Good morning Everyone
The weekend is here and this was quite an eventful week, in all ramifications. Whether it be football or the League or the Nigerian Society at large. From an Enyimba point of view, our conquests in Lagos got easily followed up with a decent result in midweek that has us optimistic for the final run of games.
I did see a video though after the Ikorodu game that got me a little concerned. Perhaps the emotions were riding high, maybe the club had promised the players some incentive or maybe it was just the pain of a missed opportunity to get 3 points but however way you look at it, it didn’t look great.
In the video, after the game, our winger/attacker Joseph Atule was crying and Paschal Eze was trying to console him. Another player walks up to him and then the camera pans around and we see some section of the Ikorodu City fans pettering him with things. I don’t know what it was but it was an uncomfortable sight.
If I’m completely honest, this isn’t an unusual thing to see. Home fans look to make things uncomfortable and intimidating for the opposition but should those things continue after the game? We’ve seen teams go up North and get attacked by home fans because they got a point or all three.
Enyimba fans ourselves we have also in the recent past been sanctioned for something similar, so I’m not being holier than thou, but shouldn’t these habits and actions be ended? I think it is stupidity. Already your team has most likely dropped points and then you go do something likely to get you more sanctions. How is that not insanity?
The emotions that come with football can be intense, but there is a thin line between passion and obsession, love and hate, or joy and despair. That’s what I never understood about Sani Kaita at the World Cup. Probably one of the most shocking things I had seen on live football.
Clearly he was defending his country but the moment he got tackled, the resulting reaction spurred by emotions lost Nigeria the match, cost Nigeria a place in the world cup and cost him his place in the National Team forever. Misplaced emotions – it works both ways – fans and players.
In conclusion, we call it nothing when we do it to opposition players but we cry murder when we are on the receiving end of it. However, we need to trample these things down and keep them out of sports. There is a famous photo in 2005 of Marco Materazzi and Rui Costa during the Derby Della. The fans were fighting in the stands but two rival players were leaning on each other.
The madness the average fan puts out is simply not worth the stress. It’s not that serious guys.
Back tomorrow.
‘EnyimbaEnyi
