Funmi Iyanda

The African Nations cup is here and the fever is building. By this weekend Ghana will be alive with colour, fire and the spirit of soccer. I cannot wait! This is a strategic Nations cup as it will serve as a window to glean which teams are good to go as potential African upstarts or comeback kids in the first World Cup Finals to be held on the continent in 2010. I am hoping and praying (refer to story below) the Super Eagles will be favoured by the 14 year pot luck theory (First win 1980, 2nd win 14 years later in1994, 2008, 14 years later, magic?). If we win perhaps we can re-enact the 1994 form and will to win which saw the Super Eagles in a truncated but spirited outing at the 1994 World Cup in America. The hope (refer to story below again) is that the factors will conspire to see an African team win the World Cup for the first time and on the continent. It could have been more than just mere hope and no other African nation could have had a better stab at it or deserve it better (in terms of tradition, love and support for the game, history and sheer potential) than Nigeria but please don't get me started on that track. I turned my back on my football journalism and administration career after the 1998 world cup.

As the momentum slowly builds, I decided to go and see the Stanbic Bank 5 a side ex internationals Vs Lagos state government executives march on Tuesday. What hilarity! There were such African football icons as Abedi Pele, Segun Odegbami, Yisa Shofoluwe, Joe Erico and more.


The Lagos team had the chief of staff (he still dey body for him o) and commissioners in various states of unfitness. Tonight there will be a trophy tour gala and on Sunday the whistle will in Ohene Djan Stadium, Accra to signal the unleashing of the antics of the god of soccer. I am naturally supporting the Super Eagles but if Cameroon pulls that "fighting fit male perfection team in tight jerseys" stunt again this year, I’m afraid I will have to switch allegiance, bring on the eye candy!