By OMOSEYE BOLAJI
Over this weekend I was discussing football with some South African pundits and one particular topic struck me - the way two goalkeepers had performed phenomenally in Europe as the European seasons start, more or less. It was good to see some focus on goalkeepers who are bulwarks of the defence!
Iker Casillas of Real Madrid and Spain was sensational as he helped his club to beat Bayern Munich on penalties away from home in Germany to win a Cup. Iker saved so many sure-fire "goals"; including a penalty award and follow-up! He was inspirational for new Coach Jose Mourinho
Meanwhile in England in the very first match of the new season, Manchester City's Joe Hart won so many hearts with his fantastic performance, diving like a salmon to parry goal-bound shots away and helping his club to an undeserved 0-0 draw with Tottenham Hotspurs. Who says goalkeepers can not be worth their weight in gold?
Countries like Nigeria and South Africa are blessed with excellent goalkeepers. The world saw Nigeria's Vincent Enyeama in wonderful form during the World Cup finals in South Africa, particularly during the first match with Argentina when Enyeama stopped so many goals, frustrating the great Lionel Messi time and again. South Africa can count on young Itumeleng Kuneng now, the latest in a long line of fine goalkeepers which include Andre Arendse and Brian Baloyi.
When I was a youngster I was well aware of the legendary status that enshrouded Nigerian goalkeeper Emmanuel Okala, who was a veritable giant and a stalwart in the Green (later Super) Eagles defence - right there in goal. As kids we were told that Okala was unbeatable, that he was an anjonnu (sort of wizard) that nobody could beat. The legend continued, though we saw with our own eyes Okala conceding goals every now and then for country and club (Rangers International in the 70s)
I can never forget the epic World Cup qualifying game which Nigeria had with Tunisia in 1977 - away in Tunis where Emmanuel Okala held sway in goal. He was in superb form and the much dreaded North Africans were held to a 0-0 draw in their own backyard by the Eagles. It was a wonderful result, but not enough to stop Nigeria from crashing out of the World Cup race eventually.
Incredibly some years later in the early 80's Emmanuel's younger brother, Patrick also became Nigerian goalkeeper and was also very reliable for the country; though he did not have the legendary status of his older brother. How well I remember the Eagles playing Morocco in early 1984 with Patrick Okala in superlative, unbelievable form refusing to concede goals against Morocco both at home and away. His prowess did seem magical. Peter Rufai also became a legend between the posts for Nigeria for many many years - even till the 1998 World Cup finals!
Goalkeepers, for their clubs, or country, when on song can perform marvels for their teams (as Hart and Iker showed over the weekend) But when they drop clangers they are pilloried to high heavens (eg Rob Green and the England "fiasco" against the USA at the last World Cup finals) Yet the legend of goalkeepers often lives on - just think Gordon Banks and his marvellous save against Pele in the 1970 World Cup finals!
Oh, the bastions!
Allow me to indulge myself and say "Happy Birthday!" to myself a bit in advance! Actually my birthday is tomorrow, Monday, August 16
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Sunday, August 1, 2010
SAGACIOUS SAWS
By OMOSEYE BOLAJI
“Ti bale ile bati’n fapari isu hon alejo, owe ile to lo nu”
- Yoruba Proverb
“The art of being a good guest is to know when to leave”-
- Prince Philip
The first aphorism above is an African (Yoruba) proverb, and the second quote has been made famous by an Englishman (Prince Philip). But the startling thing is that they mean more or less the same thing, eh?
Probably many of you out there are crying “foul” What is this? Though the Yorubas run into millions, there are countless millions who are not, and do not speak Yoruba. Here we can be intrigued by the one and only Ngugi wa Thiong’o who always says African languages must have primacy; and any translations would be diluted without the impact of the original.
Indeed this is often so. But since there are hundreds of languages in Africa alone, we have to make do with translations even if rather threadbare. So let us try to translate: “Ti bale ile bati’n fapari isu hon alejo, owe ile to lo nu” into English. We can say it means “When the grand host starts showing a shrivelled, truncated yam to the guest, it’s a covert way of telling the guest to depart!”
