Chief Titus Ale
by Chief Titus Ale 28th December 2022
written by Chief Titus Ale
Messi is not the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) footballer by my own assessment because, Messi has never done anything different from what Pele and Maradona have done in their soccer exploits. As a matter of fact, what we have on records are quite many achievements that these great footballers have achieved which Messi have never moved closer to in terms of accomplishment.
I sincerely know that the issue caused by this profound blindfold is borne out of a generational gap. Most of you guys shouting "unbelievable" in this generation were singing praises in heaven in 1958, 1962 and 1970 when Pele was singlehandedly ruling the World of Soccer with which he captured three World Cups. Some of you were not yet born when Maradona waltzed through the team defenses in 1982, 1986 like an enigma that he was.
So, I find it difficult to fathom the sense of judgment that will ignore a trailblazer or a pathfinder and put an apprentice or a grandchild over his ancestors.
Well, it's not as if I'm not a Messi fan. But, let's be factual. Someone like me has had the privilege of seeing through the entire generational display of their quality soccer display. So, I know who holds the mastery of what we used to call the Zagalo "the Bicycle Kick". Back heel, the Banana Kick, the Mark Out etc.
How could Messi be the greatest of all time? In comparison to who? To Christiano Ronaldo? What are his statistics compared to Pele? Pele scored 1284 goals through his football career while Messi had scored over 700 goals. Pele had about 92 hat-tricks while Messi has 53. Pele won three World Cups at age 30 while Messi just won one at age 35.
Edson Arantes do Nascimento, known as Pelé
Pele was the only player declared a National Treasure by his country. Pele was the only soccer player for whom a referee was expelled in a game. Pele was the only player in history that ever dribbled 9 players and scored a goal (Maracana Stadium in 1961). Pele was the only player in history for who Queen of England broke protocol just to shake his hands. Pele was the only player in history to be married by the POPE a second time to the same woman as recognition of his greatness. Pele was the only player in history for whom a war was stopped in order to watch him play – The Nigerian Civil War – only for the war to resume thereafter.
I can go on and on. Please things have to be put in perspective. In my humble submission, Messi is truly an icon and a Soccer maestro in the mould of the past Soccer heroes but never the greatest of all.
28th December 2022 0 comment
2019 AFCON: Ecstasy, Slips And Tragedies of the Game
by Chief Titus Ale 20th July 2019
I welcome you to this 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON, the 32nd edition of its kind.
Since the biennial international men's football championship started in 1957 this edition will go into record as the first to have 24 teams as participants.
The championship kicked off on 21st June and with barely few days to round up, it has so far witnessed barrages of ecstasy, slips, tragedies and disappointment.
One great moment of excitement was the opening ceremony where the Egyptian government and her citizens gave a good account of themselves. Her hosting facilities were close to near perfection in terms of organisation, planning and logistics.
Egyptians have in many cases received commendation for their notable hospitality and friendliness. But the thunder struck that moment in the AFCON's Round of 16 when Bafana Bafana of South Africa eliminated the Pharaohs of Egypt. That is exactly the turning point. Things fell apart, and the centre could no longer hold. The 'tsunami' that followed the defeat of the hosting team was better imagined than real.
You will recollect that Egypt has won the AFCON on seven occasions, which made them believe this edition will make it the icing on their cake for the 8th time, but alas! It was never to be.
Immediately South Africa pipped Egypt 1-0, the President of the Egyptian Football Federation sacked the Pharaohs Coach Javier Aguirre and he himself resigned from his post as the Egyptian Football President. The Egyptian Sports ministry was closed down and the entire nation plunged into mourning. What a soccer tragedy!
There were other casualties in similar scenario. With less than four days to the final and last game of the 2019 AFCON, I can inform you that not less than 6 Managers and Coaches of some of these national teams have lost their jobs; Guinean Syli Stars Coach Paul Put, Nigerian born Taifa Stars of Tanzania, Emmanuel Amuneke, the Dutch Coach of Cameroun Clarence Seedorf, while the fate of South African Coach Stuart Baxter and Super Eagles Gernot Rohr precariously hangs in the balance.
