Ethiopia vs. Nigeria (Ethiopia win 2-0)

Ethiopian Antelopes will host the Nigerian Eagles at Addis Ababa tomorrow on their world cup qualifier. The second game will be in Nigeria in November and the better of the two will qualify to the world cup in Brazil this summer. For Ethiopia it would be the first time ever to ever qualify so help us God! Why will the Ethiopian Antelopes beat the Nigerian Eagles? Well…first let’s remember a little embarrassing history that the Nigerians played on the Ethiopians before when the two met some years ago.

There is a history when the Ethiopians went to play Nigeria before, the Nigerians apparently threw bread at the Ethiopian players to suggest and mock the infamous Ethiopian famine to get to the players head. That wasn’t the only trick they played on the Ethiopian Antelopes. They (the Nigerian fans from the stands) also apparently kept on blowing the whistle anytime that an Ethiopian striker gets close to scoring on the Nigerian goal, then the Ethiopian strikers would stop, thinking it was a whistle from the official referees. 

The worst part of the tricks was when Ethiopia hosted Nigeria at home in Addis Ababa. The Ethiopians tried to do the same thing and a fan from the stands blew a whistle when the Nigerian striker was close to score on the Ethiopian goal. As soon as the whistle was blown, the Nigerian striker didn’t stop, instead the Ethiopian goalie stopped playing thinking it was an official whistle giving the Nigerian striker a free goal to score on.  A huge lesson from this is, you can’t do someone else plan or trick and hope it will work on others the way it worked on you. One can only travel through one’s own vision and implement one’s ideal plans.

 This time around our Walias (Antelopes) are implementing their own plan and playing their own game and not someone else’s. I actually believe although the Nigerians were the Champions of the African Cup of Nations just this year and are considered one of the strongest teams, I think for Ethiopia it is one of the teams that we are better off facing. Here is why I believe our Walias will actually beat the Eagles. The Nigerians confidence should be high for the right reasons, they beat us 3-0 during the African Cup of Nations and apparently the polls in Nigeria showed Ethiopia was their number one choice to be drawn against, long before the draw. This should have its own effect coming to our own home and finding out a more confident Ethiopian team surrounded with some of the most fanatic football fans in the entire world. The Ethiopians also know they could actually play on the same level as the Nigerians and although we lost 3-0 against them in South Africa, our players am sure know, they played better game until the 75 minute, and what I believe let us down was not lack of ability, but rather lack of experience. Since then our players have improved and seem to get the idea that the game is over only when the final whistle is blown.

The Ethiopian Walias should also be thinking this is their time for revenge to earn their respect by sending the Eagles home more humble or however you see it. Not only that, but our players know the stakes are high, they have an opportunity to take their country to Brazil for the first time ever and they are too darn close not to. This being the first of two games hosted in their own crappy field where they know where the wholes are, there is nothing on their minds but a win, end of story.

Around here, it is going crazy, people have been chanting and singing on the streets dressed in their Ethiopian Jerseys for days now. I have heard, some people have been praying and not even eating, and about 100 of students travelled by foot from Adama University to get to the Stadium and watch their Walias beat Nigeria. How far is Adama University from the Addis Ababa Stadium you may ask? 100km. After having travelled for three straight days, the students arrived safely in Addis last night. I was lucky enough to be in Meskel Square by coincidence and the faith and the positive energy of people like those students will sure count for an Ethiopian 2-0 win over Nigeria. You heard it here first J. Amlake hoy ende balefew adrgln….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXlH6dzEPRg

Cheers,

Daniel