No matter the result of yesterday’s
match against Spain, or what will
become of the Flying Eagles desperate
fight to get back into contention againstCuba in Turkey today, I have made upmy mind to “Port” join and supportanother sport.

I know it will be difficult deciding which
sport I want to pitch my tent, but I just
must make an effort if I do not want to
drop dead, killed by football, maimed bya group of boys who go about their
business lackadaisically, not minding
what happens to my mental and
psychological state.

It was in this column that I reported how
my blood pressure shot up in Kenya as I
watched the Eagles fluffing scoring
chances that were to help draw us
nearer Brazil.
Those who went to Namibia have worse
stories to tell. Before our match, Kenya
had done us the favour of holding
Malawi, so all we had to do was to beat
Namibia and qualify with a match to
spare.
‘Match to spare’ meant that we could
have used that last match to field our
domestic players who incidentally have
a tough CHAN assignment against Cote
Divoire. Qualifying with a match to
spare would have meant not “wasting”
precious funds twenty players
from abroad and all attendant expenses
and anxiety to win the last match.
Qualifying with a match to spare would
have afforded us the opportunity of
trying out players in the striking
position, a department that has been so
glaringly hollow in the current Eagles
set up… in Namibia we suddenly fell
behind and had to struggle to level and
leave qualification to the last match!
How could they win when all their
thoughts were focused on their planned
war with the NFF over bonuses?
That is the headache, the stress, the
trauma that we go through supporting
our football. How can I forget having to
wake up by 2am to watch the Eagles
play a friendly against Mexico? Even
having to stay awake till eleven PM to
catch the Confederations Cup encounter
with Uruguay was such a huge sacrifice
that no doctor will recommend to his
patient especially those of us above 50.
Yet, when you dare to express YOUR
opinion, say it the way you feel, you get
insulted by those who want you to
adopt their own view point, not
respecting or minding your informed
and authoritative position. Being
uncouth and disrespectful, using foul
and abusive language does not and will
never be a substitute for a superior line
of argument.

Take the match against Uruguay as an
example. While some believe we played
well and should have at least benefitted
a draw, there are those who say we did
not do well, that we were stereotyped
and not lethal in front of goal. Also
embrace those who say no matter how
well or how badly you play, if you do
not score, do not win, then you cannot
lay claim to any credit.

Last Friday was a bit better because
very few Nigerians were expecting
anything from a coach who wasted a
whole tournament experimenting with
new players when he should have used
the same tournament to fortify his
team.

Predictably, by the end of the first half,
the Flying Eagles were two goals down.
Those who put off their sets and went to
sleep were surprised to hear the next
day that the match ended 3-2. Those of
us who were condemned to watch till the
end were falsely made to believe there
was hope with an unbelievable
equalizer….then Kaput. Back to status
quo.

Enough
I have decided to Port, look for another
sport to support and follow, but which?
Last week end, the Athletics Federation
of Nigeria held its yearly trials in
Calabar yet its activities were swallowed
by the football crazy press.
Maybe that is where I should go, face
reality and promote substance. As I am
writing this column, newspapers stare
me in the face all of them screaming
HOPE….
How Spain is beatable, how Flying
Eagles will BOUNCE back, luring me to
another bout of psychological trauma.
At the end of the day, if we flounder and
fail,(God forbid) they will scream
GALLANT EAGLES. No I must Port. I should
Port

source :http://vanguardngr.com/2013/06/believe-me-i-don-port-o//