Growing up in a family that loves football has
taught me a lot about the great Nigerian footballers, past and present.
I recall the likes of Samuel Okwaraji, Jay Jay
Okocha, Kanu Nwankwo, Christian Chukwu, Emeka Ezeugo, Mikel Obi, Onyekachi
Apam, Uche Okechukwu, etc. All the above-named great footballers are Igbo men,
as most of the footballers of such caliber to have ever come out of Nigeria are
from this tribe.
Are they more talented?
Observing trending issues on the social media last
week, I became privy to discussions and arguments by some stakeholders and
learned people in sports concerning the fact that the Igbos are dominating the
national teams, both male and female. Some commentators accused the team
handlers of partiality in their squad selections. Many insinuated that the guys
are always the ones they called because they feel they are more talented in
football. This does not exclude the female players.
Nigerians are interesting people when it comes to
tribal issues. Truth be told, the Igbos dominated and are still dominating
football in Nigeria. Kudos has to be given to them, this trend is wotrhy of
acknowledgement.
Having said that, I myself am a proud Yoruba woman,
while most of my friends are Igbos. So, no one should accuse me of tribalism or
picking on this wonderful footballing tribe.
They have collectively brought glory to our great
nation Nigeria in so many ways. In recent times, the squad that won the 2013
African Cup of Nations was full of the Igbos. Even the 2013 World Cup-winning
U-17 squad.
The upcoming dudes are Kelechi Iheanacho, Chidiebere
Nwakali, to name but two among many others. Looking at the Nigerian leagues
across the nation, it can be observed that most of the players plying their
trade there are of the Igbo tribe.
Nigerian players of the Igbo tribe abroad
The statistics of the players in different leagues
moving out of the country show that there are players of the Igbo tribe or
descent in the Scandinavian countries, the Middle Belt, even in Yemen. I feel
they should be happy and proud of their input and contribution to local and
global football while they rightfully enrich their pockets in return.
Many of them have adopted other countries due to the
lack of chance to feature for their nation. They are of great determination.
These folks represent us well with their sportsmanship.
I remember a Super Eagles player, Sunday Mba, who
scored the winning goal at 2013 AFCON, Mikel Obi, young Kenneth Omeruo was also
superb with the strong input from the now retired Emmanuel Emenike.
Statistically, about 70% overall national
participation goes to the Igbo guys, while the remaining 30% is shared amongst
other tribes. People from other tribes tend to “fade away” so soon, while the
Igbo guys stand the test of time and are more devoted to the game and have
lengthy footballing careers. I wonder how they do it. What is their secret
recipe?
The reasons behind their love for football
After thinking deeplu and raising some questions, I
realized that this set of people like the game of football more than the rest
of the tribes in the country, and also get more encouragement in doing so.
It can be attributed to a number of reasons: physical
prowess, as they’re genetically sturdier than the other tribes; they are
encouraged by the number of successful Igbo players; their enterprising nature
affords them the ability to foresee the riches that may lie ahead despite the
short-termism of the career; football is better embraced as it is seen as a way
out of poverty within the community; Igbos simply better football than the
other tribes; there’s a better scouting network within the tribe.
Meanwhile, you can hardly see a Hausa girl play
football. Only few Yoruba girls come out to play the round leather ball game.
Can we safely blame this on their religion and culture? Of course, yes!
Some scouts will rather an Igbo footballer, because
it is widely believed that they take football more seriously. Another thing
that came to my mind is that the Igbos are business-oriented, and one fast way
to big money is through football.
I am really grateful for their efforts and I hope
they keep contributing their skills to bringing glory to the nation through football.
Ndigbo kwenu!
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