By Muyiwa Adetiba

I have very little to comment on the recent public spat of experienced and highly visible veteran journalists who really should know the difference between issues, principles and personalities but chose to muddle them up and lay them all out in the public square except to say it almost deprived me of an opportunity to watch the World Cup Final. 

I have been watching every World Cup Final since 1970 and there was no reason to think this year’s final would be an exception. The issue for me was not if but where. Former Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Adelanwa was hosting the Emerald’s Club to which I belong as a foot soldier, to a small Christmas lunch on the day.

From experience, Admiral Adelanwa hardly showed too much interest in Premier League matches during meetings despite his assertion that he was an active sportsman in his younger days. So I thought relying on his house for the most important match of the series was too much of a gamble.

Like a Boy’s Scout, I sought a more viable alternative. Uncle Sam Amuka’s place was just ten a minute drive away from Admiral’s and I knew he would watch the match. A quick call confirmed that. My well laid out plans were however almost put in jeopardy on the day with two calls which came almost in succession. Admiral Adelanwa called to confirm my attendance.

I confidently said yes knowing my World Cup venue was nearby. Then Uncle Sam called to say he had been ‘summoned’ to Ikoyi by ‘elders in the profession’ for a meeting with the warring veterans. The aim was to stem further in-fighting among people who really shouldn’t need to be told about the damage each public statement was causing. Unfortunately for me, that singular call made my chances of not watching my first World Cup Final in over fifty years very slim.

I was in a dilemma; to stay home or to honour my commitment. As it turned out, Admiral had made provisions for the match. As it turned out, Uncle Sam called well before the match started that the meeting was over and he was on his way home. I suddenly became, as it turned out, spoilt for choice.

Sports are about knowledge. The more knowledge you have about a sport and the personalities that are contesting in a particular game, the more you will enjoy the game. It is also about anticipation which gets heightened as the time draws near depending on the stakes involved. But more than anything, it is about emotion which determines the side you choose to support and invest your emotional energy on.

This oftentimes defies logic. These three intangibles have sometimes led me to a feverish state before an important game, especially of tennis or football. Fortunately for me, last Sunday’s Final was one of those rare occasions when I had no horse in the race and therefore, no emotion invested.

It was a relatively relaxed me that sat down with a drink to enjoy what turned out to be one of the finest World Cup Finals. It literally came down to two missed-kicks. And to think the eventual winner was a side which lost its very first match to a lowly rated side! It shows there is really no minion in world football anymore.

It is often said of a football match as a game of two halves. That could be used to describe what happened last Sunday. The first half belonging to Argentina while the second half belonged to France. It was not determination that won the game. Both teams were determined enough to take home the coveted trophy.

It was not the Stars that won the game. Mbappe and Messi played brilliantly and showed up when it mattered but the final outcome did not depend on them. If we must ascribe anything to Argentina lifting the trophy other than luck, it would have to that phantom thing called ‘mentality’. Twice the team was ahead, twice it lost the lead. It would have been easy to conclude as many did, that it was not Argentina’s day.

To have lost a two-goal lead just ten minutes to the end of a match was demoralizing enough. But its mental strength, that calmness under stress, gave it an edge when it was crucial. It is a lesson of life that there will always be twists and turns. It is a lesson of life that it is never over until it is truly over. It is a lesson of life that successes and failures start from within.

A day after the match, I got a series of skits on the match from a rather unusual source. They were from veteran actress Taiwo Ajai-Lycett, Auntie TAL to her fond aburos – and we are many. Surprised, I asked her if she followed football. She said she had been crazy about football all her life! And football was one of her final projects in a sociology class.

Then she stated what to me is the coup de grace of this article. ‘There is a great deal to learn about people, relationships, organisations and espirit de corps from football other than the mere kicking of the ball. For me, football is a tutorial in the study of Sociology and Psychology’. 

I agree with her. That is why what happens in the dressing room often determines what will happen on the pitch. For a team to be successful, the players must understand, trust and respect each other. This is better done when players are playing at their best and put in positions where they can perform at their optimal levels. It is the job of the manager to ensure that it happens.

It is his job to blend and make a unit out of people of different strengths, weaknesses and personalities. It is his job to raise the energy level at every game while forging a winning mentality in an atmosphere of professionalism and conviviality. That is why the first casualty of a failed tournament or outing is the manager.

It the ethos that every successful company, indeed every successful country should emulate. 2023 is just round the corner. We should choose ‘managers’ who can raise the energy level of the people and forge a winning mentality for all in an atmosphere of peace and security. Football managers are chosen on track records and abilities to get the best out of what they have. We should employ the same model for those seeking elections.