AFCON 2023: 'This is football, sometimes things don’t go your way' - Peseiro concedes defeat to Cote d’Ivoire, hails players
AdminSuper Eagles head coach, Jose Peseiro says his players were not at their best in Sunday’s defeat to Cote d’Ivoire.
Peseiro’s side fell to a 2-1 defeat to the hosts in the final of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
William Troost-Ekong gave Nigeria the lead with a header from a corner-kick in the 37th minute.
Cote d’Ivoire however fought back after the break with goals from Franck Kessie and Sebastien Haller.
Peseiro claimed after the game that his players failed to replicate their previous performance in the competition.
“My players did their best in this tournament, Cote d’Ivoire played better than us in this game. We didn’t show our level,” Peseiro said during his interaction with the media after the game.
“The performance on individual and collective level was not good enough for us.
“Cote d’Ivoire played better than us. They played really well. I wanted to win this trophy, my players wanted the trophy as well. It’s unfortunate we couldn’t do it.
“I’m sad, my players are sad too. The performance was not good enough but I can’t fault them. They gave their best in this tournament.
“These things happen in football. Sometimes things don’t go your way.”
The United Kingdom (UK) Minister for Business and Trade, Kemi Badenoch, has arrived in Nigeria for a three-day visit to deepen the UK-Nigeria partnership.
The UK Mission in Nigeria disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday.
Following the former Foreign Secretary’s visit to Nigeria in August 2023, and last week’s UK-Nigeria Security and Defence Talks,
Minister Badenoch is expected to take forward ongoing efforts by both countries to boost the UK-Nigeria trade relationship and unlock new investment opportunities.
While in the country, the Nigerian-born Kemi Badenoch and the Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Nigeria, Helen Grant, will have meetings with the Federal Government, State Governors as well as British and Nigerian business leaders and investors.
According to the statement, the minister will explore current and potential investment and trade activities from education to infrastructure and energy projects, with a potential to create thousands of jobs during the meetings.
Minister Badenoch will look to further strengthen the UK-Nigeria partnership, remove barriers to trade and investment, grow business between the two countries, and ensure the City of London’s enabling role for international business is more accessible to Nigeria.
Speaking on her visit to Nigeria, British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Dr Richard Montgomery, said, “Nigeria is one of the UK’s most important partners in Africa. We are committed to helping Nigeria unlock new investment opportunities, supporting more UK and international investment through the City of London, and thereby creating jobs in both our countries.
“Recent big and bold reforms by the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Central Bank are boosting optimism amongst international investors that the country is on the right path and are creating the conditions for growth.”
The Rt. Hon. Kemi Badenoch MP was appointed Secretary of State for the Department for Business and Trade on February 7, 2023.
She remains Secretary of State for International Trade and President of the Board of Trade on, which she was appointed to on 6 September 2022, and Minister for Women and Equalities for the Equality Hub, which she was appointed to on 25 October 2022.
[Vanguard]
Former Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has lamented over the defeat of the Super Eagles of Nigeria to the Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire.
Atiku said the Super Eagles’ defeat was not the result Nigerians expected.
DAILY POST reports that the Ivorian team defeated their Nigerian counterparts 2-1.
However, Atiku posted on X: “Not the result we all expected. Nonetheless, we remain #SuperEagles. Still proud of you guys. Well done, @NGSuperEagles. -AA”
On his part, former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani congratulated the Ivorian team.
He posted: “In the spirit of Sportsmanship,Congratulations to Ivory Coast and to the Super Eagles. We are proud of their performance. #AFCON2023.
Stop Saying The Country Will Be Better, Those In Power Are Selfish, Self-Centred – Ameh Advises Nigerians
AdminThe National Secretary of the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), Peter Ameh, has called on Nigerians to challenge the government over the security and economic challenges in the country.
He insisted that the ability of the people to protest bad leadership is what keeps those in government responsible and responsive.
Ameh shared his reservations about the state of the economy during an interview with Punch.
He insisted that it was time for Nigerians to stop being docile.
The CUPP chieftain opined that the country will not get better if Nigerians do not make demands.
According to him, “Nigerians are the number one critical stakeholder in this process. There is nowhere in the world where docility does not keep people in government stable. What keeps a government responsible? What makes a government responsive?
