As curtains draw on the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, football emerged victorious again….
‘Die Maanschaft hat wieder gewonnen!’
Again, it shows that you can win games with the best player but you need the BEST TEAM to win tournaments!
The BEST TEAM WON
The BEST PLAYER LOST
Is this “THE FOOTBALL” for the next 4 years? ; ENERGY, PACE, DISCIPLINE, POSITIONAL INTERCHANGE, THE ART of DEFENDING, BALL POSSESSION and QUICK COUNTER ATTACK?
The World Cup has always been a mirror for world Football and since this German team is mostly from Bayern Munich, we shouldn’t be surprised if Bayern Munich dominate European football for another 3 years…
2018 World Cup beware! THIS German team is still young and HAVE NOT EVEN PEAKED!!
Hummels 25
Howedes 26
Boateng 25
Ozil 25
Shurle 25
Muller 24
Kroos 24
Gotze 22
Marco Reus 25
Shurrle 23
Neuer 28
Khedira 27
Mustafi 22
Kramer 23
Nigeria, Africa… What have we learnt?
What have we learnt since 1990? ’94? ’98? 2002? 2006? 2010? And now?
What have we changed?
Players still fight officials over money. Government delegation still larger than the players themselves…
And we go, come back and still learn nothing…
Football is changing.
Are we changing with it? Many years ago, Argentina would have played with flair while Germany would have played with brutal strength…
Not so anymore……
Germany were the masters on Sunday; dictating possession, passing and moving the ball to feet and space, stretching Argentina and pulling them back and forth….
In this game, Barcelona, Brazil of old, Gullit’s Milan, Platinis France, Cryuff’s Holland and THE Real Madrid played in one jersey; the white of Germany……
But while Brazil STOOD STILL, the world caught up with them.
Germany have left them behind.
Shame it had to take 1-7 and 0-3 from Germany and Holland respectively “in their own colosseum” for them to finally accept that a Change is needed….
Nigeria? Anything to take home from this? Africa is catching up… I hope we don’t wait until we lose 0-5 to a young Kenya team at Abuja or 0-4 to an unknown African team at home before we realise that the game is up, and there is need for change
As some Nigerians CELEBRATE “our performance”
I ask; “Is a 2nd round exit to an ordinary French team (no disrespect to a previous worthy world and European champion) really something to celebrate?
Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% HOW YOU REACT to it……
Are we acting?
Are we reacting? Or should we just say “they tried” “better luck next time”
I don’t expect Nigeria to
Win the next World Cup, we are still miles away, but what I want is TANGIBLE PROGRESS in STYLE, ORGANISATION, SYSTEMS and PERSONNEL both on and off the field.
The reality is that each time we take a step forward, we manage to take a couple back….
1994 to 1998….
2002 to 2006 to 2010…..
2014….. 2018?
Which direction Nigeria?
“As a man thinketh, so is he” Pr 23:7
How does the African man think?
How does the African man born in Africa think?
How does the African man born in America or Europe think?
Can we truly rule the world?
Can we produce the world’s best in football?
Can an African team ever win the World Cup?
Could we? Would we?
We have;
TALENT
ABILITY
POTENTIAL
BRAINS
LAND
But do we have;
VISION?
LEADERSHIP?
SYSTEM?
MAINTENANCE CULTURE?
I’ll come back to finish this piece…..