On Ethiopia Vs Nigeria
Introduction:
On October 12th 2013, the Walias Wild Antelopes of Ethiopia (the Ethiopian National Football team) faced off against the Super Eagles of Nigeria (The Nigerian National Team and reigning African Champions) in a World Cup qualifier. Against the backdrop that the Walias had earlier lost to the Super Eagles on penalties during the cup of nations tournament, it was an opportunity for the Walias to exact revenge on home ground and prove once for all that the resurgent Ethiopia team was back on the continental and world scene and the build up to the game was billed as such with the population being assured both by the coach (Sewnet Bishaw) and other local commentators of easy victory over the eagles.
Of course we all watched the game and found that the Super Eagles won the game 2-1 against the Walias. What is of interest are the events that followed the match and the type of analysis that we are receiving locally.
The Match:
We all agree that the Walias fielded a vastly improved side with accurate passing and fast swift football…they took the classic Super Eagles game and played it better than the Eagles. But we also saw that the Walias were operating against a mature Super Eagles squad. Why so? One could say that the Walias had superior ball control, but how can that be a measure of Superiority against the Super Eagles if we factor in the number of fouls committed in the process of winning and keeping the ball? Thus, throughout the first half, we saw the Walias give their best but also demonstrate the same mistakes that eventually led to the penalty award that decided the match in the favor of the Eagles.
Many have argued and complained about a supposed first goal that was not awarded by the Referee and thus have declared that Ethiopia lost the game because the Cameroonian Referee was biased. Of course technology showed us that the ball had crossed the line before the Nigerian defender got the ball out but the referee being a distance away did not see it, nor did the lines men and assistant referees indicate otherwise; thus we see that by an act of God, the goal was not allowed.
This has led to extreme disappointment for many who had paid so much to watch the Walias triumph over the Super Eagles. The Ethiopians are so upset that they have declared that the referee was biased and unjust as a result of which the Ethiopians intend to protest to CAF and FIFA; and so they should if indeed they fill that the refereeing on that specific matter was unjust…it is important that justice be seen to be done even in the matter of sports.
What is not acceptable is the unacceptable events and subsequent ‘racializing' of the game that followed. After the match, the Nigerian team bus was attacked as the Super Eagles left the stadium, leading to the injury of Nigeria's Nosa Igbeibo who plays for Real Betis. Also the car of a Nigerian diplomat working at the UNECA was crashed with stones as the Ethiopians attacked him…he had to flee for his life. The popular view on the streets of Addis is that the Walias lost the game because the Referee was Cameroonian and therefore biased against Ethiopia. This unacceptable view has not been helped by the comments of Coach Sewnet prominently posted on Facebook by the Ethipian diaspora community that the Walias lost the match because the referee was poor! The coach said nothing of the attack on the Nigerian team bus or the risk posed to Nigerian nationals who went to the Stadium to watch the match. And it appears that the proponents of that attack have forgotten that the Walias will visit Calabar in just one(1) month! Will they appreciate being stoned after the match? Will they appreciate it if the Super Eagles lodge a complaint against the Walias with FIFA and CAF as they now surely must given all the rhetoric from their Ethiopian Colleagues?
The popular view on the streets of Addis is that this Cameroonian referee is biased against Ethiopia because he was the same coach that awarded two penalties in Walias's match against the Super Eagles during the African Nations Cup tourney which the Walias lost 2-0 in favor of the Super Eagles. The people further hold that this is again the same coach that also awarded two penalties against the Walias in the Walias game against the Sudan National team during the Nations cup qualifiers. But in all this, no one is asking the obvious question: Why is Coach Sewnet not teaching the boys how to tackle properly and avoid conceding penalties in every game? Just watch the game against the Super Eagles and you would begin to imagine that it was wresting match for the Ethiopian side, not football…how many times they physically wrestled down Super Eagles players and even created two other potential penalties that the referee did not award (talk about bias!).
This then showed extremely poor sportsmanship on the part of Coach Sewnet! And these events and lack of Sportsmanship begs a question: Do we have to bring a white coach from Europe or a referee from Arabia or Isreal for the Ethiopians to accept that the match referee was fair? FIFA and CAF can draw referees for the African game only from its own pool of Referees. Also, why should the human factor become an issue in this game? We have seen many times in Premier League games, World Cup games and African Cup of Nation Games that certain goals were not allowed because of a similar situation; that the referees on the ground did not deem the ball to have been a score even though technology says otherwise!
As a Nigerian living in Ethiopia for over 20 years, my heart really pined for both teams. I will be proud for my homeland to win the game and go to Brazil while at the same time, I wanted my adopted country to also go to Brazil; and I believe that the Walias really put up their best performance yet against the Nigerian team but it was not to be their day. If as Ethiopians we are watching impartially, we must see the flaw in the Ethiopian play and urge coach Sewnet to finish the Job that Ethiopians have entrusted to him.
Coach Sewnet has presided over a vastly improved Walias team that Ethiopians can be proud of but their play has serious flaws that require attention and this is what Coach Sewnet must pay attention to for now. For example, if you watch their game against the Super Eagles, you can't help but feel that these boys need to learn how to tackle for the ball without conceding fouls. Also, why are the Walias conceding so many penalties in each game? Coach Sewnet needs to combine accurate passing with fine play if he is to stand up to the big boys of Soccer on the continent.
As Ethiopians, we should urge Sewnet to stop making unhelpful comments and to stop trying to use the referee to cover himself: he should concentrate on strengthening the boys for the return leg against the Eagles in Calabar on November 16th.
We need to see the Walias beat the Super Eagles hands down, not with questionable goals that people will debate whether the ball had crossed the line or not but with clean cut classic goals that people can see clearly behind the net (picture the goals of the Super Eagles in the game and then compare those with the goals that the Walias made!)
The Walias have shown that they are capable of playing the Super Eagles. Now do your job and finish it properly Coach Sewnet! It is obvious that the team is somewhat not yet ready to take on very experienced teams on home ground and you still have more work to do. The Walias still stand a chance – they must beat the Super Eagles 2-0 in Calabar and I can tell you the Super Eagles are already preparing, so Coach Sewnet, please stop the rhetoric and prepare the boys for the return leg.
The verdict: The Super Eagles 2. The Walias 1. The Super Eagles win this time!