This is the same as what Prince Philip says; but the African version is more inventive and amusing. In parenthesis, the illustrious Chinua Achebe can reel out countless such inventive sayings by his own people, the Ibo (Igbo). No doubt this is the same all over Africa.
Sol Plaatje of South Africa, the first black man to produce a novel in English did all he could to highlight and preserve hundreds of Tshwana proverbs. Those in published form are also often inventive and intriguing.
But back to our proverb above, the Yoruba one. Many educated Yorubas will not be happy with the tentative translation into English. And millions of non- Nigerians too. For example the word “yam” which is referred to in the original ancestral proverb. It might sound incredible to many, but a very large number of Africans, including South Africans do not know what a yam is; have never seen one!
This might sound outrageous to Nigerians, and west Africans in general, but yam is not a staple food of countries like South Africa; it does not even grow there. But then again most Nigerians do not know good old pap (mealie meal), a staple for countless millions in southern Africa! But the problem still does not end here.
To appreciate the Yoruba proverb, one has to know what yam looks like, the stocky healthy one, its gratifying texture; its deep-seated, age-old, edifying role in many societies of yore. And even now! To be able to contrast wholesome, robust yams with the shrivelled ones. Perhaps with some imagination this can be achieved…
So back to the two “adages” quoted in the beginning of this piece. By now we can see how uncannily alike they are; from two completely different societies and cultures. “Do not over-stay your welcome!” Of course, the African (Yoruba) saying is more pithy and thought provoking. What do you think?
“Ti bale ile bati’n fapari isu hon alejo, owe ile to lo nu”
- Yoruba Proverb
“The art of being a good guest is to know when to leave”-
- Prince Philip
The first aphorism above is an African (Yoruba) proverb, and the second quote has been made famous by an Englishman (Prince Philip). But the startling thing is that they mean more or less the same thing, eh?
Probably many of you out there are crying “foul” What is this? Though the Yorubas run into millions, there are countless millions who are not, and do not speak Yoruba. Here we can be intrigued by the one and only Ngugi wa Thiong’o who always says African languages must have primacy; and any translations would be diluted without the impact of the original.
Indeed this is often so. But since there are hundreds of languages in Africa alone, we have to make do with translations even if rather threadbare. So let us try to translate: “Ti bale ile bati’n fapari isu hon alejo, owe ile to lo nu” into English. We can say it means “When the grand host starts showing a shrivelled, truncated yam to the guest, it’s a covert way of telling the guest to depart!”
This is the same as what Prince Philip says; but the African version is more inventive and amusing. In parenthesis, the illustrious Chinua Achebe can reel out countless such inventive sayings by his own people, the Ibo (Igbo). No doubt this is the same all over Africa.
Sol Plaatje of South Africa, the first black man to produce a novel in English did all he could to highlight and preserve hundreds of Tshwana proverbs. Those in published form are also often inventive and intriguing.
But back to our proverb above, the Yoruba one. Many educated Yorubas will not be happy with the tentative translation into English. And millions of non- Nigerians too. For example the word “yam” which is referred to in the original ancestral proverb. It might sound incredible to many, but a very large number of Africans, including South Africans do not know what a yam is; have never seen one!
This might sound outrageous to Nigerians, and west Africans in general, but yam is not a staple food of countries like South Africa; it does not even grow there. But then again most Nigerians do not know good old pap (mealie meal), a staple for countless millions in southern Africa! But the problem still does not end here.
To appreciate the Yoruba proverb, one has to know what yam looks like, the stocky healthy one, its gratifying texture; its deep-seated, age-old, edifying role in many societies of yore. And even now! To be able to contrast wholesome, robust yams with the shrivelled ones. Perhaps with some imagination this can be achieved…
So back to the two “adages” quoted in the beginning of this piece. By now we can see how uncannily alike they are; from two completely different societies and cultures. “Do not over-stay your welcome!” Of course, the African (Yoruba) saying is more pithy and thought provoking. What do you think?
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