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.
Obafemi Martins, I can’t forget in a hurry, the
last minute goal he scored which made us qualify for the last world cup-against
Kenya? I may sound sentimental but, the fact is remains that, experience can
never be bought! He may not have made it to the Nations cup, but in my own
opinion, he would have done better than some guys who made the team.