“What makes a government listen to the people? It is the ability of the people to protest bad leadership; to openly protest and physically protest bad leadership peacefully and responsibly; to request that the government must sit up.
“Nigerians must stop being docile; Nigeria must stop resigning to fate, and Nigerians must stop saying, ‘No, it will be better’. It will not be better if we do not make demands. We cannot just be satisfied with wishful thinking that Nigeria will be better with this group of leaders.
“This group of leaders are selfish, self-centred, and do not know what to do and they are not willing to give way to those who know what to do. The failure of this country and the setbacks that this country witnessed today are largely due to the inactive participation of Nigerians in the governance of their states.
“It is a fact that when a government sees that people are not worried, they will continue to manipulate the process; they will continue to manipulate the whole system and say they will wait for four years for another election.”
Nigeria’s wait for their fourth Africa Cup of Nations title continues after they lost 2-1 to Ivory Coast in this year’s final.
At the end of the first half, it appeared the Super Eagles would have lifted the trophy again, after William Troost-Ekong’s goal.
The captain rose highest to head in a corner kick and give Nigeria the lead.
But second half goals from Franck Kessie and Sebastien Haller saw the Elephants win the title on home soil.
So what went wrong?
1. Peseiro got his tactics wrong: Credit to Jose Peseiro. After the 1-1 draw with Equatorial Guinea in the opening group fixture, he switched to a 3-4-3 tactical system that saw Nigeria go all the way to the final. However, from the semi-final against South Africa, the cracks in that setup began to show. And against the hosts, the Portuguese needed to switch it up again, possibly return to a back four.
2. Too many poor performances: From back to front, there were a few poor displays from Nigerian players. Calvin Bassey was shaky. Zaidu Sanusi returned to the starting XI, but remained unreliable. Ola Aina chose to have his worst game in the final. Alex Iwobi was merely a passenger on the pitch, while Samuel Chukwueze had no business starting the game.
3. Weight of history: The Super Eagles have never defeated a host country in an AFCON final. And from the moment Ivory Coast snuck into the knockout stages as the last team to qualify, it felt ominous. There was a call of destiny they had to answer. It was crowned by Sebastien Haller getting the winner. Almost two years ago, he was diagnosed with cancer. On Sunday, he was helping his country make history.
4. Poor officiating: For most of the tournament, fans and pundits hailed the use of Video Assistant Referees (VAR), urging the top European leagues to learn a thing or two. But officiating for the final was an eyesore. The referee seemed jittery and overwhelmed. Most of the 50-50 calls went the way of the hosts. Kessie, who equalized for the hosts, could have easily seen red after elbowing Sanusi.
The Nigerian Presidency has congratulated the Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire for their victory over the Super Eagles.
President Bola Tinubu’s spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, said the Ivorian team equalled Nigeria as three time winners of AFCON.
Posting on X, Onanuga also congratulated the Super Eagles for emerging second.
According to Onanuga: “Congratulations Elephants of Cote D’Ivoire for being TotalEnergiesAFCON2023 champions, equaling Nigeria as three time winners.
“Congratulations the Super Eagles of Nigeria for picking the silver. There will always be another time for victory song. Today was not just the Super Eagles day.”
The Super Eagles lost 2-1 to their Ivorian counterparts.
Reports have revealed that the Aircraft model, Eurocopter EC 130B4, which crashed and claimed the lives of the Chief Executive of Access Holdings Plc, Herbert Wigwe, his wife, son and three others crashed five times in 2023.
Naija News reports that Wigwe died following a chopper crash on Friday, February 9, in California, United States.
His wife, Chizoba, and son also suffered the same fate.
However, a report from The Nation has traced the history of the Eurocopter EC 130 to several fatal accidents.
The aircraft model which is manufactured by Airbus Helicopters SAS (formerly Eurocopter), the single-engine aircraft and its variations have a long history of accidents.
Crashes Timeline
In December 1, 2023, the Eurocopter EC 130B4 suffered a crash which struck power cables during takeoff and crashed into a ball of flames near Ex Hacienda el Hospital, Cuautla, Morelos in Mexico. Three people died in the accident, and it was the last of 11 crashes involving Airbus models in 2023.
In 2018, the same aircraft model crashed in the Grand Canyon and claimed the lives of five people.
