Just a Moment of Madness

The management of stardom is by far a different game compared to attaining it (stardom). Some people would say, it requires more to manage success that it takes to attain it- keeping the success you have achieved is more important and demanding than attaining the success itself. The management of success is totally a different ball game. Many stars have today been forgotten just because of one moment of madness they displayed when it mattered most. Becoming a “star” does not stop with being a start, it takes more than that, the higher you go, the more the challenges and the more you need to put certain things (character, discipline, focus etc.) in place in order to protect and guard your success jealously.

The recently concluded African U-17 football championship showed a lot of promises and raised a lot of hope especially the display put up by the Nigerian team, the Golden Eaglet. Going by the way they dusted their opponents, and scoring goals with ease. A lot of people were confident the cup was coming to Nigeria; however, a giant had to be conquered for this “dream” to become a reality, the young Elephant of Cote d'Ivoire, were the only team to have defeated the Eaglet on their way to the final. A lot of Nigerians believed the young Elephant won the group match by a stroke of luck, thanks to a late goal- “winning na (is) winning o”.

The Eaglet had the match under control not until the last minute of the match when a costly mistake cost them the match. However, that did not stop them from reaching the final, after apologizing to Nigerians and showing us they had learnt from the unexpected defeat.

I watched with dismay and disbelief as the least expected happened. First, it was the referee who decided to kill what should have been a beautiful match. He showed that he never had what it takes to officiate on the big stage, as some of his calls were questionable –this is not needed at such a very important time and stage of an event that has drawn the eyes of the whole continent and the world.

On the other hand, the Eaglet did not help matters as they failed to convert begging chances. They wasted lots of goal scoring chances that would have sealed the victory for them. As lots of people had predicted, they had things going in their favor until they lost their cool. At first, it was a red card, a silly foul committed by a player; he threw his elbow at an opponent behind him (and trust, the opponent made a show out of it), which attracted the referee’s “generosity” and his sending off was inevitable. There was about 15 minutes to the end of the match, and the team (Eaglet) had to complete the match with 10 players, against a physical side as the young Elephant!

After 90 minutes, it was straight to penalties- what some people call anybody’s game. But to certain extent each team at this stage have their destinies in their hands once they maintain team and individual discipline praying that the “god of soccer” smiles on them. As the match went into penalties, I remembered the AFCON (2000) final played in Lagos, Nigeria, between the Indomitable Lions of Cameron and the Super Eagles of Nigeria. I silently prayed same thing will not repeat itself. Not long after my prayer, a Nigerian player (whose name I can’t remember at this moment) stepped forward to take the penalty and before I could blink my eyes, he had taken the kick.

What a miss!! I was so displeased and bitter not particularly about the miss but, at the way he took the kick. How could you dash the hope of over 150million people? What sort of confident is that? Na new style be this? Questions unending kept strolling through my mind. Questions would never stop coming but the fact is, this is just a typical example and picture of how a lot of people have allowed a moment of madness ruin what they have spent time and resources building. A moment of insanity can cost you your whole achievement.

Attitude requires consistency, especially a positive attitude. This is the lesson I learnt from the story of this guy’s moment of madness. Just like the title of J.C Maxwell’s book, “the difference maker”, the attitude would have made the difference at that stage and moment. But he lost it, no thanks to his inability to remain cool and professional when it mattered most and just the attitude of a player cost the whole team a moment of glory and victory.

 

+Tullio DeSantis  +Adeolu Akinyemi +Adekunle Alashi +debola adegbulugbe +Caroline Segarra +Myne Whitman +SYED SABIH ASHRAF +Omolola Faleye +ayantola nafisat +'Gbenga Sesan +deola kayoed