Zambia Crashes Out of NATIONS Cup, 2013

Adeola Aderounmu

Zambian’s coach Herve Renard should learn a lesson: pride goes before fall.

Thanks to the useless Egyptian referee they got a 1-1 draw against Nigeria. But Nigeria has not been superb in this tournament.

Zambian drew all their 3 games making them one of the weakest footballing nation in Africa this year, 2013.

Indeed they won the championship in 2011 but you can tell that their performance has been a taint on African football.

What I have seen this year is less fancy to what I saw even in 1994 and 1996.

It seems that African football is on a decline.

Africans need to look into their game and find out how to improve their games and style generally.

The games have been rough and the pitches have been terrible. The balls are bouncing all the time and it is difficult to see the formations.

Teams like Zambia that won 2 years ago and played so badly this year should go back to the round table and find the way forward.

Nigeria with her all stars and glorious past can do much better than what she has done this year.

In general, one would look forward to a better future for African football. One expects something better than what we are seeing now.

Thieves on thieves, Ezekwesili, Yar Adua and Jonathan

By Adeola Aderounmu

The former minister of education Obiangeli Ezekwesili accused Yar Adua and Jonathan of squandering USD 67 billion in foreign reserves. Of course that is so true. In fact the amount may be a fraction of what Yar Adua and Jonathan stole or squandered.
The greater shame is that the stealing is on-going. It is not as if the looting stopped. Nigeria as a country is perpetually bleeding from stolen monies and treasuries being emptied by government and public officials and local and foreign contractors.

Now that the government of Jonathan has responded by telling us that Ezekwesili also looted or mismanaged N459 Billion when she was the Minister of education. That is also correct.
Like I have stated on my blog a thousand times, 99.9% of Nigerian politicians and public servants are looters and thieves.
The process of prosecution is either slow or non-existent at every given point in time. The primary aim of Nigerian politics is for looting. This will continue for eternity as long as the people remain disconnected from governance and as long as the unitary system of government that permits it remains.
Looting and stealing will remain the primary aim of Nigerian politics as long as people get away with looted funds as we have seen since 1960.
Nigerian politics is the greatest hidden tragedy on the face of earth.
There is no end because everybody in politics is corrupt. Even those who appear to be working hard are looting and that is well known.
So yea, Yar Adua and Jonathan looted the reserves. Ezekwesili looted the Ministry of Education. Others are looting wherever they find themselves.
This is Nigeria and it is allowed to be corrupt and above the law. Ask the Babangidas, the Obasanjos and the rest who have bleeded Nigeria and Nigerians.
This is how they do it in Nigeria! So please go to hell!

Nigeria’s Super Eagles: In Search of Glory

By Adeola Aderounmu

The Super Eagles are looking for glory. How far will they get at the Nation’s Cup in South Africa? The team left a big question mark on his ability to win the glory it seeks.

With 2 seconds to the end of the game, Nigeria conceded a goal to the Burkinabes. The time was 93 minutes and 58 seconds when the ball rested in the net behind Vincent Enyeama.

When it was about 30 seconds left, Nigeria won possession and launched an attacked. That is good for football to try to score even when you are one man down and in the dying minutes. But since the recovery rate was slow and the defense line a little bit complacent, Nigeria paid dearly for the mis-adventure. It was 1-1 with the last kick of the game.

If the Super Eagles miss glory at this tournament, Keshi should be ready for all the criticisms that will come his way. It sound unfair but that is the way the stories go.

First he had said that African coaches are better and one hopes that a team with an African coach wins this tournament. One way to do that is to first beat Zambia on Friday.

Second, history shows that a team that leaves his best players out of tournaments don’t usually go far. For footballing reasons there are none to show why Osaze Peter Odemwingwe should not be in South Africa. He is arguably Nigeria’s best striker and a very committed player for that matter.

For personal reasons, I mean because of personal differences Keshi left Osaze out of the team and the player was almost crying on the social networks to drive home his own points.

One hopes that Uche stops firing the balls into the crowds and into the net when Nigeria meets Zambia and then Ethiopia.

Experiences are gathered through participation, so there is absolutely nothing wrong with going to the tournament with more than 15 new players in the national team.

Football is the hope of Nigeria, a country under siege from militants, kidnappers, very bad government and terrorists. This game provides, always, a temporary reprieve from the sorrows that plagued the biggest black nation on earth.

For some short periods Nigerians usually lay their differences aside to support the National teams at different competitions.

Sports glory helps to unite Nigeria albeit for a while.

Unfortunately the dismal performances of the teams and the non-qualification for the 2011 Edition are a continuous reminder of everything wrong with Nigeria. From a personal point of view, my hopes in Nigeria as a country are totally gone!

I think following the game is as a result of the sentiments left in me, not emotions. I don’t really care who wins in SA.

When I think of the disconnection between the corrupt government and the Nigerian masses, no amount of football glory can becloud my judgment of how sad the situation is back in Nigeria.

However I will leave that aside and wish Nigerians all the joy they can get from this tournament while it lasts.
Nigeria meets a boastful Zambia team on Friday in what will be a likely decider for which of the two teams that may go home early in the tournament.

I wish Stephen Keshi all the best in his endeavours and for the Nigerian lads-especially the home based players-sweating it out as their government officials continue to loot the treasury I hope they find fame and glory even after the tournamen.

I think no matter what happens many of them will be grateful to Keshi, for the exposure and for the hopes of brighter footballing careers.