In 2018, another crash involving Eurocopter EC 130B4 killed five people, all of them Britons, in the Grand Canyon.
Two brothers, Stuart and Jason Hill, 30 and 32, were among the dead. Stuart Hill’s girlfriend Becky Dobson was also killed in the crash. The three were pronounced dead at the scene.
The aircraft burst into flames after crashing. The pilot told American investigators that the helicopter encountered a “violent gust of wind” and started spinning.
In January 2023, two EC130B4s operated by Sea World Helicopters collided in Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia, killing four people and injuring eight.
Following these accidents, it is now required all helicopter fuel tanks be shielded from fuel tank rupture on impact.
Legal icon and founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Afe Babalola, has stressed the need for President Bola Tinubu to seek debt relief for Nigeria from the country’s international creditors.
He emphasized the need to seek a reduction in the interest of the loan and the loan itself in order to save Nigeria’s economy from collapse.
Recalling how former President Olusegun Obasanjo got debt relief for Nigeria, Babalola said it is time to call Obasanjo to advise the Tinubu government on how to get it done.
Speaking on Sunday in Ado-Ekiti during the 6th Induction Ceremony of the 2023 graduating set of the College of Medical and Health Sciences of ABUAD, Babalola, if Nigeria does not seek debt relief, the country’s economy may be crippled with the way things are going.
The legal luminary also lamented that the loans accrued by the government have unfortunately been embezzled by some private individuals.
He emphasized that the sorry state of the economy and the frustration of the people are responsible for the protests across some major cities in the country.
He said, “Nigeria is one of the heaviest debtors in the world, I have written articles about it, let us investigate how we came to several trillions of dollars, what do we spend it on? I can assure you, these money are pocketed by those who said they collected it.
“Let us call on Obasanjo again to advise the present government. When we were in serious trouble in the 90s, after he took over, he went round all the creditors and begged them, one, to peg the interest, two, to even reduce the indebtedness and today, we are better for it.
“Unless we do that, this indebtedness will cripple this country and it will lead to anything. I have seen people especially, in the North who are agitating because of the fact that the naira is getting worse, food prices are high, no employment, and those who get it are not paid. Something has to be done about it.”
Speaking further, Babalola condemned the recent killings of two traditional rulers in Ekiti State and the hike in food prices.
He urged the government to intensify efforts at tackling insecurity so that farmers can access their farms without fear and enable all Nigerians to be producers of crops by investing in Agriculture.
Babalola also advocated an increase in the salary of teachers in the country to bolster their teaching delivery towards achieving and sustaining quality education in the country, as it has been in the 20th century.
His words, “Monarchs are killed, it is an unusual development, so, what is behind all these is the fact that we have no money, our money has no value, our currency is as worthless as toilet paper, something has to be done about naira and productivity.
“Farmers have left their farms now because of kidnappers, something has to be done about kidnapping and farmers have to be encouraged to go back to their farms.”
President Bola Tinubu has praised the Super Eagles for their display in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations final in Ivory Coast.
Despite their loss to the host nation, Tinubu said the Eagles demonstrated resilience and talent at the tournament.
This was contained in a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, on Sunday.
The Elephants of Ivory Coast emerged victorious in the 2023 CAF African Cup of Nations (AFCON) final after beating Super Eagles 2-1.
Tinubu added that Nigeria has won a great victory in the heart of Africa and the world at large.
The statement read, “President Bola Tinubu salutes the Super Eagles of Nigeria for their tenacious performance in the final of the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Côte d’Ivoire.
“President Tinubu commends the team, the coach, the crew, and the entire management team for their hard work, assiduity, and sacrifice to come this far in the tournament, acknowledging the hurdles they consistently surpassed with steadily improving performance as they pulled through to the finals.”
“The President urges Nigerians to be of good cheer, emphasizing that we won a great victory in the hearts of Africa and the world by our grit, rigour, and determination in the field of play.”
The president, however, urged Nigerians not to be demoralised, saying, “Let this passing event not dispirit us, but bring us together to work harder. We are a great nation bound as one by the green-white-green banner of resilience, joy, hope, duty, and untiring love.
“To those cherished Nigerian youths expressing their gifts in communities, drawing lines in the sand as they play football in their humble rectangles of play, you can be our heroes tomorrow, do not relent in your pursuit. My administration is here to make dreams come true.”
