Being a sort of football fan of the old order I watched much of the recent African Cup of Nations tournament. I can tell you I’m one of those delighted that the hosts made sure the cup stayed in Abidjan. Having put so much effort and preparation in hosting the tournament, and the emotional support of Ivoirians who remained behind their team all makes it a well-deserved victory. As I was saying though I watched many of the games I’ve to admit I was no fan of any single team. I made my choice only a couple of hours before matches. Now you would be pardoned to think that I would pick the stronger team because of that natural urge to be on the winning side. It could be argued that no one would opt to cheer a side that would definitely lose the only outstanding question being how much torment their poor goalie would suffer.
And who do I choose? I almost always choose the underdogs! This is not about being a nice, considerate guy. It’s not about fair justice genes in me going on a riot. “Stand with the oppressed! Down with the oppressors on the football pitch!” It’s all about enjoying the game. I mean when you think that the stronger team would win by a wide margin and it still wins buy a wide margin that’s no news. “So what! You tell me the sun would rise from the east the next morning and it rises from the east; what’s news about that?” So the powerful beating the weak is no big deal. Big deal is when the powerful are beaten black and blue by the supposedly weak! You know, like the David and Goliath scenario!
So you might ask what really reason to cheer the underdogs when you’ll have your day in the sun by supporting the heavyweights who’d definitely KO the weaklings in the first minute of the first round! Isn’t wining all that counts?
Well, winning is nice. But it is the road to the end, to the final whistle from the referee which makes games worth watching. I think real adventure in sports like football is being on the edge of your seat for much of the ninety minutes, finding it hard to breathe correctly now and then and the like. And the payoff would be the final result. That’s where the real fun comes if you, like some of us, choose to be behind the underdogs. And I can tell you this would be one win-win scenario even of the underdogs lose by whatever margin. “That’s one hell of a fight the kids put up! And they lost only by a single goal!” With the underdogs losing is subjective. What counts is the hell they gave the heavyweights.
Many times than not there is this biased conclusion from those people they call “pundits” or something like that. If the underdogs win their analysis comes not from the vantage point of the strengths of the underdogs who for all practical purposes were expected to lose, but from the supposed failings of the heavyweights. “Have you seen the center backs? They were practically nowhere and left the final third unattended and exposed the goalie!” But the goals didn’t come out of nowhere; their forwards had to go through all sorts of maneuvers to break through the iron wall defenses of the mighty and but the ball bend the goalie! It’s an astounding to realize that they aren’t given due credit. The analysis is seldom on how the forwards manage to score but about how the defenders failed to stop them because of not playing as he ‘pundits’ say they should have played.
In fact sometimes the analysis would be so hopelessly convoluted and virtual mess you wouldn’t be called to question for feeling the guys were suggesting some kind of outside intervention from whatever power! Anyways supporting the underdogs might not be something that gets you universal blessings. No way! I could just imagine the types of conversations like the one below;
“Why do you support the underdogs?
“Well, first they deserve supporters like all the other teams. Secondly the ultimate delight that comes from watching the underdogs beating the super teams is some delight that you don’t often experience.”
“Come on, between you and me, let’s be frank.”
“What are you suggesting?”
“I’m not suggesting anything; It’s only that I’ve this question nagging me. Are the reasons you just told me the real reasons?”
“I’m afraid I don’t get you. What are you driving at?”
“Look, I’m only asking you to confirm…”
“Hey, hold it! If you’re accusing me of something come with it.”
“You guys don’t want to be asked such questions, do you?”
“Cut that out! I’ve a feeling that you’ve formed your own opinion.”
“Ok, what I think about you guys always supporting the underdogs is that it’s not about the team but about yourselves.”
“And what are you implying?”
“I’m not implying anything. I’m telling you as it is. By supporting the underdogs your motivation is your selfish interest to seek enjoyment at the expense of others. I’ll say it again; what I conclude from your actions is that everything is about yourselves and not encouraging those you call the underdogs.”
“How the hell could you say that?”
Well you said the ultimate delight you get is at seeing underdogs win the day. That means you’re not actually concerned about their winning and increasing their points tally about you having a really good day at seeing the mighty teams beat the dust. Anyways, don’t take what I said personally. I just wanted to get things off my chest. I hope you’re not offended.”
“Never! Don’t mention it.”
Anyways cheering the underdogs could be as enjoyable as cheering the home to team, as long as they cut the mighty ones to their sizes! Hmmm…!
After all that has been said there is one question that bothers most of us! When, oh when will we have a team that showers us with unlimited happiness and joy as the likes we have seen in Abidjan? The last time we won any cup was during the Fifteenth East and Central Africa Cup Ethiopia hosted I was the editor of the sports page of the English daily. The scenes that night when we finally took the cup after a tense penalty shootout are scenes I’ll never, ever forget!
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SUNDAY EDITION 18 FEBRUARY 2024