I am devastated by the fact that Nigerian football has fallen so low that we are now holding our breath over a game between Nigeria and Rwanda. How are the mighty fallen? But it is what it is. We have to beat Rwanda, and three other countries, yet still not be sure of qualifying for the World Cup, unless our prayers work.
These were my thoughts as I left my house at 8 a.m. on Friday morning, heading to our departure point where I was to meet Cyril Wite, Carl Orakwue, and Kingsley Olisa.
At the eatery where we waited, there was this man wearing a Liverpool jersey, and I went to him to start some small talk. He told me he was no longer a football fan and chose to do other things with his life. Besides, he said his younger brother now played for Nigerian League club, Bendel Insurance so he was now channelling his energy towards the Nigerian league, and the Super Eagles, rather than waste time on people that did not know him. Yes, I think he said something like that.
After a one-hour delay, we finally drove off at about 10 a.m., taking the Ogoni route instead of our usual Abia State route. None of us liked the Ogoni route, but Cyril was driving and insisted on it.
Shortly after joining the highway in Ogoni, a policeman stopped us and asked for the car papers. Cyril confidently showed him the documents, only for us to discover that he had mistakenly brought along old papers instead of the valid ones. He had the updated e-copies on his phone, but the policeman refused to look at them, claiming that the Inspector General of Police had ordered officers not to check people’s phones. The man was simply being difficult.
We weren’t about to beg or bribe him. While Olisa, Carl, and I waited with the officer, Cyril drove back to Bori to print the valid papers at a business center. Meanwhile, we watched the policeman play his game: pretending to “scan” documents, claiming they were fake, and then pocketing money from drivers before letting them go.
When Cyril returned with the documents, the officer glanced at them, acted as though he was scanning them too, and after some unpleasant comments, let us go. By then, Carl lost his cool and had to be restrained by Olisa and me from confronting the officer. That ordeal cost us at least an hour, but eventually we made it to Uyo, checked in, grabbed lunch, and headed to the stadium for the pre-match press conference and the Eagles’ final training session before collecting our accreditation tags.
Content Creators Everywhere
The first thing I noticed was the swarm of people at the stadium. Three-quarters of them were content creators, and I know the older, more traditional journalists don’t like this new wave. They see these young creators as distractions who shouldn’t be there.
The first time this really struck me was during the game against South Africa last year. The content creators were everywhere, reminding me of my early days, except I didn’t have the kinds of opportunities they enjoy now. And if veterans like Konrad Kolokolo (NTA), Emeka Enyadike, Williams Wodi, and Mazi Njoku hadn’t given me a chance in the early ’90s, maybe I wouldn’t be here today.
These creators came with tripods, ring lights, and selfie stands. To the casual eye, their activities might look strange, but they were producing content for a ready audience. And honestly, I enjoy a lot of what they put online, though some still need to understand football better, so they ask the right questions and don’t make fools of themselves.
Fans Tribe
As usual, I met Tokoni and his crew from Football Fans Tribe. I’ve known Tokoni for almost a decade, even before he entered the football media industry. Funny enough, I can’t even recall exactly how we first met, but here we are.
He often says I’ve done a lot for him, something I don’t even notice, and in true Niger Delta fashion, he always pledges loyalty whenever we meet. His crew are solid guys, bringing dynamism and creativity to the football social media space. Their content is top-notch.
Osasu Obayiuwana
I can’t remember the last time I saw Osasu at a Super Eagles game, but here he was in Uyo. Naturally, we spoke about the match, our expectations, and the bigger picture of Nigeria’s World Cup qualification. I told him I wasn’t holding my breath. Beating Rwanda is one thing, but qualifying goes far beyond that. Osasu is the true description of a man that can fight in an empty room, but it was nice engaging him.
Later, I ran into Victor Ikpeba. He grabbed me by the arm, pulled me aside, and told me he had been in Port Harcourt recently but didn’t see me. I had seen his videos but didn’t know why he was in town.
As always, Ikpeba began praising my writing, saying people in football authority worry about my fearless style. I, in turn, told him about his boldness on SuperSport. Soon after, Osasu joined us, and we continued talking about the Eagles, our chances, and some mistakes by Eric Chelle.
The crowd around the pitch was huge, watching the 15 minutes of training open to the media. With just ten minutes left, I sat with Ikpeba and Austin Eguavoen to watch. But, as expected, there wasn’t much to see. The coaches wouldn’t reveal tactics until the crowd left. Once the security detail started moving people along, I knew it was time to leave. I made a quick preview video and slipped out.
Frank Edoho
I also saw Frank Edoho of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire fame mingling with content creators, taking pictures, and granting interviews. But in one video, it seemed he didn’t know much about the Super Eagles qualifiers, or maybe he was just joking around.
When asked who would win, he confidently said Nigeria. Then he was asked who Nigeria was playing, and he had to be told it was Rwanda. When the interviewer mentioned the next match against South Africa, Frank replied, “Nigeria will win since the game is in Uyo.” He was corrected that it’s in Bloemfontein, and he shot back, “Even if it’s in KwaZulu-Natal, Nigeria will win.” Was he bluffing, or just having fun?
I hope Nigeria wins against Rwanda. But it’s football, and stranger things have happened. Good luck to the Super Eagles.
