The World Cup is on and going strong and we all can’t help but feel proud that Africa is hosting this exciting adventure. I’ll be quite honest and admit that I’m not really the die-hard soccer fan …though I grew up in a household where speaking against soccer and an English Team known as Manchester United could honestly cost you a meal and a roof over your head. My dad, whom I’m quite close to, can definitely be categorized as a serious soccer fan.So anyway, like many other Africans, I happened to catch the match between Ghana and Uruguay last Friday. I was at a popular club / bar which was jam packed in the spirit of support towards the final African team that was left representing our great continent. Even a “non soccer” fan like me had to admit that the emotions were infectious… the atmosphere was sizzling with tension and anticipation and I found myself caught up in the spirit. There I was, grimacing and twitching at every lost opportunity and shouting with excitement at every positive moment… even more so when Ghana scored the first goal. This was definitely a game of all games, a fight to the death where only one would conquer and we all watched with anticipation hoping and praying that Ghana would make it. When the game went into extra time, my heart broke at that lost opportunity to end things swiftly for Uruguay but my heart still hoped even as we all watched the team line up for the Penalty kicks.
The emotions in the room were on a high as the whole of Africa prayed that we would hold on strong and make it through. And when the hammer finally dropped, I lack the words to describe the reaction and response of the entire pub as Uruguay won and we all knew that this was it for Ghana and for Africa. As I looked around, I saw some fans shed tears and others punch walls, cursing and groaning loudly, expressing utter disbelief at the misery and unfairness of it all. And in this moment, a thought crossed my mind, “What will the players who missed the penalty kicks say to their families and friends?”
Honestly, I cannot criticize without first commending the effort that Ghana displayed in getting to where they did. But there is a crucial lesson here that I walked away with…the difference between great success and painful failure sometimes relies on the actions we take at the final moments. When Ghana scored, we all celebrated but this celebration was soon marred by the realization that they did not win and go through to the semi finals.
In life and in business, we need to pay attention to the small but crucial moments….when you are close to winning the race, reach deep for the extra strength to put in your strongest effort towards the end….in this way, you will have ensured that you don’t lose at the finish line and get stuck in a frustrating small town commonly known as “Almost Doesn’t count.”