Following the Super Eagles 2-1 loss against hosts Ivory Coast in the final of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, Nigerians have faulted the team for reserving their worse performance for the most important game despite raising hopes with their run during the tournament, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
After captain William Troost-Ekong gave Nigeria a lead into the break with a header in the 37th minute, the hosts fought back in the second half, producing two goals courtesy of Frank Kessie and Sebastien Haller to win their third title.
Kessie found the equaliser in the 61st minute with a header while Haller, scored the winner and his second goal of the tournament with a poke in between Nigerian defenders with nine minutes left to play.
Despite the final changes made by coach Jose Peseiro, the Eagles couldn’t find the inspiration to come back into the game, missing the chance to win a fourth AFCON title, just like their failures in 1984, 1988 1990 and 2000.
Nigerians were left unimpressed by the team’s poor performance.
“Ivory Coast fully deserve this win. Unfortunately, the Super Eagles saved their worst performance for the final,” journalist, Nurudeen Obalaola remarked.
Another journalist, Wale Agbede also said, “Ivory Coast have been poor in this tournament, yet we somehow made them look so good. Letting them take control of the midfield and also cross at will.”
Others also blamed the players for their lack of sheer individua brilliance in the final.
“Lookman totally off, Iwobi is like he’s not there, Zaidu calamity even Aina is a shadow of himself. This parking the bus was always going to backfire,” A broadcast journalist, Benjamin Okenna also noted.
A brand and marketing enthusiast, Seun Odegbami also said the Eagles rode on luck throughout the tournament.
“Now I can finally speak my mind about the Super Eagles. The fact that the teams they played with in the group stage were fairly good was an advantage for us. If they played the tougher teams first, we wouldn’t have entered the quarter-finals.”
It’s the fifth AFCON final Nigeria will lose, and this year’s loss is similar to the 1984 edition, also in Ivory Coast when the Eagles were beaten 3-1 in the final by Cameroon.
Having reached the final eight times, Nigeria have won only three AFCON titles thanks to successes in 1980, 1994 and 2013. Despite Nigeria having the most podium finishes in the history of the tournament, they have not been able to make it count over the years, having also finished third on eight occasions.
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Nigeria coach; Jose Peseiro has announced his starting eleven for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations against host Ivory Coast.
The team will heading to the Alassane Ouattara Stadium, Abidjan, for the encounter.
Porto defender Zaidu Sanusi has returned to the team after passing a late fitness test, having missed the semi final against South Africa.
The other change in the lineup sees Samuel Chukwueze replacing Moses Simon.
Stanley Nwabali retained his place in between the sticks with Semi Ajayi, William Troost-Ekong and Calvin Bassey keeping their spots in defence.
Alex Iwobi, despite criticisms from fans who believe his work rate is poor, starts in the midfield alongside Frank Onyeka.
Victor Osimhen will lead the attack with Ademola Lookman and Samuel Chukwueze coming in from the wings.
The Super Eagles will file out in what looks like a 3-4-3 formation.
Nigeria’s XI: Nwabali; Ajayi, Troost-Ekong, Bassey; Aina, Zaidu, Onyeka, Iwobi; Lookman, Chukwueze, Osimhen.
The final match of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations will kick off by 9pm Nigeria time.
A clergyman, Oscar Amaechina, says the prosperity gospel encourages love of money rather than building morality, contributing to the country’s insecurity.
Mr Amaechina, the president of Afri-Mission and Evangelism Network (AMEN), said this in Abuja on Saturday at a book launch.
“The danger of the prosperity gospel is that it does not bring morality through what people are doing, so I strongly believe that insecurity and the way we live our lives recklessly are results of not knowing God,” said Mr Amaechina.
He advised pastors to stick to the true biblical doctrine and teaching for their members and discourage their congregation from covetousness.
The clergyman said pastors should desist from emphasising the love of money to their congregation but encourage them to remain content with what they have.
“Those who are kidnappers have religious groups where they belong. Some of them are in the churches; they give money to their pastors, pay tithe, and give offerings.
“Some of them can even build churches, yet they still go and kidnap and collect money from people because some of them just believe that the essence of why we exist in life is because God wants us to prosper,” he said.
The clergy stressed that Christianity had faced different challenges as most pastors were now defining God based on the brand of their Christianity.
