Football is the world most cherished sports. No wonder it was the first sports with a world governing body ( FIFA). I am not a die-hard fan of any club, but these lessons I have to learn from football is worth sharing.
Nothing last forever: No single nation or team has been champion forever nor has there been a single-player reigning as world best, as the Holy Scriptures rightly said in Ecclesiastes 3:1 “there is time and season for everything under the sun’’. The era of Pele, Maradona and Zidane are no more. After Messi and Ronaldo, new legends will emerge. Records are been broken and new ones are set. In life no matter how famous you will be, no matter how high you will go one day another person will reign in your place. Today you will be hailed but tomorrow you will be forgotten.
Patient factor: Leo Tolstoy was right when he said “The two most powerful warriors are patience and time”. The first time I watched Muller play for the national team, I taught he was not worth the call-up. Years later he proved me wrong and I cherished his fighting spirit, positioning and teamwork. It took Ivanovic who was then a bench warmer just one match to move from grass to grace. In life, you don’t have to rush to be successful. You only have to focus on your passion, be consistent and work hard. You might be in the queue but it will surely reach your turn.
Never give up: I hope you recall the famous UEFA Champions League final between Liverpool and AC Milan in 2007. Liverpool was down by three goals in the first half rose up to be crowned champions. Not long ago Liverpool again overturned a three goals defeat from away to win by four goals at home against mighty Barcelona. Defeat is a state of the mind; never give it a chance in your life. You have to press on in life against all odds to accomplish the impossible.
Planning: The foundational stone of all successful men is planning. I agree with what Zig Ziglar said. “You need a plan to build a house. To build a life, it is even more important to have a plan or goal.” Teams that win cups have to prepare because nothing is achieved on a silver platter. A classical example is how German won the 2018 world cup. They groomed a group of young guys and they persistently worked hard to be world champions. “Planning takes a man from where he is to where he is going’’.
Teamwork counts: Selfishness has no role in a successful life. No player can dribble from the goalkeeper area to his opponent’s goal post. There have to be an exchange of passes among teammates mix with creativity and skills. Whether at home, at the workplace or community, we have to work as a team for a common goal. “Together we build; divided we fall.”
Self-Discipline: ‘‘Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment’’. On and off the pitch discipline acts as a major influence on the players. Players such as Adriano started well but could not reach their peak as a result of some indiscipline. ‘‘Ability may get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there.’’ You have to be self-discipline so far as you want to be great. Charisma without character is doom for success.
Luck counts. From Ecclesiastes 9:11 ‘‘Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favour to the men of skill; but time and chance happen to them all. How Chelsea won the Champions league in 2011 was just a miracle. There was no unique thing about that team compared to their previous years. From the round of 16 through to the final you could see they benefitted from luck. At the end of the day, they have crowned champions of Europe . Sometimes it’s not how hard you press on but favour from above.
Most fans watch just watch football for entertainment purpose. Aside from the entertainment aspect, football has a lot of lessons we must emulate to build ourselves and our nation.
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