THE BEAUTIFUL MEMORIES OF SOCCER

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There is more to Soccer than 11 players running against 11 other players just to put the ball in the net. Soccer is beautiful, fun and interesting as a fan of a team and club, as a supporter of the sports and from the experiences I have had over the years. I was very little when Nigeria played in U.S.A 1994 world cup. My area was suffering from light shortage. I can remember my father carrying our television to the nearest filing station to join hundreds of people to watch our country play.

Not to forget Atlanta 1996, it was the Olympics Semi-final match between Nigeria and Brazil. We were complete underdog against a strong team that had Bebeto, Rivaldo, Ronaldo, Carlos and others. We had Okocha, Kanu and others. The tension on my body that evening was enough to power up a transformer. Three goals entered our net and our fears have finally come to pass. I was munching Eclairs sweet to calm myself down and Nigeria equalised then eventually won the match. As late as it was, we went outside to the streets to celebrate the win for hours. It was a great moment for my country. The final was between Argentina and Nigeria - the likes of Ortega and Crespo. What do you tell god of defeat? Not today, Nigeria won the match.

These beautiful memories of our favourite sport bring goosebumps to my skin. I can also remember Nigeria versus Greece, the match was 2 am and there was school the next day. My parents woke me up to watch the match, I was surprised because of their stand on sleeping late during school week. I can remember Finidi scoring a beautiful goal that caused uproar in my area. We thought everyone was sleeping until the goal came in and there was shout of joy everywhere even at that odd hour. Football brings alot of beautiful memories to me that make me smile. Even though I am not enthusiastic about my team playing like I used to, I still can't resist watching my team play. Even though they make my blood pressure rise, I still find delight in the jersey and the team.