According to him, Christians see God in many dimensions and also many have failed to preach morality but rather focus on a frivolous lifestyle.
Adamson Uokhag, the Abuja chapter coordinator of AMEN, called for the revival of a reading culture that would spur Nigerians into knowing the truth about God.
(NAN)
AFCON 2023 final: It’s won’t be easy – Peseiro reveals how Super Eagles can defeat Cote d’Ivoire
AdminSuper Eagles coach, Jose Peseiro has said the Nigerian team must put in their best to win the African Cup of Nation, AFCON, tournament.
This was as Peseiro noted that winning the AFCON would not be easy for the Super Eagles.
Speaking at a pre-match press conference, the Super Eagles tactician expressed his desire to beat Cote d’Ivoire and lift the 2023 AFCON.
Super Eagles and their Cote d’Ivoire counterpart will clash at 9pm at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Ebimpe, Abidjan.
“It’s the final, good atmosphere, with a full stadium. Our players know that it is not easy to win the AFCON and they must put in their best to win.
“Playing a final is always important. This is my first AFCON. Some were saying it’s been special, and I can attest to that.
“The emotions in Africa are very special. All of this in my opinion is a great way to learn and I would love to win it with the Nigerian team,” Peseiro said.
The semi-final match between the Super Eagles of Nigeria and the Bafana Bafana of South Africa on Wednesday, February 7, at the ongoing 2023 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cote D’ivoire, ended with a combination of joy and sadness for Nigerians.
DAILY POST reported that at the last count, five Nigerians reportedly dropped dead while watching the match; a development that has left many in utter bewilderment as to how men, who were healthy before the match, could suddenly cave in to death following the tension and anxiety generated by the football match.
Before the match, hopes and expectations were high among Nigerian fans, who wanted nothing but victory.
However, events took a somber turn when the anticipated victory did not come as quickly as expected. Five persons were reported to have died as a result of the tension that characterized the fiasco, before Nigeria eventually snatched victory away from the South Africans through penalty shoot-outs.
But then, it was already late, because the deed had been done; five men were already gone to the world beyond.
The first casualty came when the South African team was awarded a penalty kick against Nigeria towards the end of the game, while the other ones happened when the match got to the penalty shoot-outs. Those were the reported figures; there could be others whose deaths were not reported, probably in the hinterlands.
However, first on the roll call was a former member of the House of Representatives, who represented Ika Federal Constituency of Delta State, Dr Cairo Ojougboh. He was said to have journeyed to the world beyond when a penalty was awarded against Nigeria.
According to the report, as soon as the South African team scored against Nigeria, Ojougboh screamed, then collapsed, and died immediately.
Again, a deputy bursar at the Kwara State University (KWASU), Alhaji Ayuba Abdullahi, also suffered a similar fate watching the tension-soaked encounter. According to sources, he died while watching the match at a viewing centre in Sango area of Ilorin metropolis.
“Abdullahi watched the game till the end of the extra time, before he felt uncomfortable and was rushed to a private hospital in the area, where he, unfortunately, gave up the ghost.
“The deputy bursar watched the match from the beginning till the end of the extra time. When it was time for the penalty kick, he complained that he was feeling frenzy, and needed to go back home to rest. He never knew that his blood pressure level had gone up.
“So, on getting home, he collapsed, and he was rushed to a private hospital in Sango, from where he was referred to the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital. But, before he could be attended to at the teaching hospital, he died,” a source volunteered.
Also, a serving member of the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC), simply identified as Samuel, was equally reported to have slumped and died while watching the match.
According to witnesses, the Kaduna-born corps member died before the last shootout that launched Nigeria into the final stage of the competition.
“We lost one Nigerian a few minutes ago during our victory celebration over South Africa today at our sport viewing centre here in Numan, Adamawa State.
“The Corps member who is serving in Numan, from Kaduna State has slumped before the kick-off of the winning goal. He died before they could reach the hospital in Numan; may his soul rest in peace,” the witness said.
The NYSC Coordinator in Adamawa State, Jingi Dennis, said the corps member was confirmed dead at the General Hospital in Numan.
“According to his colleagues who went with him to watch the match, the late corps member told the people around him that he did not like watching penalty shootouts. He then bowed his head, and suddenly collapsed.
