In 1967, Edson Arantes Des Nascimento, popularly known as Pele flew to Nigeria and stopped the Nigerian civil war for 48hrs.
The two factions involved in the Nigerian Civil War agreed to a 48-hour ceasefire so they could watch Pelé play an exhibition game in Lagos, Nigeria’s most populous city and war bowed to the demands of football.
In 2005, as Didier Drogba and his Ivorien teammates qualified for the World Cup finals in Germany, their country Cote D’Ivoire was enduring a five year bloody civil war.
Moments after leading his nation to qualify for the finals in Germany, Drogba picked up a microphone in the dressing room and, surrounded by his team-mates and infront of the world television crew, he fell to his knees live on national television, begging both warring factions to lay down their arms.
Within a week, his bold wish had been granted and one of the bloodiest civil wars in Africa was ended. Moments after the cease fire, Drogba called for the old rebel stronghold of Bouake to host an African Nations Cup qualifier against Madagascar. As the Ivorien national anthem was sung, the rebel leaders stood alongside the government ministers as the war was brought to an end.
Such is the power that the beautiful game has brought to nations, lives, children, families and the whole world, but last week however, bombs exploded at the Stade De France in Paris as two international football giants –France and Germany – took to the field and football became the target of war.
It got worse, as few days later as two international friendly games were cancelled due to increased security fears – Germany vs Holland in Hanover and Belgium vs Spain in Brussels. Is this a preview of things to come? I hope not, as football or should I say sports has been a force to heal the world and unite all races and people of all color and continent.
As clubs all over England sang the French national anthem before kick off over the weekend, it was a gentle reminder of what football means to all us – and what it’ll mean if the beautiful game was ever to be taken from us all. Whatever happens and whatever direction the war against terror heads, the authorities should ensure that football, one of the best displays of entertainment and freedom should not be eroded from our daily lives.
CAN CHELSEA BUILD ON NORWICH WIN
If you’ve been reading my columns recently you’d have noticed that I have repeatedly written about Chelsea being back to form. Against Stoke (both games), Dinamo Kiev away, WestHam away (even with ten men) they were simply brilliant, but the results did not, or partly displayed the influence Chelsea had on those games.
They say if you don’t win once, try again and again and that’s exactly what Chelsea have done and the difference between this game and previous five games is just the three points.
They took the points on Saturday but a solitary goal from twenty four shots at goal highlights where the problem lies; upfront in the goals coring department.
The problem is still upfront and fixing that is the only way this team can get out of jail this season. They need that ‘goal scoring’ feeling again, they need a few wins down their belts and they need to show a glimmer of what they showed last season.
When the team scores, confidence is restored to defence and only then can this team begin playing to its potential. The pressure is on, and the goals must come from everywhere upfront as Diego seems to need help right now, perhaps a timely help would be needed from Loic Remy soon.
LEVY’S PATIENCE PAYS OFF!
Tottenham were again fantastic on Sunday as they demolished WestHam. The Young, aggressive, energetic, and talented team seem to have been grounded by Mauricio Pochettino and the egos have been moved on from the dressing room.
There was a time when Tottenham played the White Hot Lane roulette with its managers and fired managers for fun: Pleat and Hoddle (Both 2001) Santini and Jol (Both 2004), Allen & Inglethorpe and Ramos (2007) Allen & Inglethorpe again and Redknapp (2008) Villas-Boaz, Sherwood(2012/13)
After several managers and no stability, the club stood with Redknapp for four years before changing direction in order to take their club to the next level. Harry had the four year cycle granted him but the club decided the next cycle would belong to a young manager with fresh ideas and even more creative intent.
Enter Pochettino, after Sherwood and Villas-Boaz and what a fantastic work he is doing. He has been given time to work by the club and working within the club’s budget and vision he has used the time wisely, putting his stamp upon the team within the year he has arrived. Together with the club in recent years, players have been moved on to pursue the vision: Aaron Lennon, Adebayor, soldado, Paulinho, Capoue, Stambouli, Kaboul, Sandro, Livermore, Dawson, Naughton and Asso-Akoto have all been moved on by the team in the last twelve to fifteen months and a young vibrant team, willing to work with Pochettino has been developed. No player is too big or small to move on and I hear that Townsend is being moved onto the conveyor belt exit as I write.
They press high, hunt in packs and do not tire out. The frailties in defence are covered up by a workman like midfield, dropping, winning battles and closing all the angles.
Well done to Spurs and Pochettino and I hope that they don’t become a selling club again before this cycle of four years end with this team because this team can go all the way, with a few quality big name additions in the transfer market.
THE BEST TEAM OF THIS GENERATION SHOW IT AGAIN
While managing Real Madrid, Jose Mourinho was once asked how you can outplay Barcelona.
His response was that this generation “of players” (not coaches) cannot be outplayed, but to beat them you need to outwit and outsmart them or catch them on an extremely bad night.
What are the chances of Messi, Iniesta, Alves, Alba, Busquet, Pique and Mascherano all having a bad games on the same night? Well, the only way to beat them I’m afraid would have to outwit them.
The team Mourinho hailed have even become better: Rakitic, Neymar, Suarez and a few youngsters have been added to the team Mourinho talked about five years ago. Just when one thought the team was tired of winning titles, just when you thought they lacked motivation, then they win the treble and have started this season on a high again. The highlight was on Saturday, as they demolished Madrid (who allowed them to play) even without Messi on the pitch.
By the time Messi came onto the pitch, he was just invited to have the dessert as the appetisers and main course had been dished out, while Madrid ate sour grapes in their own stadium.
Only once (under Mourinho) has Madrid been able to wrestle LaLiga from Barcelona in 9 years and in those 9 years, Madrid won only one champions league title, yes one! (much hyped LaDecimal)
In that time however, Barcelona have won ‘their own La Decimal’ 4 times with 3 different managers! And in the last 7 years, this Barca generation have won LaLiga 5 times, leaving 1 to Madrid’s team managed by Mourinho.
Who can stop this Barca team but themselves? A few years ago Madrid hired Jose to stop their hegemony and eventually Pep Guardiola stepped aside, but Henrique is back in the dug-out, not as a player but as a coach and with Messi, you are sure that he will still win many things with this generation of players.
If anything, Saturday is to be applauded after a dominant display from a dominant generation.
Well done to the Catalans for another lesson in magic at the Bernabeau.