It was a Sunday evening. I had donned my green and white jersey with a strong determination to celebrate a victory. The game began amidst crazy shouts and arguments by my fellow street boys inside the barbershop. Chukwudi was at the forefront making the loudest noise, ‘Up Naija! Oh boy, we go win today’. Different reactions came up as some unpatriotic compatriots behaved as if they were Tunisians. They shouted at the top of their voices rubbishing the Nigerian players as a bunch of unorganized talents. I stood up in defence of the G-W-G like a true Wazobian. We continued to argue the rating of the Nigerian footballers above their Tunisian counterparts.

  ‘GOAL’, the victory shout rent the atmosphere. The Russo Nigerian maestro, Osaze had gone past two defenders and put it straight into the net. My joy knew no bound, it was better than when I passed my JAMB exam or got admission into the university. I left the barbershop with some other boys and began dancing round the street. Then another shout of  ‘goal’ increased my joy and I ran into the shop but many faces looked gloomy while a group of Arabs celebrated on the TV coupled with some treasonous Naija boys dancing with joy.

‘How can they allow them to equalize?

It was Chukwudi again. ‘Those defenders are crazy’ 
The barbershop went quiet for some minutes till the referee signaled the end of the first half. No one argued, we just left the shop. True Nigerians like me, sat down by Iya Tuwo’s little shop and discussed the life of a legal icon that had died. He was a great man, a fighter for the masses, killed by the poor management of a health sector.

‘Ladi! Chukwudi! Won ti bere o.’

We ran into the shop again still unable to talk and praying that the true eagles, the super ones will fly and not the eagles from Carthage. The game went on for a while until another opportunity came, this time, we did not rejoice to the extreme but made good fun of the rebels and they were ashamed. With the clock ticking, victory was at hand.

Bloody defenders.
The Tunisians had equalized again and we expressed in dismay how our defenders had robbed us of a golden victory. I placed my hands on my head feeling a sense of loss and disgrace as the anti-Nigerian players sang a famous football victory chant. It ended in a draw but we needed to win. Those useless Nigerian players, unpatriotic, unreliable, disappointing, punishing, tragic, agonistic, tyranic… my ruffled minds produced thoughts like Soyinka’s Lakunle in The Lion and the Jewel. I stormed out of the shop but they followed and jeered at me. A group of fellow Nigerians robbed me of an Azikwe-d currency, though it was a bet but it wasn’t as painful as the dent on my prestige as a supporter. The Rossoneri Milanos had earlier rubbished it after an embarrassing four goals defeat and I lost a thousand naira on that day no thanks to Mourinho’s soldier boys. Tosin D’almeida, a strong Brazilian team supporter of Brazilian heritage danced some pathetic samba steps and flaunted the five hundred naira I lost. It was pitiful.

The next morning I proposed on a Nigerian forum that Yobo should lose his citizenship for marshaling a failed defence line. I think he will be better off an Iraqi, Afghan, Sudanese, or anywhere there is a war.
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[center]That’s how angry I am.[/center]

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Good to see you letting off some steam . Writing it off is far better than getting drunk or protesting in the streets like some people did .

Good lyrical voodoo ladman.Pity it isnt a victory chant.

LWKMD. hope its all done now?

@ Ladman

I feel your pain bro. Na me the result pain pass.

Sorry ladman, but bro i think those your friends or re they neighbours are wise. You know one of marxism lecturer used to tel me that there is no body that doesn't believe there's God. Sorry to bring that in but i'm tryin to make a point here- there's no Naija that doesn't want nigeria to win that match but any one you see dancing to that defeat, is trying to hide his tears behind that dance. Of course that's what i did so i know. So dont blame those pple, i think they just got tired of crying for nigeria. But can you really blame those super eagles, i think they were superb. Tell me which sector in nigeria is currently workin? Nigeria is a woeful country, so dont blame a group of pple for failin, everythin in this country is a failure. At least they didn't follow the footstep of the minister of education and go to drink beer after the defeat.

Thanks a lot. I hope things get better for our beloved Naija, in football and every other thing.

Nice story, i remember watching part of it while eating at the neighbourhood chop shop. I was really pained when the equalizer came, barely had time to

jubilate. Am not much of a football fan so i blew off steam by playing Nigeria vesus Tunisia on a playstation console (easy mode of course!), wish Nigerians

could have seen those scores.

I think i might do the same, beat tunisia silly on PS and make Nigeria win the world cup

Gab, did you call joseph to give him the scores. I think that might have done nigeria some good. Or at least give the scores to warner, if not joseph himself.