BY REV FR GERALD NWAFOR
Many axioms support the topic statement, not because it is a cliché but because it has been proven right time and time again. There is sense in commonsense, and there are horses in the dark horses. So, when the world looks down on you, prove the world wrong by shocking everyone, including yourself.
I refer to the present World Cup Mundial going on, where the underdogs are shocking the bookmakers. When Cape Verde stopped Spain from scoring any goal in 90 minutes, the mother of the Cape Verde goalkeeper, who, by the way, is 40 years old with the reflexes of a 21 years old was given a visa to witness the World Cup in the United States of America. The story of Cape Verde did not end there. They went ahead to draw all their group stage matches and came out second in their group with an automatic ticket to the round of 32, beating the likes of Uruguay (two-time world champion) to that spot. Who could have ever imagined that the first-time World Cup appearance country with only a population of about 500,000 and without prior experience would make it to the knockout stage of the World Cup?
Now mouths are wagging, and minds are recalculating because the Cape Verde that was classified as underdogs without any chance of advancing to the second stage of the FIFA World Cup has proved that they may be underdogs, but they are still dogs, hence showing the world that they can bite also. When Germany beat Curaçao 7-1, pundits said the same fate awaited Cape Verde.
I am a pundit too when it comes to football analysis, but because I saw what Cape Verde did to the AFCON (African Cup of Nations) when they arrived at that stage for the first time, by upsetting the table, I know you cannot walk over them without a scratch, and they have not failed in that regard. They have this fighting spirit that can only be equated to the spirit of a warrior or a Spartan. They stood their ground against Saudi Arabia, whose financial powerhouse could buy 20 Ronaldos and all the Messi(s) in the world. They did not drop the ball against the number two team in the world, although they ranked 67th. They showed up against Uruguay with a spirit of doggedness. It only reminds me of the world of emperor Loius the Great when one of the advisers wanted to belittle him by reminding him that he is still a young king, and the young king was quick to remind the adviser that he may be a young king, but he is a king, so be warned how you speak to me.
As the mother of all sports goes on, I could not wait to see more underdogs prove themselves. When I saw Paraguay biting hard with every drop of blood in their body, I knew that they would not let go easily, and I told my friends that another football giant was about to be decimated. At the end of the penalty shootout, Paraguay eliminated Germany, a three-time World Cup champion, whom the pundits said would make it to the semi-finals. The underdogs, the dark horses, and the dark sheep are making themselves known and standing toe-to-toe with the so-called big brothers. The unfortunate African champions sent home the former European champions (Holland). Brazil survived by the whiskers.
Japanese gave a good account of themselves. The Japanese would go home with their heads held high, not only on the football pitch but off the pitch, where the Nippon fans would try to leave the stands and seats the way they found it – neat and tidy. After the game, the Japanese would stay behind to clean up all the trash left behind by the spectators. The world was shocked by that level of humility, patience, love, and cleanliness. People who have visited Japan said it’s not a fake show; it is how they were raised from the first day (Cleanliness is next to Godliness). No other country was able to do that in the World Cup. I know that many countries would wish to emulate the Japanese culture of cleaning up after use, but it is not something you can force, but teach and wait for the result. Thank you, the Nippon nation (the land of the rising sun).
I do not want to dwell so much on the game between South Africa and Canada because it was a game that the world did not pay much attention to, since both nations were treated as underdogs. I am glad Canada won. I wish they could go all the way to change the minds of the pundits. As the games go on, our eyes are glued to the TV to see more underdogs prove that they are dogs, not paper-tigers.
Next, Cape Verde is facing Argentina. I know what the pundits would say because of Messi, but your guess is as good as mine. Nobody is a lesser god in this game. Let the best team win. Do not show up defeated. Give a good account of yourself and let the chips fall where they may.
Remember the story of the tortoise challenging the lion to a wrestling match. We were told that the lion, out of anger, went to the tortoise’s house and called him out. When the tortoise alighted from his house, the lion picked him up and started walking away. The tortoise told the lion to please drop him down for a second, that he was forgetting something. When the lion dropped the tortoise, the tortoise walked around his compound many times, making sure that his footprint was everywhere in his compound. Then came up to the lion and told him to take him away. The lion was curious, so he asked the tortoise what the meaning of the drama was and walked around the compound. The tortoise said, “So that when my family shows up in the morning, they will realize that two big animals engaged in mortal combat and will praise me for putting up a good fight.” The lion was disappointed and felt belittled, so he dropped the tortoise and walked away.
I would request that Cape Verde give a good account of themselves against Argentina, so that whatever the result turns out to be, we will know that two great teams engaged in mortal combat and that the underdog has a dog in its name. Do not give up easily. Learn from Cape Verde: no matter how small you are, do not give up. Do not say to yourself, “I am too little to make a change.” Please get your PVC (Permanent Voters Card), you can be that underdog in the life of Nigeria.
