by Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
Football analyst and realist, Dr. John Danfulani, says It’s not about sentiment or ego of the number of players in European top Leagues and Teams, a country paraded in continental or global tournaments that produced desired result.
He also said that it’s not about the wealth, population of a country, power at the global arena or strategic location that matters, but patriotic zest by individual players, uncompromising teamwork, mesmerizing sagacity of the technical crew, efficient and effective football administration.
Dr. Danfulani, the Kaduna-based rights activist, disclosed this in a statement made available to newsmen after the match between Nigeria Supper Eagles and Equatorial Guinea at the opening of AFCON.
He stated that, “It’s beyond the number of players in European top leagues and teams that a country parades in continental or global tournaments. It’s also not about the wealth, population of a country, power at the global arena or strategic location.
“It’s about patriotic zest by individual players, uncompromising teamwork, mesmerizing sagacity of the technical crew and efficient cum effective football administration.
“If a team is malnourished of afore-listed qualities, they can’t produce desirable results, because the goddess of soccer doesn’t throw her precious magnanimity on teams without taking cognizance of those quintessential variables.
“Compatriots must sincerely and pragmatically eat up their expectant hearts because the draw between Nigeria, a country of over 230m people, and fully of players from European top flight clubs and the Equatorial Guinea, a clime of just over 1m people and with players in lower divisions in European leagues, may be the best the country’s team can get in AFCON’S 2024 tournament.
“I’m not an apostle of doom and negativity, nor a man of little faith. I’m just a realist that whimsical and capricious balderdash surrounding the spirit of patriotism don’t becloud his sense of judgment and predictions,” he stated.