Football in the Community: The Culture, the Christmas Tournaments, and the Funfair in Eastern Nigeria

 

- Written by Benson Chukwueke, a sport marketing consultant and CEO, GreenHinters Sports International

For the people of the Igbo tribe, Christmas is not celebrated abroad or any part of Nigeria for that matter; Christmas is celebrated at home, in their native land in the Eastern part of Nigeria. 

It is like a yearly Prigimage, from the 10th of December or so the exodus begins, people of the Igbo clan begin to drift in their hundreds of thousands back home and the traffic, especially road traffic so densely on the not too good roads, herald into a long daily and very stressful traffic jam during this period. 

The Igbo people are mostly merchant travellers migrating all around the world seeking for opportunities. Many had left their native clan for over 20 to 50 years with friends and family members also scattered everywhere abroad. So Christmas provides a time of reunion. A time by culture where the natives drift back home for holiday.

Whereas summer is the major holiday period in most part of America and Europe, Christmas is the yuletide, the large gathering of families in Eastern Nigeria. 

99% of the Ibos were converted to Christians during the colonial era (1856 - 1960) and celebrating Christmas (the birth of Jesus Christ) has been a longtime culture of the people. I could still replay pictures of Christmas as child in my village in the early 70s and all the funfairs it generated has remained with me till today. 

Christmas in the contemporary Ibo land brings football to the community as part of the events to herald the daily holiday funfair. The Christmas Football tournament, (inter-Village or Inter-community football tournament at Christmas) a fun package which every holiday maker look forward to. 

The beautiful game becomes a platform that brings the people together. The early morning training sessions and the evening matches draw a mammoth crowd of holiday makers. Old friends and former classmates meet in these arenas to share stories of the 'good old days' and get updates from one another of what's happening in their lives now. 

You think the games will be more like a novelty games, but the competition are so intense and the tournament attract all sort of players from amateurs to even top flight stars playing in Europe. It is always fun to represent your community and afford fans who watch you on television to now see you face-to-face. 

Some of these tournament are bankrolled by some well to do philanthropist(s) from the community. Sometimes, they even own a team which bears their name or business name. Sometime, the players are camped and feed by these philanthropist. And after every match they won, the players and fans parade the village sing and gyrating.and fnally, they land in the philanthropist home and  party begins. A lot to eat and drink all night long