Whether you call it football or soccer, getting to play the round leather game can be rough. It looks more like a battle of brawn rather than brain. That is why youths who indulge in it go for physical fitness tests. Let us look at 2 outstanding cases. While Nigeria’s Leon Balogun and his teammates are smiling all the way to Russia, the famed Italian goalkeeper, Gian Buffon, and the Azzurri, are in mourning. You certainly know why. First, Leon, the lad who skippered the Super Eagles last weekend, has dedicated Nigeria’s unbeaten run in the 2018 World Cup qualification series to the Wolverhampton Wanderers goalkeeper, Carl Ikeme, who has been sick.
For the first time in history, Nigeria’s Super Eagles finished the qualification series without losing any match. Even when there was nothing much at stake, the team secured 1-1 draw against Algeria in the Stade Mohamed Hamlaoui, firmly maintaining its position as Group B leaders with 14 points from six games.
The lad, Leon Balogun who captained Gernot Rohr’s men against the Desert Foxes one week ago, paid tribute to Carl Ikeme who has been out of action since July after being diagnosed with acute leukaemia. The 31-year-old goalkeeper featured in three World Cup qualifying games for the Super Eagles before starting chemotherapy.
“Proud to have captained my country today and remain unbeaten at @FIFAWorldCup qualifiers. The road to Russia was an exciting and even more successful one. I dedicate this achievement to our team mate @Carl_Ikeme who started this journey with us. This one’s for you bro,” Balogun tweeted. You cannot easily beat such emotional outburst.
Now, this one – For the first time in 60 years, one of the soccer giants in Europe, the Azzurri of Italy – which won the trophy in 1934, 1938, 1982 and 2006 – will miss out on the World Cup stage in Russia.
“I’m not sorry for myself but all of Italian football, because we failed at something which also means something on a social level,” said an emotional Gian Buffon, who says it is time for him to retire. The 39-year-old goalkeeper, who lifted the 2006 World Cup in Germany, had been hoping to compete in a record sixth World Cup appearance. With 175 international caps, Buffon had already announced that the World Cup finals in Russia would be his last.
Coach Gian Ventura also said he would consider his future after the Azzurri drew 0-0 last Monday, in the second leg of their tie with Sweden, which qualified 1-0 on aggregate. The last time Italy failed to qualify for the World Cup was in 1958 but the team has played every other edition apart from the inaugural tournament in 1930.
Last Monday’s game at Milan’s San Siro stadium witnessed a generational shift for Italy, with Buffon and fellow 2006 veterans, Andrea Barzagli and Daniele De Rossi all quitting the team, while Giorgio Chiellini also hung up his Azzurri jersey. “The era of four or five veterans comes to a close, the one of the hungry young players coming through begins and that’s how it should be,” said Ventura, who took over from Chelsea coach Antonio Conte in 2016 with a contract until June 2020.
Italian media did not take the development lightly. “Italy, this is the apocalypse,” ran a headline on the website of sports daily Gazzetta dello Sport. “Wasted chances, a bit of bad luck but zero goals in 180 minutes against the Swedes, who will go to Russia,” Gazzetta commented.
Corriere dello Sport, said it will be painful for the country to be on the sidelines when the World Cup kicks off in Russia in June, 2018. “It is an intolerable football shame, an indelible stain”, the newspaper said. “It is over. Apocalypse, tragedy, catastrophe.” What else can anyone say?
