We Must Win The Cup!

By Abubakar D. Sani, Esq.

And, so, that time has come again;
When the world gathers for its greatest sporting event;
And, what might that be, but the beautiful game;
Soccer or football, it used to be the preserve of men

Not anymore, as women have since gotten in on the act;
Lighting hearts and filling us all with joy and excitement;
None is left out – the entire planet is part of the fiesta;
While it’s on, it’s like all else is dead

Everyone: young or old, male or female, prisoners and their keepers;
All are transfixed by the spectacle;
Who scored? How did it go in? Was it good?;
What about the players? Are they overrated, or are they true stars?

Never mind, all will be revealed soon enough;
The end is nigh and men will be separated from the boys!;
And the women, too, lest we be accused of discrimination!;
Far from it, as, in this sport, they too, have a voice👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

In fact, some of their games are more entertaining;
And their stars more thrilling to watch –
Than their male counterparts – bar none!😁;
(Proves the old saying about women being better, doesn’t it!)🤷🏼‍♂😁

How come no African country has ever won it, in either gender?;
Why has it proven so elusive – such a hard nut to crack?;
Are we not good enough or what?

What does it take to break that jinx;
Which country is best poised to do so?;
Is it Nigeria, the continent’s most populous and it’s very soul?;
Why not, after all, we have the demographics

All it takes is management and motivation;
And, so, when next we qualify for the Mondiale, let us focus;
We should take it as a task that must be done;
And a war that must be won

Fair and square, true, but with zeal and singularity of purpose;
After all, the rules are clear and unambiguous;
All you need to do to win is to score;
Who scores more wins (even if it’s an own goal or goals!)😁

The referee is but a man (or woman) with a card or two;
(Not counting the Video Assistant Referee, of course);
Who cares about those (but, trust me, you should!)😁;
Because, they’ve often decided who won or lost

You can’t help that, can you?;
Your fate is in your hands (or feet) and heads;
Those – and nothing else – are your tools;
Use them well and you’ll be the best

As heaven helps those who help themselves –
With the right mental attitude, God will hearken when you call;
He will be your 12th player – your secret weapon
Causing dissension and confusion among your opponents

They will forget you and will, instead, turn on themselves;
Exchanging fisticuffs and scoring own goals;
Leaving the referee with no choice but to expel them;
In such fortuitous circumstances, you should coast home

But, don’t bank on that;
Like I said, take your destiny in your own hands;
Nothing will help you but hard work;
You have to create your own luck

So, as you embark on this mission –
Remember you carry the hopes of millions;
At home and abroad;
They expect nothing but the cup

For far too long, we’ve come short;
This time, we will not fail because we will not fear;
We will not falter because this is our year;
We are Africans and we are second to none!

Abubakar D. Sani, Esq.,
Abuja, Nigeria
December 27th, 2023