A Documentary By Benson Chukwueke, Sport Marketing Practitioner in Nigeria
We have seen the signs again, in the friendly match between Nigeria and Argentina, ahead of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. It was almost a work over in the first half of the game...as the Argentines scored 2 easy goals and missed dozen of chances. It was looking like Nigeria were no match for them at all, so it seems, but as the game progressed towards the end of the first half, Nigeria scored one goal back.
But by the second half, the spirit has taken over, and the Nigerian side came at the Argentines like wild bees, chasing the ball everywhere, making accurate passes and holding possession as well as creating chances... The Nigerian attackers were running like whirlwind, with such an incredible speed and covering unbelievable distance per seconds... hardly could the Argentine players keep pace with their volt run. It was a matter of time before the Argentines team began to crumble. The match end 4 - 2 as the Nigerians scored 3 successive goals in the second half.
Many analysts tried to wave the result aside, it was a mere friendly game, but for football fans in Nigeria who knows, it was a sign that the god of soccer will be in favour of Nigeria in Russia.
The god of soccer? What's that?
Well, not many believe there's anything like the god of soccer, but most followers, including coaches and players, would agree that there's an element of luck in football...which makes it the most unpredictable game on earth. So we have the dark horses, the Giant killers, and the favorite teams don't always win.
You may call it "mother luck" or mere "human imperfection" but it goes a long way to determine the outcome of most football game. And most teams in South America and Africa, have gone deep into the spiritual tto envoke mother luck in their favor. As they say, nothing is ever happenstance. There's always supernatural powers that control things to happen the way we see them in the physical realm.
I know European teams give themselves more to football training, football technology and football medicine...in such way teams like the Germans national team prepare their players to play almost like machines (prompt to textbook instructions which makes them so effective and efficient in their style of play).
There are four dimensions of football teams apply to overrun their opponents to win trophies. They are Football Training, Football Medicine, Football Technology and Football Spiritual. I can expand these four dimensions in another article.
Although, the football governoring body try to suppress football spiritual the way they suppressed doping (drug stimulations) for fear it will destroy the validity of the sport. Yet, we know some European teams still stimulate their players before any major championship (in the dimension of football medicine).
In Africa, especially in Nigeria, we strongly believe in the god of soccer. We have seen weaker teams win rather stronger opponents. We have seen the god of soccer work several times in favor of Nigeria national teams; to overturn rather impossible situations and influence some of the greatest come backs in football history. So there's this common saying among Nigerian fans that "the god of soccer is a Nigerian."
There are chronicles of rather miraculous results we believe Nigerian teams wouldn't have achieved without the supernatural influence of the god of soccer. Popular among them is the Altanta Miracle, where the Nigerian dream team came back from 1 - 3 trailing to defeat the star studded Brazilian national team in Atlanta Olympics men football event semi finals in 1996.
This is the reason Nigeria teams pray at the beginning, half time and even at the end of every match they won. To envoke and to thank the god of soccer for his favor.
There's more to it which I can't discuss here. But just know the signs are clear that the god of soccer will favor the Nigerian team in a special way at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
The Question: Is the god of Soccer real or a phantom?
Is it one of those elements in African superstitions?
Let's have your opinion in the commentary box below.