Such development may not come to the lovers of the game as a surprise, this is because the maxim of football management hinges on the fact that, "A coach is as good as his last match". A coach is never honoured or hired based on his past or lost glory. This invariably leads to the trending issue in Nigeria as regards whether Gernot Rohr should be sacked or be retained as Super Eagles technical adviser after the 2019 AFCON championship.
Let me make my opinion known that this will not be the first time Nigeria will be having a coach that is clueless and tactically poor in championship games. Clemens Westerhof found himself in same situation in 1990 & 1992 AFCON championship games where he lost top matches simply because he was technically bereft. This was what led Westerhof to hire the services of fellow country man Jo Bonfrere who was a pure tactician and ardent reader of football matches.
This of course yielded massive results for Nigeria in 1994 AFCON & WORLD CUP as well as Olympics Soccer Gold medal in 1996. So, someone like me would rather wish the technical crew of Gernot Rohr be beefed up or be upgraded as suggested through refresher courses. But given the kind of Nigerian environment and impatience for results, I would prefer the former solution of hiring a tactician for Rohr.
We need to take into consideration the high points of Mr Rohr. Despite the fact that he is not so tactically strong in championships, Rohr has opened up some dead end which before now remained untouchable or unreachable. It is on record that Rohr has returned Super Eagles to a fertile ground where at least three players are made to jostle for a Jersey, where no player can no longer take the nation for a ride.
We should never lose sight of the rare privilege given to us by Gernot Rohr that gave us easy qualifications for AFCON & WORLD CUP without employing unnecessary permutations and calculation in football.
I'm not head over heels for Gernot Rohr. Much as I appreciate Mr Rohr's humility and gentleness, I have a distaste for his reckless speech each time he fumbles. One of such dirty statements was the one quoted: "Am not ashamed to lose 0-2 to a Madagascar's team".
A statement like that is nothing short of deriding a soccer loving nation like Nigeria. It is a way of rubbing salt on the injury of Nigerian citizens. Nigerians would not take such unguarded statement from him. Nigeria can be so magnanimous but at the same time be cocky when it gets to the soccer arena. Nigeria has come a long way.
Meanwhile, I think it will not be out of order to drop some suggestions for Mr Rohr in this direction for the Super Eagles to achieve its long lost compactness on the field of play.
Dead Balls: I suggest Rohr works seriously on his players on how to maximize the benefits of Set Pieces in games. Free Kicks, Corner Kicks, Indirect Kicks etc. should be taken as potential means of goal scoring. Since the exit of Christian Chukwu and Austin Okocha nobody has surfaced again.
HEIGHTS: I can see the coach already working in getting skillful players with appreciable heights into the team, let him continue in this direction, this will eventually yield for the team the dividend of getting some goals via headings just like in the days of Mathematical Segun Odegbami, Thompson Usiyen, Emmanuel Amuneke, Mutiu Adepoju etc. Nigeria team needs those flavours once again.
While rounding up, I have to commend the patriotic instinct of Super Eagles Supporters. These people are too selfless and loving. These supporters have constituted and grown to become a factor one cannot whisk away in any of Super Eagles game. Kudos to these family men and women. Nwankwo Kanu's yeoman's job in Cairo will not go unnoticed as well. More respect for the Soccer Ambassador.
FOR THE RECORDS:
Nigeria has really gotten the bragging right in world football for an African country.
YOU CAN'T BEAT THE RECORD! 👇
– 3 AFCON Gold,
– 4 AFCON Silver,
– 8 AFCON Bronze,
– 9 AWCON,
– 2 U-20 Women's world cup Silver.
– 7 U-20 AFCON championshU-20
– 4 U-17 AFCON championship,
– 1 Olympic gold,
– 1 Olympic silver,
– 1 Olympic Bronze.
– 5 FIFA U-17 world cup,
– 3 FIFA U-17 World cup silver,
– Highest FIFA ranking peak achieved by an African country (5th in the world, 1994),
– African footballer of the year ( 'players' crowned 6 times),
– Best entertaining team of the tournament at FIFA World Cup USA '94,
– Best entertaining team at Atlanta Olympics '96,
that's not all….
– AFCON highest goal scorers (our 'players' hit the bulls eyes more than any African country, 7 times; and Ighalo grabbed the trophy in Egypt).