“He was confirmed dead at the General Hospital in Numan by the doctor,” the coordinator said.
There was also a man said to be working as a sales representative with a multi-national manufacturing company in Nigeria, who equally slumped and died as he was watching the semi-final football encounter in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
The man, aged 43, and identified as Mikail Osundiji, was said to have died out of shock after the central referee nullified Nigeria‘s second goal by striker Victor Osimhen against the South Africans.
Checks revealed that the late Osun-born Osundiji, who was a father of two, did not show any sign of sickness before he showed up at the football viewing centre located at the Federal Housing Estate (FHE) in Olomoore axis of Abeokuta metropolis to watch the match.
His elder sister, Mrs. Adetunji Nofisat, who spoke to journalists, explained that Osundiji suddenly breathed out heavily after the cancellation of Nigeria’s second goal, lowered his head, and fell to the ground at the football viewing centre.
“That was when other people at the football viewing centre rushed to him and took him to one of the private hospitals in Olomoore before the doctor on duty pronounced him dead,” she stated.
There was also a report about the death of an Anambra-born billionaire, Chief Osondu Nwoye, resident in Ivory Coast, who allegedly died while watching the same semifinal match between Nigeria and South Africa.
A major motor spare parts dealer and CEO of Group Auto Promotion Cote d‘Ivoire, Nwoye, who lives in Ivory Coast, according to report, was shouting on top of his voice when the Nigerian star striker, Victor Osihmen, scored the second goal, which was later cancelled by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR).
It was alleged that the shock of seeing the goal cancelled, and the subsequent penalty that was awarded against Nigeria, was too much for him to bear.
He subsequently collapsed in the stadium, and was immediately rushed to the hospital, but all efforts to revive him failed, as the doctor pronounced him dead.
So, even as most Nigerians were jubilating over the eventual victory of the Super Eagles over their counterparts in South Africa, it was such a mournful moment for family and friends of the deceased.
While some have described what happened as one of the mysteries of life, which can end any time, others would want to look at it from the health status of the victims before the ugly incident.
The Medical Director, Hosanna Hospital, Festac, Lagos, Dr. Chikodi Onyemkpa, is among those who would want to view their deaths from the medical angle, rather than one of life’s mysteries.
He expressed doubt if that was the first time such had happened.
“Frankly, there is nothing strange about it. However, individuals that know they have health challenges like high blood pressure are encouraged not to get into extreme situations like watching football matches which they have interest in,” he advised.
Onyemkpa also expressed fear that the economic situation in Nigeria that was gradually going in the direction of violent confrontation was not helping matters.
According to him, if it continued, many people would still die not because they got into the street, but because the news of what happened in the street was coming to them.
He went biblical to explain how bad news could contribute to what had happened when he said: “For those that read their Bible, they should remember that it was bad news that killed Prophet Eli. It was bad news that caused Prophet Eli’s daughter-in-law to have premature delivery. So, what has happened is not new.”
However, viewing the development from the medical prism, Dr Onyemkpa said the medical connection to what had happened was that there was extreme excitement which the heart couldn’t just handle.
He likened what happened during the match which led to the unfortunate incident to running a 100 metres race, saying, “Have you ever done a 100-metre-race and discovered that you were struggling to breathe; you were panting excessively? There is a threshold that your heart will be able to handle.”
“If the emergency management chemicals in your body get produced at a level that is beyond the coping capacity of your heart to handle, then there will be a sudden event that will be disastrous; that’s the thing,” he told DAILY POST.
He stressed that the heart couldn’t just cope with the stress of the excitement that characterized the match.
“When there is an emergency, your body gets into what is called a fight flight mode; that is either you fight or you run. For your body to get into that mode, a chemical substance called adrenaline is injected into your blood immediately, telling your body either to run for life or to fight for your life.
“So, that sudden event of prepping your body for that is also associated with the heart picking up. That’s why when there is a gunshot by your window, suddenly your heart will start racing, meanwhile you are sitting down in your house.
“Your heart will be racing as if you have done a 100-metre-race; that is what happens. So, when there is sudden news, your heart picks up, either to run away from danger or fight to extricate yourself from danger.
