In response to Ade Bokini’s article titled football and Nigerians published in the Guardian Newspapers of 11 June 2008(http://www.guardiannewsngr.com/editorial_opinion/article03/indexn3_html?pdate=110608&ptitle=Football%20and%20Nigerians&cpdate=110608). I decided to write this piece about the beautiful game just to set the records straight and highlight the alarming indicias of having a negative football hooliganism.

Having been privileged to read the articles by Dr Reuben Abati of which the writer made his analysis and judgments of the Nigerian football scenery, I think Bokini missed the integral part of the message Dr Abati was trying to push home.

For one, Bokini does not reside in Nigeria; no matter how often he travels home he can never have a first hand experience of the Nigerian football scenario as compared to one who does live in Nigeria.

Therefore, Bokini should abandon the security of his London suburb and relocate to Nigeria and witness the reason why the craze of the beautiful game in Nigeria has the potential of a greater danger than anywhere else.

Yes football has benefited from the globalization phenomenon; things are not as they were twenty, thirty years ago but at that time security of life and property were better in Nigeria. People used to have choices,  as you could stay indoors and watch your TV or go to the cinema, museums etc. all which are not too common in today’s Nigeria due to economical problems. The fact is that things have degenerated for the worst and football is fast overtaking religion as the opium of the masses. Nevertheless, no matter what people think of say of football, it is still just a game.

What football has become to the average Nigerian soccer buff is now beyond comprehension. It is now official, when there is only money for one meal and a live football game is being aired at one of the makeshift viewing centers on the streets of Nigeria it is almost certain that the hunger will continue to bite. Is that what Bokini terms as ‘putting money where the mouth is?’ so what happens after 90 minutes if that hungry mouth wants food? Who takes responsibility for his decision? Is it the next-door neighbor who does not even give a hoot or two about football or is it the society? The fundamental reasons were not addressed by Bokini in his analysis, the socio economic situation of Nigeria today is quite different from any other wherever and what is on ground to cope with the negative residue of football fanaticism is fragile. We have so many differences along so many divides and adding to it with what is irrelevant to our existence as a nation will be plain foolishness.

What is the correlation between a league or cup match result in England or Europe and the deaths of over zealous fans in Lagos? Where is the patriotism in causing chaos on the streets of Nigeria due to a foreign event that took place overseas? Yar’adua is saving his life by seeing a doctor in Germany for 25 years but these Nigerian fans are doing the opposite by adopting a habit that the UK police have been trying to quell for decades. There is no harm in supporting a team or even committing suicide because your team lost, as long as you do not disturb the next man standing by you. What these clubs mean to their teaming local supporters is understandable since they are passed on from generations to generations.

Bokini highlighted that even the champions league final played In Moscow between the two English teams could have been violent  if wasn’t for the high level guarantee of life and properties provided by the Russian police but still the supporters of both teams fought in London a day after the match. Please we should ask Bokini these questions? Were there any lives lost in England because of this game? And if so how many? Were there an aftermath aggravation in some cities across England as there were in Nigeria? Should Nigeria pay for consequences of a game of football that we don’t even get any direct dividend from? Abati was neither rubbishing the quality of the English game nor was he soliciting the teaming fans of Manchester united, Chelsea or Arsenal to quit their support and switch to Nigerian teams. He was only tasking the Nigerian authorities to put exciting enticements back into the local football scene like it were of old and he was canvassing for the application of common sense when watching these foreign games. We cannot spend 50billion naira on a football team but we are able to advice that hooliganism of any kind is bad…it becomes incomprehensible when it is a foreign import.

The fans of opposing football teams are kept apart in a stadium during a match worldwide and that is the logical thing to do but considering our lack of organization and the greed of the average businessperson in Nigeria, is it possible to demarcate opposing fans at a viewing centre on Nigerian streets?

The rights these football fans have in supporting their teams are the same rights others have, not to be affiliated with any team…or even not liking football at all so the boundaries of that freedom should be respected. Bokini should tell us if the London metropolitan police would not intervene if he becomes a local football fanatic disturbing his neighbors during or after his team play a match. These teams Manchester united, Chelsea and Arsenal are not just football outfits, they are institutions of cohesion in the community that pre dates the Nigerian entity. The hooligans who hijack what they stand for to cause mayhem in the society are being apprehended every now and then after a game by a system that works. Even if the hooligan is part of a football team it doesn’t matter, they are being brought to book. Joey Barton former Manchester city midfielder and currently a Newcastle united player has currently done 6 months in jail for assault. The Nigerian system is not structured towards handling unrests caused by football games played in a foreign land…or even local football unrests.

At the rate going, these football matters will cause damage more than the physical violence; there will even be cases of hypertension, high blood pressure and cardiac arrests for a supposed active generation, whose energy is required to benefit themselves, family and the society. We should just learn to enjoy and support whatever teams we deem fit with decorum instead of imbibing some detrimental culture. After all it is not everything foreign that is good, we should sieve and sort what is useful out of it.

Robot  # 1 | 05.08.2008 22:21

In response to Ade Bokini’s article titled football and Nigerians published in the Guard...Read the full article.

draftman  # 2 | 06.08.2008 12:11

It is amazing how we love all these foreign taste. How many country love foreign team as Nigerians do? sporting is a form of entertainment business, instead of Nigerian develop this game to our own benefit by supporting local team, and benefit from their merchandise, logo, sponsorship, ticket... and an excitement to pull us together, Alas, no, no , we rather support a foreign team and send our money overseas, they must be looking at us as a fool. Lets start love our own instead of others, what happened to NEPA, Shooting stars, Leventis, Stores, Mighty Jet, etc. By promoting our own will produce jobs, enterprises, and place leave our worries. Take the example from the USA, they are masters in sport marketing, i,e NBA, NFL. Wake up and support your own, it's better for all.