles at me for saying this but I will only create your indulgence to just wait till after reading this piece to the end.

Yes, I call these angry fans group of shameless citizen for not failing to display same rampaging on their corrupt and failed democratic leaders. This is because I see a lot of similarities (even the Super Eagles are even far better) between the SEs and Nigeria Democratic leaders on the following notion:

1. What is the difference between the SEs who fails to deliver the ACN ticket to them in 90 minutes of kicking and playing the round leather game and their politicians or democratic leaders who have also failed to deliver democratic ticket (dividends) after 5,256,000 (10 years) minutes of kicking and playing ‘democratic ball’ ? Yet they never throw any missiles at their corrupt leaders that have not ceased to gamble with their future and that of their generation next but could do all that to the SEs that have denied them a show of just entertainment in the name of sport!

2. Why is it that missiles of all sorts were threw at the SEs and their Coaching crew for failing to deliver ACN ticket and yet their failed and corrupts politicians who under democratic rule at all tiers of government (even after leaving office) walk freely on their major streets, attend public functions and yet did not receive any of their missiles? Rather, it’s all about ‘Baba O, Ranka De De, Igwe’ that we chant on them thus elevating their social status in our society. Do I also need to even remember the case of a politicians that drums were rolled out for him upon release from prison for corruption?

3. After 10 years of democratic rule, Nigeria citizens are still far from smiling as a result of bad governance on the part of their leaders: No good road, pipe borne water, and housing for all. The power sector has continued to be a unsolved mathematical equation, collapsed educational system, even the banking sector is still receiving series of medical treatments at the CBN’s special hospital bed. Yet, these ‘patriotic aggrieved fans’ will not show the same patriotism as a Nigerian by heeding the call to come out on the street and protest any act of bad governance by their elected and selected (as the case maybe) politicians talkless of even throwing missiles. Ask them to come out and protest and all you will hear if ‘I no wan die’ and yet these same fans dare the heavy armed security men at the Abuja Stadium to throw missiles at SEs all in the name of entertainment which sports is all about. Nonsense!

4. The FGN is on the verge on removing fuel subsidy that is successful will make Nigerians pay =N=142.92 per litre by January 1, 2012, if petrol prices remain at the present level when the subsidy on the product is withdrawn and yet these fans will not show their patriotism as Nigerians by joining any protest on the streets against the FGN.

In conclusion, I am also a sport lover, particularly, the game of soccer and I found it horrific that Nigeria flag will not be fly high at the next ACN due to the poor soccer artistry of the Super Chickens and I can feel the same in the heart of many other football fans in the country. However, It will give me so much joy to see Nigeria citizens registering their displeasure over bad governance on their politicians the same way they did on the Super Chickens and through this, I believe we would make our leaders accountable for their years in political office build a better tomorrow not only for ourselves but the generation next.

For good dividend of democracy and future qualifications for all sporting competitions with the rest of the world, our destiny lies in our hand: We only need to take it, grab it and finally demonstrate our anger, bitterness and agitate openly and ask questions from our leaders or politicians without any fear seeking to know reason(s) for any failure not only in sport but governance as well.

And with this spirit of sport, I believe we can make do it. Yes, we can!

Good bless Nigeria.

Thank you.

shameful poster

@1025

Shameless reader