The Unifying Factor

And the whole world went dancing for Nigeria (except Tunisians though) 'cos of their win on Saturday. Smiles glittered on the faces of perturbed people who felt heavy when they thought history would repeat itself as it did in 2004 when Tunisia beat Nigeria.
The whole 90mins had mixed reactions at different points. In the first half, people were commenting on the game passionately. With happiness were they watching the match and a radio station was playing the track Won kere si number wa - music of Fatai Rolling Dollar, meaning they're small for our number. Humour was flowing easily as the referee blew the whistle to end the half.
The second half took a different turn as the Tunisians found the back of the net with Enyeama unable to stop them. Bottles of ice-cold confidence were being passed around. 'It's only a joke', someone said. 'My boys will wake up in a while and they'll carry the goals home with huge baskets. Ten minutes from that time was enough to separate the impatient, solution-requesting fans from the passionate lovers of the round leather game. some had started shouting that JJ be brought in to destroy the Tunisans and send their coffins to Tunis for burial that same day. Many minutes went and the only substitution was Nankwo Kanu. People started becoming agitated and angry that the coach was just there looking with his horizontal tribal mark like Hercule Poirot in one of his crime series. Someone even asked his colleague if he still had Eguavoen's phone number that he wanted to speak with him right away :D.
Minutes flew and the substitutions that came in only reflected the thinking of the coach, he wanted tobeef up the defence.
Then Mr. Garba Lawal came in. I found it very amusing that even the commentators referred to him as Mr. People said he wanted to be called that way. Orisirisi na him dey happen for the game oh! It's in football that you see some men have afro hairstyles as high two storey buildings. Some dye theirs to look like aged people. Some even tattoo every part of their body, save the eyeballs and the nails. This one came and said he should be called Mr. Maybe by the time he is about to retire, they'll be calling him Pa or Lord Garba Lawal. But Mr.Garba didn't prove his mettle that much that he deserved to be referred to that way.
Then another 30 mins went without any result. It was then that mosst people abandoned the match and went strolling on the streetss, trying to send emails of insults and abuses via the wind to eguavoen@egyptcupofnations.fb . Many couldn't bear the adrenalin rush when watching penalty shoot-outs. Even Kanu didn't want to play his own penalty sef. Who wants to be the one to send his country out of nations' cup? I no blame am. That's how I realised how much Jesus did to die for man. He was strolling like Eze goes to school towards the post, with his head dangling left and right as he moved. People were already praying for him and encouraging him back home (as if he was hearing) that he would score.
In short sha, the Tunisians lost three penalties and we won. People went wild with jubliation. Those who couldn't bear the pain of watching the penalties ran back in front of the TVs in jubilation. Everybody was hugging and shaking one another! This does not happen any time. Not even during xmas. Christains/moslems, neighbours, everyone went jubilating. It was a site to behold.
Then I think to myself, if this kind of thing will unify people and make them so happy & not see any differences in one another,why not make the cup of nations a yearly affair? It's good blood for us oh! Not even Abacha's death made people so mad with excitement.
I must also say that it is now that I realise how good the goal keeper, Vincent Enyeama is.
I pray this kind of good thing continues to happen.