20th July 2019 0 comment
Death is an inevitable end for any living soul. One of the painful distastes it leaves behind is the agony of a vacuum it forcefully creates without any option for either the family or the community.
Since the exit of some notable music celebrities from Nigerian domestic scene, it has become pretty difficult to ascertain whether the proverbial rolling stone of Nigerian music is truly progressing or gradually fading away, gathering no moss. To me, according to the facts and figures we have on ground there's one undebatable fact that if Nigerian music would not be said to be fading and retrogressing, definitely it has lost its cutting edge.
When comparative analysis is drawn between the post independence and this digital age, what is being served today in terms of lyrics, depth, content, rhythms, focus, influence, direction, education and message scores below average.
Two decades ago some of us started raising alarm on the deteriorating and depreciating state of Nigerian music, going by the rate at which it started losing its flavour and content, but it seemed no one cares. Today, the Nigerian music scene is a shadow of itself.
A nation hitherto blessed and endowed with creative artistes across the various genres of music such as the people's mouthpiece Fela Anikulapo Kuti, a Freedom Fighter in the mould of Sunny Okosuns, Moralist/Social Crusader, Christy Essien Igbokwe, Nico Mbarga, have lost its touch, essence, value and impact on the same generation it is supposed to guide.
Where are the likes of highly philosophical songs of late Haruna Ishola, Stephen Osadebe and Yusuf Olatunji?
I have heard some of our leaders confessing to inspirational and motivational tonic drawn from the rhythmic and lyrical succour of that Juju music maestro, Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey. Unfortunately, what abounds today in the name of music production is an empty vessel, barrage of unwarranted noisemaking and decorated eggshells without yoke.
I can remember how musicians of old have had to oblige themselves by looking into the society, people's sufferings and societal challenges to make a balanced report in their albums. By so doing, these 'learned' musicians would end up educating, informing and enlightening the populace. Most importantly they will end up assuaging the feelings of the citizens which invariably will boost the patriotic instincts as well as build trust in the government of the day.
Today, such sense of duty has been lost which is a reason why this generation is suffering.
The present melancholic atmosphere as generated by the global economy has plunged all human endeavours including music industry into a state of depression, undue aggression and pitiable recession. The pathetic story about this development is how we all stand aside and look. As it is, we are all culpable if we stand akimbo and become indifferent to how all factors and agents of anti-depression are allowed to be washed away.
Music, without doubt is a powerful antidepressant. Not only that, music has been discovered to be a strong communication link, a potent force in generational gap. Lately, the country is awashed with stories of suicide cases among teenagers and other Juvenile Delinquencies. It is my belief that such decadence is largely due to the failure and collapse of our aesthetic values, of which music plays a predominant role.
You will agree with me that music teaches, educates, heals, soothes, relieves, inspires, grows, corrects and enlightens. Yeah, music elevates the spirit and leads the spirit aright. Music salvages broken and confused heart from destruction.
In this age, the best form of communication a teenager understands and enjoys much better is done through his/her earphone device. Fact is, these teenagers will listen with rapt attention to their friends, peers, colleagues and music better than their parents, teachers and even the society.
Why can't we come to their level of communication if that's what it will cost us to save this generation from all the suicide mission of this world. It is time to return music to its good old days. The days of in depth lyrics, quality content and compact rhythms.
Arise, Broadcasters!
The culpable crime among today's broadcasting stations is as tragic as painful. These professionals have opted out of serving the public with rich and valuable music in search of empty junks and hollow music being served now, under the guise of creating and providing 'trending music'.
Nowadays, to make matters worse, any piece of music goes on air regardless of its vulgarity and obscenity, once the singer is able to pay the bill . This has been the psychological oppression the viewers and listeners are subjected to, with no less pretence by the government owned Radio and Television stations at the expense of tax payers money.
The tragedy now is, where comes the inspirational flow of this present generation? Where lies the creative source of the present-day youth? I know the answer is blowing in the wind. The ANSWER is nothing but only that empty bombardment of heavy digitalised electric drums that can only find solace in the eardrums of shisha smokers. Don't ever stop the ever-soothing, healing, inspirational music. There lies the fond memories of yesterday, strength for today and the vision for tomorrow.
If music is food of love, play on, and give me the excess of it.