Journey to Garoua and five thousand naira for ice block

 

Super Eagles O Clock

My journey to the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations started with a phone call from the Director of Communications of the Nigeria Football Federation, Ademola Olajire around November 2021.

After I got my briefing, it was down to business to formulate and curate the visuals to be used for the Afcon 2021.

I was to be supervised by Ayo Ibidapo aka AY Suga and off course I knew at the time despite the challenge ahead, it was going be a good one.

Our tag-team worked at the World Cup in 2018 and I was looking forward to it.

After a few weeks, the templates were done and we were good to go.

Or were we?

After Christmas of 2021, I realized there were a few things left and I had to hurriedly sort that out with AY’s interfacing in-between.

The journey to Garoua was not easy. There was the small matter of getting my second jab of the covid19 vaccine.

Unfortunately, there was Modena jab in Jos or Kontagora. The only bet was in Abuja.

I had to do the trip there. Let me also add that I had to go four days before departure and for good reason too.

When I took my first jab, it took me three days to recover from the jab and I didn’t want to travel to Cameroon looking like a bag of unripe potatoes.

I managed to get the shot but surprisingly I didn’t get the same symptoms like I did for the first one.

Masha Allah.

We flew out on Tuesday afternoon and managed to get into Garoua as the Nigeria game kicked off. The flight was smooth and I spent the best part of it discussing with Queen of the NFF’s legal department,

Let me retrace my steps a bit.

Do you know that covid test you hate to do? I had to do another one and this time dem chuk my two nostrils. The lady who did it practically stabbed my nose. I had to forgive her sha.

I got to the stadium about 20 minutes into the game and I must say I was mightily impressed with what I saw.

Moses Simon was a torn in the flesh of the Egyptians. Daddy Ajala gave me joy. Walahi he did.

We won the game courtesy of a Kelechi Iheanacho goal in the first half and I must confess e don tey wey I watch Super Eagles and dem give me joy like this.

A fantastic way to start the competition.

After the game, we were taken to our accommodation where I met Shina Okeleji of the BCC and a few other friends I had not seen for a long time.

After securing our keys and washing up, we went for dinner. I did okro soup with 'swallow' made of mashed rice. It tasted good.

The craziest part of the day was when we sat down to have a drink and we were billed 5k for Ice.

I kid you not. Mere Ice cubes oh!

By way, the Nigerian in us didn’t allow our pockets to be fleeced. Then there was the small matter of trying to bill us for bringing out drinks to the open bar. 

The matter ees plenty. 

These Francophone nations think they have seen money sha. 

It was a pretty long day. 

I need sleep.

More gist tomorrow.