Football is a sport that is played in almost all parts of the world. Whether it’s on the streets, on grasses, on tiles, or even in a family compounds the sport lives on. It passes the message of peace, love, and harmony between players, viewers, and organizers. However, as in every where in the world, there are merits and demerits of Street Football in Nigeria.
Africa as a whole is a continent that loves football and breathes football. The reason it may seem that football is quite stagnant in most parts of the continent is the poor administration of the leaders of the game especially in Nigeria. However, street football has not lost and would never lose its importance in the Nigeria Community.
What Does “Street Football” In Nigeria Offer? The Benefits?
Street football in Nigeria bring so much different things to the table and they are as follows;
- Connections: One of the benefit of street football in Nigeria is that it opens up connections between aspiring footballers and scouts or coaches. This gives hope to the footballer that he can make it one day. The street is the best place to freely display your football talent and skills.
- Friendship/Good Relationships: Of course, someone who plays on the streets of Nigeria would also find new friends and build new relationships with fellow ballers or fans. Knowing that there is someone who can vouch for you at any moment and in any given circumstance. Football is not only about playing on the pitch but also what happens off it.
- Self-Esteem: The beautiful game called football is not just played for the purpose of playing. There are deep stuffs the spirit of the game penetrates. Street football helps people who do not know how to express themselves in public boldly. Little by little they begin to communicate with people as they get involved playing. They begin to view themselves in a positive manner, something that nothing else help cure.
- Happiness: When someone ends up on the winning side in a street game, it brings happiness. Some come to play street football carrying grudges or home problems but at the end of the day, go home feeling happy.
- Safe Space: Some people do not know how to do any other thing than to play football in the streets. They do not have anything to bank on in other aspects of life. They feel safe and at peace whenever they go to the streets.
However, there are also disadvantages of street football in Nigeria. They are explained below
The Demerits?
- Avenue for Violence: Street football doesn’t always end up in peacefully as fights happen. This is one of the factors that defeats the main purpose of the existence of street football in Nigeria.
- No injury treatment: If someone gets injured during a street game there is a high percentage that the person won’t get the right treatment.
- Poor Organization: The way football is organized in the streets of Nigeria is very poor and urgent work needs to be done in the grassroots of the game. This can lead to accidents or dangerous incidents. The game is played on roads and open areas due to no available football pitches in the community. Imagine the amount of lives that can be endangered due to this.
Cry To The Leaders
With all these being said, Nigeria has a lot of work to do in order for the “street football” to still keep its meaning. Of course, the streets is the home of grassroots football – if the government fails the streets, then grassroots football cannot move forward or prosper.
Nowadays, families purposely go abroad to give birth to their children because they fear their child would not gain from the level of our grassroot football. This just empowers the bigger nations and weakens Nigeria the original owners of the talents.
If there is massive focus on improving the level of the grassroot football in the country, the sector thrives. Street football would be the centre of attraction in the nation if the right things are done by leaders of the sport.
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