#8: obiaa nye obiaa
Translation from Twi, spoken in Ghana: "Nobody is anybody - we're all equal".
What a wonderful phrase, and an elegant way to put the World Cup in perspective. And why it is so much more captivating than to watch elite superstars assembled by petro-dollars and billionnaire-patrons battle among themselves in lop-sided national leagues. I'd take Ghana any day over Chelsea, Real Madrid, the Yankees, and the Lakers.
In every WC there is one team or another that embodies the pure spirit of the sport. Corporate sponsorship, endorsements, reputations, and egos – all take a back seat. Remember Roger Milla of Cameroon? He remains my hero of WC1994 for reminding the mighty Argentinians the perils of underestimating the "nobody".
And I won't get started on how it is anything but equal in other aspects of life – among countries, among regions, among people. "Obiaa nye obiaa" shall remain a utopia. I am just glad that every four years, I get to share a piece of that dream.
What a wonderful phrase, and an elegant way to put the World Cup in perspective. And why it is so much more captivating than to watch elite superstars assembled by petro-dollars and billionnaire-patrons battle among themselves in lop-sided national leagues. I'd take Ghana any day over Chelsea, Real Madrid, the Yankees, and the Lakers.
In every WC there is one team or another that embodies the pure spirit of the sport. Corporate sponsorship, endorsements, reputations, and egos – all take a back seat. Remember Roger Milla of Cameroon? He remains my hero of WC1994 for reminding the mighty Argentinians the perils of underestimating the "nobody".
And I won't get started on how it is anything but equal in other aspects of life – among countries, among regions, among people. "Obiaa nye obiaa" shall remain a utopia. I am just glad that every four years, I get to share a piece of that dream.
Labels: sportif
1 Comments:
...and what a unifying force The Black Stars have been here in Ghana. Regional cleavages sound muted - for now. (Soumya's correspondent reporting live in Accra, Ghana)
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