It was a glorious end to a fantastic experience. South Africa 2010 has proved all critics and sceptics wrong. As the cost benefit analysis is now being computed, as four weeks of an unforgettable experience is gradually receding into a recess in the mind, as the world starts to imagine what will happen in Brazil in 2014, so am I wondering what I will now be doing for the next four years before Brazil 2014. For the serious nations the work and preparations for the 2014 World Cup have already begun. Thats what I should do – join with others to ensure that Nigeria’s Super Eagles get to that World Cup and do better than they did this last time in South Africa.

But as I think about it, I intend to bring down the curtains on the journey I had taken my readers through these past five weeks on this page, where we have looked at the World Cup through the prism of my eyes. I hope you enjoyed this World Cup package – the people, the places, the conversations, the Super Eagles! And life after the World Cup!

My Players of the  2010 World Cup

The 2010 World Cup did not throw up very many new players with extra-ordinary ability. There was too much passing of the ball rather than a display of individual brilliance and expressiveness. There were a few players though that managed to put in solo acts even when the rest of their teams are in their boring passing mode.

1. Vincent Enyeama. even with the hazardous impact of the Jabulani that made goalkeeping a nightmare for many goalkeepers during the World Cup, Vincent managed to put up some terrific performances. He, indeed,  turned out to be a showman of some sort (forget the serious unsmiling look on his face all the time. It was part of his act). His confidence in goal was awesome. I thought he was exceptionally brilliant in the first two matches. Even in the last match against South Korea, when his luck ran out and he fell victim to the Jabulani-swerve and conceded some relatively ‘easy’ goals, he still impressed everyone. One of his saves, the one against Lionel Messi’s bended ball that was curving wickedly towards the far end  of the far post but which he tipped away, flying literarily to do so, with his outstretched fingers, has been listed as one of the best saves of the 2010 World Cup. No other Nigeria was good enough to attract such lavish encomiums or even attention.

2. Iniesta. In my humble opinion Iniesta has not received the commendation he truly deserves from this World Cup. He is, in my reckoning, the most effective and influential player of the tournament. In the heart of the Spanish midfield he kept the engine room of the team running. Nothing happened there without his input. He was the conductor and the brain of the team.  It is only fitting that the goal that confirmed Spain’s superiority over Holland in the final match was scored by the man himself. If there is a likely successor to Messi as World Footballer of 2010 it should and would be Iniesta.

3. Forlan. I agree with every assessment that Forlan took the World Cup by storm, and held spectators captive by his industry and extravagant skills. In this World Cup he managed to establish himself as a world-class player. Because such a performance was not expected before the championship started his choice as player of the tournament can be justified.

4. Messi. Until the capitulation of Argentina to the firepower and tactical superiority of the German machine. Messi had held the world spellbound with his silky skills, his deft touches on the ball, his wizardry dribbling skills, and his delicate passing. There is no other player quite in the same class as Lionel Messi in the world and but for the average performance of the Argentinian team Messi would have been the one to win the World Cup for Argentina. He turned the field into his circus and entertained like no other player in the championship.

Coach of the World Cup

For me there was only one coach at the World Cup.  And I remember him but not for the brilliance of his team but rather for his theatrics. This has not been the World Cup of coaches. The only face that comes readily to mind after 64 games is not even that of the coach of the winning team, Spain! It is that of a man on the sidelines who only comes alive when his team scores. His little dance, scream, run, go-mad-briefly theatrics plus his over-size suits mark him out! Why wear oversize suits? That I cannot understand. Throughout the championship, my one great wish was to get close to him on the sidelines, or be a fly on the wall and listen to him deliver his team talk to the players.  What would Maradona tell his players. Would it be purely technical, or inspirational? His team exhibited very little of both, so I wonder!  Without question the disjointed and one-gear-only performance of the Argentine team must be attributed to Maradona’s inability to translate his personal experience and knowledge of the game into the players.

Peering into my Crystal Ball!

