Chelsea As a Metaphor For Nigeria

Chelsea As a Metaphor For Nigeria

Not many people gave them a chance to reach the 2012 UEFA Champions League final. Many people had written them off. True, Chelsea Football Club had wobbled all along. Consider the match between Barcelona and Chelsea. Barca, as the Spanish club is popularly known by their fans, outplayed, out-dribbled, dazzled and mesmerised the London club. What happened? In the end, Chelsea emerged victorious to reach the final.

Consider again, the match between Chelsea and Liverpool for the English FA Cup. In that encounter, Liverpool for the greater part of the game, unleashed fear in the hearts of Chelsea’s fans. Again, what happened? Chelsea went ahead to lift the FA Cup.

Then came the epic encounter on Saturday May 19, 2012. Bayern Munich of Germany were the bookmaker’s favourites. Like on previous occasions, not many people gave Chelsea a chance. From the blow of the whistle, Bayern Munich started tormenting Chelsea. They, like Barcelona before them, dribbled, outplayed, dazzled and mesmerized Chelsea. Almost everyone concluded that it was all over when Bayern Munich scored the first goal in the dying minutes of the game.

Many Chelsea fans lost hope and took solace in the fact that Chelsea their team tried in spite of their many challenges in the 2011/2012 season. Then out of the blues, Didier Drogba waved his magic wand as he scored for Chelsea in the 88th minute of the game. Just as the ovation was still high, Drogba, inexplicably, committed an infraction which resulted in a penalty being awarded to Bayern Munich in the first half of extra time. At this point many people concluded that it was all over for Chelsea. Some people rose to go home. Then the unexpected happened. Arjen Robben missed the penalty as Petr Cech saved the ball. Hope was rekindled for Chelsea. Everyone now felt some trace of hope for the London club.

In the extra time, Bayern Munich continued to pummel Chelsea. As Chelsea fans had their hearts in their mouths, they watched with palpable apprehension and tension as Bayern Munich played one corner kick after another in quick succession.

Then it was time for the spot-kicks. At this point the game had entered the Miracle Zone for Chelsea. Every Chelsea fan started praying for their club. Meanwhile, their detractors, opponents and other “bad-belly” spectators held their breath hoping for the worst outcome for Chelsea. Then another miracle came from the golden boot of Drogba. That resolutely sealed the fate of Bayern. It was all over for them right in front of their teeming home supporters at the Allianz Arena. Chelsea, the Kings of England had again wobbled to lift the prestigious UEFA Champions League Cup. Now Chelsea FC are not just Kings of England, but also the Kings of Europe.

This is where this story begins. Chelsea is a metaphor. The tortuous path which culminated in the lifting of the 2012 UEFA Champions League Cup by Chelsea, a club which occupied the 6th position in the just concluded English Premier League has a lot of lessons for Nigeria.

Nigeria is at the crossroads now. Pummelled on all sides by insecurity, power outage, unemployment, corruption and what have you, many people have written Nigeria off. Even Nigerians themselves have lost confidence in the country. Many have predicted the imminent collapse of Nigeria. True, Nigeria is wobbling. It is limping, that is if it is not even crippled by bad governance now.

Whatever the current leadership is doing to fix the problems is dismissed with a wave of the hand by Nigerians. For many people, there is no hope for Nigeria. Let me invite you again to consider the tortuous path Chelsea had to pass to arrive at that golden moment when they lifted the Champions League trophy for the first time last weekend.

Let me share with you then the lessons I derived from the Chelsea experience. When people write you off, when people tell you: “You can’t make it in life”, just move on, fully convinced that you have what it takes to succeed in life. Life only pays out dividends to those who persevere to the end.

The future belongs to people who see opportunities before they become obvious. Success is the dividend which life pays when you are determined to actualise your goals in spite of the challenges, contradictions and insults you experience. Nigerians should reactivate their faith and renew their hope that one day this country will become one of the best in the world.

Would Chelsea have taken the honour and glory if they had admitted that the challenges they faced were insurmountable? Would Chelsea fans have the unspeakable joy and satisfaction if they had given up on their darling club? Would the detractors and opponents of Chelsea have kept quiet if Chelsea did not win? Did not Chelsea experience pain, disappointment and contradictions as they wobbled along? Was their path not strewn with thorns and thistles?

If Chelsea FC who today overcame their challenges and became the Kings of England and Europe could do it, then, I dare say that there is still hope for Nigeria. The dry bones of Nigeria shall rise again. Let those who have written Nigeria off show more patience to the country.

From the ashes of despondency, Nigeria will become a great country. Like Chelsea fans, let Nigerians pray silently for Nigeria. Let Nigerians keep hope alive. Time will come when nations of the world will compete among themselves to do business with Nigeria.

If Nigerians lose faith in Project Nigeria, what would happen to the dreams they have all along cherished about their country? True, these are not the best of times for this country. Nigerians are going through contradictions and challenges today. But the worst tragedy which might befall all Nigerians will be the loss of faith and hope in the New Nigeria which is about to emerge.

Like Chelsea fans let us hold on to our faith that one day our beloved country will be a source of joy and happiness; after all, we are the most indefatigable people on earth. Our moment of glory will soon come.

•Okorie, a lawyer, wrote in from Straddle Partners, Igbosere Road, Lagos, via ikeokorie@yahoo.com 08120353700