“That protocol is managed by a chemical substance called adrenalin. And what adrenalin will also do is that your heart will start racing and your eyes become sharp, and you just want to automatically, without thinking, respond that way. So, if the heart is not able to take that load of responsibility, then there is a problem,” he said.
He also made an analogy with starting a car engine to explain how the heart works and what happens in certain situations of one’s health condition.
He said: “You start a car, you rev the engine and all that before you start to run. Some cars are said to be very good because you just start the engine and you touch your leg on the accelerator and it will move from zero rpm to about 6000 revolutions per a minute. Those are fantastic engines.
“But, you put your foot on some engines, and they cannot do more than 2000 revolutions per minute. The other one might be up to 6000 per minute. So, the one that can handle a bigger pressure, you say it is a better engine. And the one that cannot handle as much as 6000, you say it is not that sharp an engine. So, what it is now is that you have injected adrenalin and you are expecting an engine that can only do 2000rpm to do 6000 and it packs up; that is all.”
To prevent future occurrence of the sad incident, he advised that “people should know their health status before engaging in any activity that is tension-filled and emotion-laden, like watching football, especially one that is as important as the Nation’s Cup, involving the nation’s football team.
“So, if you know your health, you will know the level of pressure you can handle. This is not the first time that people have been advised not to watch explosive matches if they know they cannot handle the pressure.
“Wait for the match to be over and you can watch the replay.
“And even when you are watching the replay of the penalties of the match between Nigeria and South Africa, it still looks as if you are watching the event alive, but then, the tension is less because you already know what the result is.”
For the Consultant Cardiologist at Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, Dr Ramon Moronkola, the spate of deaths while watching football matches could be attributed to either heart attack or stroke.
“For people that develop heart failure, for example, or those that have had what is called Ischemic Heart Disease, which is a kind of blockage in their heart, any form of excitement can lead to heart attack,” Moronkola said.
He also noted that grief or excitement could cause such deaths, particularly if there was an underlying medical case that was diagnosed or even undiagnosed.
The medical doctor told DAILY POST that, “People can die suddenly as a result of grief or excitement. For those who die as a result of excitement, usually, there is an underlying cardiovascular issue, either known or unknown to the individual.
“Some people are also prone to developing what is called arrhythmias when there is an emotional surge. Arrhythmias means that the heart is beating abnormally and goes into an abnormal rhythm, and that can also lead to sudden death.”
The President of the Nigerian Cardiac Society, Prof Augustine Odili, had this to say: “The possibility is that they might have had what people call heart attack, which is known to be caused by the expression of emotions.
“Again, it is also important to talk about how each of them died, and at what point. Two of them, I learnt, died when the Nigerian player scored a goal and the goal was disqualified and then South Africa scored and the penalty shootout,” he told our correspondent.
He also agreed with Dr Onyemkpa on the need for people to know their health status before engaging in any activity that would cause so much excitement or emotion as a way of preventing such sad developments in the future.
He noted that apart from everyone undergoing regular health checks, there should be provisions for immediate resuscitation.
“There is nothing that can be beyond regular checks. Even if you have no symptoms and don’t feel any pain, it is good to check. It is when there is no war that you prepare for war.
“So, even if you have no symptoms, and you are not sick, it is good to have regular checks, so that you can detect any underlying issue. That is the only way forward.
“Try regular health checks so that you can know what your background condition is and manage it appropriately. If you have high blood pressure that is not controlled and you have an emotional surge, your blood pressure will go through the roof compared to someone whose blood pressure is well controlled,” he advised.
In his contribution a Consultant Psychologist, LASUTH, Dr Leonard Okonkwo also aligned with the earlier speakers that the people who died watching the football match between Nigeria and South Africa, probably, had one disease or the other around their heart.
To prevent future occurrences, he also called for regular medical checks so that people could know their medical status.
He told DAILY POST that, “Many times, people have these conditions without knowing. Watching a match that is full of tension and emotion, it is very normal for the blood pressure to go far beyond what the heart can handle, and when that happens, the heart packs up, leading to sudden death.
“What has happened is not unusual because football is a sport that is full of emotions, particularly when Nigeria is involved at that stage.
“For the match to have got into the penalty kick, it built a lot of anxieties even for people who don’t have hypertension.”
“So, people should just know their health status to avoid this kind of situation in future and that can only be done through regular medical check-ups,” he stressed.
[DailyPost]