Nigeria. Nigeria shall qualify for the 2014 World Cup. It would not be a tortuous or even torturous route. It will be a largely new team with Nsofor leading the attack and Mikel Obi as its brand new captain.  It will still have Sani Kaita in its makeup and he will be a strong member of the team. Finally, the team that should have played the 2010 championship will come together to make up the Eagles that will put up an impressive run to qualify for the 2014 World Cup and do well (at least go beyond the first round) in it. The new Eagles take Nigeria to the top ten ranking in the world with proper planning and will get to the finals of one of the two African Cup of Nations preceding the World Cup. They may even win one with a little bit of luck.

The Falcons and Falconets! Phew! The Nigerian Falconets playing in the Under-20 female World Cup in Germany have been phenomenal. Unfortunately, the team is not immune from the virus that has afflicted all of football in Nigeria – that of inauthenticity, but the situation is a lot better here than amongst the male.  Without  doubt this is the best female team Nigeria has ever produced! They are skilful, athletic and very hardworking. There is some tactical innocence in the team’s that has become a national malaise and that will reduce the full effectiveness of the team. This is a reflection of the limitation in the coaching capacity in the country.

Otherwise, the Falconets could easily become World Under-20 Champions. Having said that, one must acknowledge that the team is a delight to watch and that they will provide Nigerians with great entertainment for some years to come!

Ghana. Ghanaian football is on the upward swing. There is a well established programme of development in place at the moment with several institutionalised academies funded by foreign organisations and clubs around the country. The system will impact both male and female football and would continue to throw up good players. The national spirit reflected in the manner of the national team’s performances will propel them to the top of African football as well as possibly a place in the quarter or even semi-finals of the World Cup. There is still some tinkering to be done to improve the tactical depth of the Black Stars. They are sacrificing the natural abundant individual artistry of the players for physical power play. This makes the team difficult to play against, less attractive to watch and less effective in the attacking options. This downplays the natural strong points of the players! A little more style and showmanship can do no harm. Indeed, it can make the Ghanaian team stronger and more marketable!

Brazil. Brazil will host the 2014 World Cup. They will probably win it! But not with the present team that does not have great depth in terms of quality players. I foresee a complete overhaul of the team with a new generation as an aftermath of the poor outing in South Africa. The country has such a deep reservoir of talent that this can actually happen very fast indeed.

Germany. Germany will be a hard nut to crack in Brazil. Their development programme that was started rafter the disastrous outing of the team in 2002 will come to full maturity. The world saw a glimpse of that machine in South Africa. But I think there is still one season of the World Cup yet to go before they reach full maturity. Depending on the luck of the draws, I see them getting to the finals of the next World Cup!

Spain.  Spain shall continue to their dominance of European and World football for the next few years. Their adopted playing style will shape world football for some years to come. They have mastered the art of the quick movements and quick passing! Into the next World Cup they will remain a major force!

England. I don’t know what to make of this immensely talented team on paper but poor performers on the field. The Premiership and, indeed, the whole of English football place too much emphasis on the business side of  football to the detriment of the grassroots of English football. This will continue to affect the England national team for some time to come until a balance is found.

Curtains

I wake up this morning. I head downstairs in the manner that has been my style these past five weeks since the World Cup started. I pick up the newspapers in the lounge along the way.  I open to the back pages first. They are now empty of all the screaming headlines from South Africa. It is now all about the NFF elections and the long list of contenders for a seat on the Executive Committee. I head for the sitting room and switch on the television set. I flip, as usual through the sports channels. For the first time in five weeks too, They are empty too of football matches from South Africa. I look around the room. The lone Vuvuzela resting against the wall on the shelf is the lone reminder of South Africa only one week after the most beautiful and exciting World Cup I have ever seen.  A few months and years ago it was like it would never come, now it has come and gone! Indeed, the matches are over. The winner and the losers have now all gone back to savour their victories or to lick their wounds and I am left alone to fill the emptiness!

It is over. Yes, the World Cup South Africa 2010 is over!