Posted by By Mike Ebonugwo on
TIME was when women were completely immune to the global hysteria that usually accompanies the World Cup tournament....
TIME was when women were completely immune to the global hysteria that usually accompanies the World Cup tournament.
But times have changed as women have not only become interested in football as a popular sport, but follow the game passionately.
However, there is still a tiny clan of women who do not care a hoot about football and never hide their irritation when the sport is the subject matter of any discussion. To such women, the World Cup and other big soccer competition are nothing but one big bore they can do without. So, it is usually not surprising to hear such minded housewives expressing their disenchantment at the passion being exhibited by their husbands for the on-going World Cup tournament.
This was the case last week Wednesday at a boutique close to the Ikeja Bus-stop in Lagos. It all began when a fashionably dressed lady made her grand entrance into the boutique. The boutique owner popularly known as Madam Adike warmly welcome her and profusely told those around who cared to listen that the lady who had just breezed in was her very dear customer. After this, she enquired after the lady's children and husband in that order. And by way of an answer the lady who gave her name as Mrs. Charity Nwosu had said: 'My children are fine O; but I cannot say the same for my husband because he seems to be suffering from this their World Cup football fever. Anytime he's at home, all he does is to watch the World Cup matches from morning till night. Even to find time to eat food now is a problem for him".
This immediately produced laughter from the other women present. And one of them who identified herself as Mrs. Flora Majekodunmi immediately had something to say about this. 'My sister, I honestly don't see what is so special about this their World Cup competition that our men want to die for it. You won't believe that since the thing started, my husband hardly comes back home early from work like he used to do. When I challenged him on why he has been coming home late from work these days, he told me he had to stay back in the office to watch the World Cup matches. He said if he leaves for home immediately work closes he would miss the matches in the go-slow," complained the heavily made-up woman.
Another woman, by name Mrs. Rita Dappa, shared a similar experience. 'My problem is that I have become a stranger in my own home because of the World Cup. Can you imagine that everyday many people will come and gather in my house to watch the World Cup because NEPA has not brought light to my area since the competition started. I have complained to my husband several times about this but he would not listen. I don't know why people cannot go and buy their own generator to watch football matches if the World Cup is important to them," she grumbled in a shrill voice.
'Ah, that's a dangerous thing o," reacted Mrs. Nwosu. 'If I'm in your shoe I will not permit it at all because many homes have been robbed in the past by thieves pretending to be football fans. There is the case of a neighbour who allowed some young men to come and watch a football match in their house only for these young men to turn round to rob them. So, if I were you, I will not just tell my husband to stop neighbours and other people from coming to watch World Cup matches in our home, I will insist on it because men can sometimes be childish when it comes to something like this," she said rather churlishly.
The only single lady in the gathering, Agatha Akpoebi by name, also had something to contribute to the discussion. 'What I cannot understand about the way our men have been behaving about this World Cup is that Nigeria is not even there. Why should we be interested in a tournament that we're not even participating in? When you see them shouting and arguing about the matches, you will think that it's Nigeria that is playing. Sometimes they talk about other countries as if Nigeria is no longer their country.
'Sometimes you hear one man claiming that Brazil will surely win the World Cup and others arguing that it's another country like Argentina, Germany or England that will win. And the question I always ask is, what is your gain if any of these foreign countries win the World Cup? If England or Brazil wins the World Cup of what benefit is it to us as Nigerians? What I can see from the attitude of men towards the World Cup and football generally is that they behave like babies," she said as she preened and adjusted herself in front of a mirror.
'Of course they're babies!" concurred Mrs. Majekodunmi. 'And that is why we have to indulge them sometimes on things like this. Whenever you see women watching football, they behave like children and that is the truth. That is why I tried to bear it when my husband and children turn my home into a football stadium," she said.
'By the way, when is the World Cup ending?," enquired Mrs. Dappa. 'I want to know because I'm not comfortable at all about people coming to camp in my house in the name of watching football matches," she added with a frown. Oh, you better prepare yourself to cope with the ordeal until July 9, for that is when the World Cup is ending," replied Mrs. Nwosu. With this the women burst into laughter.