Nigeria: The Mafia of Football

Daily Independent (Lagos)

Michael John

20 March 2011

column

Asked about what he thought of civilization, the late sage, Mahatma Ghandi, replied that it would be good for the white man. This was a curious thing to say, given the fact that the whiteman is driving the world’s technology, and coming out with inventions which have made “life good” (apologies to LG).

But Ghandi, probably, could not understand how the whiteman was using his technological advantage to invent weapons of mass destruction which could destroy cities and nations within the twinkle of an eye and was not too committed to justice though he had studied the subject like the palm of his hand.

I do not personally understand the whiteman myself. Take the recent sanction of Arsenal FC Coach Arsene Wenger and footballer, Sam Nasir. Both were sanctioned for complaining to the referee of their match with Barcelona FC, Massimo Busacca, over the red card he gave to their star, Robin Van Persie, which tilted the match in Barcelona’s favour. Robin had made an attempt at goal after he was ruled offside and after being given a second yellow card for that, was shown a red. Robin may not have heard the whistle like he protested, and he should have been given the benefit of the doubt. But Busacca, (who has a reputation for controversial decisions, some of which include awarding an undeserved penalty in the 47th minute to Ukraine in a match between Spain and Ukraine, failing to show the red card to Argentinian defender Gabriel Heinze when he fouled Francisco Fonseca, who broke away after an errant throw by Argentinian goalkeeper Roberto Abbondanzieri and instead showing him a yellow card) thought otherwise.

That is where my grouse is. Is the referee telling us that deaf folks and those who are hard-of-hearing should not play soccer? What if Robin is hard-of-hearing and did not actually hear the whistle? Or is the referee believing that simply because he would have heard the whistle from the distance from where he stood, Robin ought to have heard? Does he not know that all people do not hear the same way? If the latter, then the referee was a poor biology student and should go back to school to study biology. As a matter of fact, I believe that referees should know a little bit about medicine otherwise they may never allow deaf and dumb persons to play the game.

And as you know, the world has been trying to open doors to people who are physically-challenged and deaf people belong here. What if Robin was completely deaf and after the whistle was blown he had continued and run past the goalkeeper, kicked the ball into the net and turned to celebrate – only to see his team mates shake their heads? In that case UEFA and the referee would have banned him for life and from even watching a football match on television.

FIFA and UEFA are the two most despotic bodies in the world. So despotic that they make Muamar al Ghaddafi sound like a little nursery school truant. Yet the world is mobilizing a no-fly zone over Libya and letting these despotic bodies attack commonsense and values with reckless abandon.

In the Barcelona vs Arsenal match soccer superstar, Lionel Messi, deliberately handled the ball and yet the referee did not show him a yellow card. In the entire match Arsenal FC was shown five yellow cards and Barcelona FC was shown none at all. Well that would remind you of ex-Barcelona FC star, Thierry Henry, who used his hands to control the ball and score against Ireland in a World Cup qualifying game. The world saw it, Ireland was outraged, most sane folks concerned about justice and fair play called for a rematch or for sanctions against Henry. FIFA, which is peopled by pagans who do not go to church or mosque and which explains why they fix matches on Sundays and Fridays, said no; that it should be business as usual and so it was. France proceeded to the World Cup in South Africa and had their worst ever showing in the World Cup. “Faulty foundation,” “You cannot win by cheating,” the Irish press screamed.

But it is not all about football, take tennis. When you browbeat your opponent and he fails to have even one single point, they call it “love.” What is loving about pummeling an opponent with such brutality and viciousness? It should be four-hatred (not four-love). But that is what the umpire says because that is what is in the rule book. The same applies in squash, table tennis and most racket games. It is an indication of the whiteman’s queer sense of humor.

An aggrieved man, like good, old Wenger, complains and the same people who learnt about freedom of speech and expression in their civic lessons claim that he should have kept his mouth shut and take the bitter pill of injustice like a man. They do not know, nor do they care that pent up fury can lead to hypertension and telling the subject of your grievance your mind could have cathartic effect. Wenger would have gone back home a happier man after telling the referee his mind but UEFA is not a medical body – it is simply the Mafia of European football. Of course we also have our Mafia here in Africa (Conferederation of African Football) which has Issa Hayatou, as its capone. When Togolese players were shot dead and Togo withdrew from the African Nations Cup, CAF promptly slammed a ban on Togo for not realizing that football was stronger than blood.

FIFA actually thrives in injustice and makes it clear that its (referee’s) decisions, like the laws of the Medes and Persians of ancient times, could not be changed. It did not matter to them that England scored a clear goal against Germany in the World Cup in South Africa, and the entire world saw it, FIFA, in a decision which must have been borrowed from the World Wrestling Federation, said what the referee did not see could not be a goal.

Efforts to introduce justice and fairplay through the introduction of goal line technology to the game has been abortive. FIFA does not care about such instruments of justice! And they do not care about Fundamental Human Rights. No dictator cares about fundamental human rights or freedom of speech and expression… if in doubt please ask Ghaddafi.

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